Ox Close Wood is wholly owned and managed by the East Keswick Wildlife Trust. The Trust was created in 1992 in order to purchase the wood so that it could be preserved for the benefit of wildlife and people. We have regular work parties within the wood (and other reserves that are managed by the Trust) and would welcome any volunteers who are interested in helping. Please contact me using the email address at the bottom of the page. The wood is situated between Wetherby and Harewood, W. Yorks.

All photographs in this website, unless accredited otherwise, were taken by me over the last 4 or 5 years.

All insects are wild and free and taken on the basis that they and their environment are the main concern. If you see any errors of identification, please let me know. Cameras that I have used have been a Panasonic DMC-FZ30 and, from October 2007, this and a Nikon D80. The Panasonic is a "bridge" camera and has a good Leica macro-zoom lens. The lens most frequently used with the D80 is the Nikon 105mm macro.

Reference books used in the main to identify specimens are, for odonata; Field Guide to the Dragonflies and Damselflies of Great Britain and Ireland, by Brooks and Lewington. For beetles; Der Kosmos Kaferfuhrer, by Harde and Severa. For wild flowers; Wild Flowers of Britain and Ireland by Blamey, Fitter & Fitter. For fungi; Mushrooms by Roger Phillips. For insects in general; Insects of Britain and Western Europe by M. Chinery, and for moths; Field Guide to the Moths of Great Britain and Ireland by Waring, Townsend and Lewington.

 

SUCCESS AT LAST. Brimstone butterflies are breeding.

7th-9th May 2010.  Brimstone butterflies were seen egg laying on the Alder Buckthorn. This is fantastic news. Back in January 2003, fifty Alder Buckthorn saplings were planted along the top ride in the hope of attracting Brimstone butterflies. Over the years since then, only the occasional insect has been seen.  But this weekend at least three pairs were seen - with the females egg laying. It is likely that these insects are the offspring of some that bred unseen last year. See the photo in the Butterflies gallery.

Other events and recent sightings......

• 1st and 4th May. First two Swifts seen over the wood. There seems to be very few Swallows about.
• 12th April. More spring flowers are showing well... Moschatel, Alternate- and Opposite-leaved Golden Saxifrage, Goldilocks Buttercup and Few-flowered Garlic. Swallows have arrived.
• 25th March. The first Brimstone butterflies, soon followed by Orange Tip butterflies (28th).
• 22nd March. The first two Chiff Chaffs are singing in the wood. The first Bluebells are in flower. Pine- and Kidney spot- Ladybirds are quite numerous, showing themselves on sunny tree trunks: Yet there are still quite a few Fieldfares and Redwings about.
• 11th March. First butterflies of the year in the wood..... two Commas and a Peacock. From a good vantage point there were a maximum of eight Buzzards seen flying across and up the valley.
• 5th February. First down the wood after last night's snow. There were many Fox tracks, deer and, surprisingly, even a few Badgers'. The Badgers must have been up early this morning as the snow stopped about 9 last night and their tracks were fresh.
• 12th January 2012. Buzzards, Woodcock, Goosanders. 7-spot Ladybirds hibernating as usual, plus one Orange Ladybird to the side of the track to the river.

Latest Updates.... 

• 15th May. Events page updated.
• 5th May. Spring 2012 Newsletter added.

• If you see anything in the wood that you would like to tell us about, please do so to the email address below. Include a photo if possible.

                                             paul@ox-close.co.uk