A wildlife-rich mosaic of habitats with free parking and a Visitor Centre just off the A1
Red Admiral This is one of our commonest and most familiar butterflies, but it has an interesting life cycle. If you see one in August, it might well have hatched at Paxton, from an egg laid on a stinging nettle, but its parents were almost certainly immigrants. Thousands fly over the Channel every Spring from… Read More
Are you seeing more Damselflies in your garden than a few weeks ago? This warmer weather is perfect for them and their larger cousins, the Dragonflies. Last year, Paxton Pits Nature Reserve was designated a Dragonfly and Damselfly hotspot by the British Dragonfly Society for the ease of access and the 25 known species that… Read More
Image by Natural England It used to be said that all you had to do was dig a hole, fill it with water, and down come the ducks! To some extent, that really is true, but they still need somewhere to breed of course, often as far away as the Arctic. Other wetland birds have… Read More
Emperor dragonflies Throughout July, our largest dragonfly, the Emperor, can be seen speeding over the gravel pits, especially Hayling Lake and Rudd Lake. It’s very territorial, chasing off other dragonflies of all species. It is also a superb hunter, catching a range of insect prey which it often consumes in flight. Because it flies so… Read More
Image by Peter Hagger The Blue Tit was the first bird that I can remember being shown by my mother when I was about 6 years old. They were attracted to our North Leeds garden by the remains of the Sunday joint being hung up on the clothesline. So, I have known the Blue Tit… Read More
