Local Wildlife Spotting

When you stay with us you can help yourself to the free bird fat balls from outside the welcome room. These can be used to fill the bird feeders around the lodges. Since the beginning of this project, we have seen a huge increase in the birdlife at Wolds Edge. In 2016 the bird boxes at Deepdale and Fairytale lodge each offered a safe nest for Blue Tit’s families, we watched the chicks hatch and grow on the bird box cameras.

Head to the East Yorkshire coast between March and July and you might be as lucky to spot some beautiful Puffins. Bempton Cliffs in Bridlington is the best location for Puffin-spotting – a spectacle in themselves, the impressive chalky white cliffs are home to up to half a million seabirds in spring and summer. You can catch a glimpse of sea-diving Gannets, Kittiwakes and Guillemots here too. For you best chance of spotting a Puffin, take a boat ride from Bridlington.

Otters are notoriously hard to spot but can actually be found in most Yorkshire waterways. Tophill Low Nature Reserve is a good place to visit if you’re keen to spot an Otter during your Yorkshire trip. Or if you want an otter sighting guaranteed then we recommend heading to the Yorkshire Wildlife Park where you can see their family of Giant Otters. You can even book a Giant Otter experience.

The fastest mammal in the UK – reaching speeds of up to 40mph - a hare is a rare sight, but the Yorkshire Wolds is one of the best places to spot them boxing in the wild due to the fast-draining land and rough grasslands. Sightings are possible all year round, although March is the peak time to see them boxing.

Watch out for these impressive birds of prey during your stay at Wolds Edge. You'll recognise them by their magnificent aerial acrobatics - swooping and diving as they cross the landscape. It's hard to believe that Red Kites were on the brink of extinction not too long ago. They were successfully reintroduced in the UK in the 1990s so we are very lucky to enjoy their beauty and aerial displays today.

These colourful beauties are one to watch out for all year round. With their blue wings and orange breast they are certainly distinctive. Kingfishers nest near waterways and are best spotted on low branches over water, or if you're lucky you'll spot one diving to catch a small fish. You'll have to have your wits about you though - they are quick!