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
Thank you Paul!!
April 5, 2025 at 10:36 AM
Thank you Paul!!
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
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!
The self-imposed requirement to balance the books is incomprehensible. One can only imagine that Rachel Reeves really does believe in the Maggie Thatcher economy as household analogy. This makes it into a moral issue of profligacy Vs prudence. Tories had no such concerns
February 13, 2025 at 9:24 AM
The self-imposed requirement to balance the books is incomprehensible. One can only imagine that Rachel Reeves really does believe in the Maggie Thatcher economy as household analogy. This makes it into a moral issue of profligacy Vs prudence. Tories had no such concerns
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!
This old Sycamore used to be the most reliable Oyster Mushroom tree in the valley but even the fungi seem to have decided there's nothing left to take this year
December 15, 2024 at 8:52 PM
This old Sycamore used to be the most reliable Oyster Mushroom tree in the valley but even the fungi seem to have decided there's nothing left to take this year
A post-apocalyptic feel to the lower Gill Beck valley as a sullen easterly laps around Tong Park mills
December 12, 2024 at 8:35 PM
A post-apocalyptic feel to the lower Gill Beck valley as a sullen easterly laps around Tong Park mills
Until the last couple of decades most of the valley was pasture. Much of it is now golf course. Despite 20 years of 'improvement', drainage, mowing and fertiliser, a lot of fungi persist. Crimson, Golden and Parrot Waxcap this week
November 10, 2024 at 12:44 PM
Until the last couple of decades most of the valley was pasture. Much of it is now golf course. Despite 20 years of 'improvement', drainage, mowing and fertiliser, a lot of fungi persist. Crimson, Golden and Parrot Waxcap this week
Just some pics from the Gill Beck. We're officially counting inverts...but unofficially the fish are more exciting;) stone loach and brown trout. Invertebrates were also present in decent numbers
August 28, 2024 at 5:36 PM
Just some pics from the Gill Beck. We're officially counting inverts...but unofficially the fish are more exciting;) stone loach and brown trout. Invertebrates were also present in decent numbers
An image to sum up how we all feel about the state of the weather this winter
March 6, 2024 at 6:23 PM
An image to sum up how we all feel about the state of the weather this winter
Considering they're all big white birds with coloured bills, I'll admit to a reprehensible level of swan snobbery. Whoopers are beautiful.
March 6, 2024 at 6:21 PM
Considering they're all big white birds with coloured bills, I'll admit to a reprehensible level of swan snobbery. Whoopers are beautiful.