Friends of Gill Beck Valley
@gillbeckvalley.bsky.social
Advocates for nature in the Gill Beck Valley Baildon/Hawksworth, West Yorkshire
Strange times. Last week it was parched, brown and silent. All the local swallows vanished. This week it rains and we have 48 of them back again. Where did they go in between. 48 is more than we've had post-breeding for several years. Makes so much difference to have life back in the landscape
September 5, 2025 at 10:21 AM
Strange times. Last week it was parched, brown and silent. All the local swallows vanished. This week it rains and we have 48 of them back again. Where did they go in between. 48 is more than we've had post-breeding for several years. Makes so much difference to have life back in the landscape
Wood pasture at the top of Spring Wood in the valley between Baildon and Hawksworth. The cows really like to get in there when it's hot but also when it's wet and windy
May 26, 2025 at 5:29 PM
Wood pasture at the top of Spring Wood in the valley between Baildon and Hawksworth. The cows really like to get in there when it's hot but also when it's wet and windy
Several trees in the valley have suffered 'summer branch drop' in the last couple of weeks. Oak and Sycamore. This is often associated with abnormally warm, dry weather
May 23, 2025 at 6:59 PM
Several trees in the valley have suffered 'summer branch drop' in the last couple of weeks. Oak and Sycamore. This is often associated with abnormally warm, dry weather
Confluence of Gill Beck and the river Aire. A bit short on water but nonetheless lovely today with Brimstone butterfly, Banded Demoiselle and lots of Mayflies on the wing
May 23, 2025 at 6:55 PM
Confluence of Gill Beck and the river Aire. A bit short on water but nonetheless lovely today with Brimstone butterfly, Banded Demoiselle and lots of Mayflies on the wing
Eggs of freshwater limpets... Also from the confluence of Gill Beck and Aire
May 23, 2025 at 6:50 PM
Eggs of freshwater limpets... Also from the confluence of Gill Beck and Aire
Absolutely gazillions of baby leeches in our invertebrate count at the mouth of the Gill Beck today. There are 17 species of leeches in the UK... We have seen at least two in the beck
May 23, 2025 at 6:41 PM
Absolutely gazillions of baby leeches in our invertebrate count at the mouth of the Gill Beck today. There are 17 species of leeches in the UK... We have seen at least two in the beck
Grasshopper Warbler singing from this brambly streamside on Hollins Hall this evening. Also a thumping great bat cruising over which I presume may be a Noctule
April 29, 2025 at 8:05 PM
Grasshopper Warbler singing from this brambly streamside on Hollins Hall this evening. Also a thumping great bat cruising over which I presume may be a Noctule
A new plant for the valley: Fringecups. These have sneaked in amongst the wild garlic in deep shade on the banks of the beck adjacent to the confluence with the Aire. Not a UK native but quite widespread
April 27, 2025 at 2:13 PM
A new plant for the valley: Fringecups. These have sneaked in amongst the wild garlic in deep shade on the banks of the beck adjacent to the confluence with the Aire. Not a UK native but quite widespread
Chance of an aurora tonight too. Scoter, toads and dancing lights
March 26, 2025 at 9:21 PM
Chance of an aurora tonight too. Scoter, toads and dancing lights
This afternoon there was a huge seething toad ball just on the ground by the path at Tong Park
March 26, 2025 at 9:18 PM
This afternoon there was a huge seething toad ball just on the ground by the path at Tong Park
Thousands of Scoter pouring East over north Leeds tonight. Hundreds of toads spawning.
March 25, 2025 at 8:56 PM
Thousands of Scoter pouring East over north Leeds tonight. Hundreds of toads spawning.
Oof😬 more projects needing some work
March 16, 2025 at 8:10 PM
Oof😬 more projects needing some work
Our upstream-est sampling site at Tong Park Viaduct
March 16, 2025 at 8:09 PM
Our upstream-est sampling site at Tong Park Viaduct
First session of invertebrate sampling in the Gill Beck for this year. Still some life in there then! These are stream mayfly larvae. Thousands of 'em!
March 16, 2025 at 8:08 PM
First session of invertebrate sampling in the Gill Beck for this year. Still some life in there then! These are stream mayfly larvae. Thousands of 'em!
Reposted by Friends of Gill Beck Valley
Home time for the Whoopers 🥲 Beautiful cross country track under the cover of darkness for this one last night! Nene Washes to Keilder Water, Northumberland in 4 hours. #Ornithology
March 9, 2025 at 8:34 AM
Home time for the Whoopers 🥲 Beautiful cross country track under the cover of darkness for this one last night! Nene Washes to Keilder Water, Northumberland in 4 hours. #Ornithology
A flock of @15 Whoopers over last night. Tootling north over Guiseley. Illuminated from below by streetlights as they went over the ridge. Magic
March 1, 2025 at 10:03 PM
A flock of @15 Whoopers over last night. Tootling north over Guiseley. Illuminated from below by streetlights as they went over the ridge. Magic
www.theguardian.com/environment/... Profound and worrying. If it's happening in the Amazon, you can bet it's a background factor here too.
In the most untouched, pristine parts of the Amazon, birds are dying. Scientists may finally know why
Populations have been falling for decades, even in tracts of forest undamaged by humans. Experts have spent two decades trying to understand what is going on
www.theguardian.com
January 30, 2025 at 5:49 PM
www.theguardian.com/environment/... Profound and worrying. If it's happening in the Amazon, you can bet it's a background factor here too.
For anyone who follows us for Gill Beck news and gets economics. Truth is every time you dig down into a real, local envtl issue you ultimately find economics. Every time a govt service is cut coz 'we don't have the money' it's never true. May be other valid reasons but it's never lack of money.
January 24, 2025 at 8:07 AM
For anyone who follows us for Gill Beck news and gets economics. Truth is every time you dig down into a real, local envtl issue you ultimately find economics. Every time a govt service is cut coz 'we don't have the money' it's never true. May be other valid reasons but it's never lack of money.
unherd.com/2024/12/a-fo... The corollary to this is that the state of our local environment becomes pressingly relevant to the lives of UK citizens. This is why we need intact ecology outside our front doors. Biodiversity, soil, pollution...they matter
A food apocalypse is coming
unherd.com
December 22, 2024 at 11:03 AM
unherd.com/2024/12/a-fo... The corollary to this is that the state of our local environment becomes pressingly relevant to the lives of UK citizens. This is why we need intact ecology outside our front doors. Biodiversity, soil, pollution...they matter
We lost Pied & Spotted Flycatcher, Redstart, Lesser Spot, Wood Warbler, Willow Tit, Marsh Tit but now we got Ravens 💪..and, to be fair, Mandarin Ducks and Red Kite
December 21, 2024 at 7:36 PM
We lost Pied & Spotted Flycatcher, Redstart, Lesser Spot, Wood Warbler, Willow Tit, Marsh Tit but now we got Ravens 💪..and, to be fair, Mandarin Ducks and Red Kite
Tong Park Viaduct: completed in 1876. A masterpiece now forgotten behind a decidedly unglamorous industrial estate at the heart of the Valley of the Gill Beck
December 21, 2024 at 11:45 AM
Tong Park Viaduct: completed in 1876. A masterpiece now forgotten behind a decidedly unglamorous industrial estate at the heart of the Valley of the Gill Beck
Invertebrate sampling at the mouth of the Gill Beck with David & Sam summer 2024. We are recruiting additional surveyors if anyone is keen to get water in their wellies!
December 21, 2024 at 10:29 AM
Invertebrate sampling at the mouth of the Gill Beck with David & Sam summer 2024. We are recruiting additional surveyors if anyone is keen to get water in their wellies!
