Go out for the count!


The Yorkshire Dales National Park is home to some truly awe-inspiring and rare wildlife.


The fastest bird in the world, the peregrine falcon, has made its home at Malham Cove for the last twenty years and over half of the UK’s limestone pavement - with its distinctive lunar pattern of clints (blocks) and grikes (fissures) - is found right here in the National Park.


Our biodiversity action plan Nature in the Dales identifies the National Park’s priority habitats and species and sets out how all those who live, work, play and study here can make a vital contribution to their conservation.


Thanks to highly effective collaborations over the last decade with other organisations, professionals and highly skilled amateurs, many threatened species are now stable or improving. But there is still much to do.


You’ll probably see us out and about surveying during your visit, but there are plenty of opportunities for visitors and beginners to get involved too - just a few are listed here.


Black grouse are probably best known for their elaborate courtship displays during the spring. Males will gather at traditional communal display sites known as leks, where they perform with wings drooped and tail fanned out, accompanied by a loud dove-like cooing and bubbling call intended to attract mates.


There are family friendly bird activities and surveys all year round available through www.rspb.org.uk/wildsquare - why not get involved during your visit to the National Park?


There are some wild plants in the Yorkshire Dales that you are unlikely to see elsewhere in England. The only naturally occurring site of the lady’s slipper orchid in the country is in the National Park…but its location is a closely guarded secret! However, you can see this beautiful plant at a reintroduction


Beautiful bonnet, date-coloured waxcap, fen puffball, dark-purple earthtongue…the four fungi on our ‘at risk’ list certainly have striking names!


There is a lot that we don’t know about even common fungi and everyone can help by submitting sitings online to the British Mycological Society at www.britmycolsoc.org.uk - follow links for ‘Field Mycology’ and ‘Have you seen this fungus?’


The fly agaric is the archetypal red and white toadstool - but take care, it’s poisonous!


site at Kilnsey Park in Wharfedale.


Elsewhere, you may chance across rarities such as carpets of frog orchids (pictured) or spy the prickly holly fern down a grike in limestone pavement.


A great range of wildflower activities for all the family can be found online at www.wildaboutplants.org.uk. Spotters guides are available from our National Park Centres and e-shop, or you could try identifying wildflowers using online tools at www.ispot.org.uk or www.botanicalkeys.co.uk


© John Altringham


There is a species of bat seen in the Dales - the brown long-eared bat (pictured) - that has ears that are three quarters the length of its head and body. Why not join a guided bat walk and learn more about our nocturnal woodlanders and why they need our protection? See the event pages 15-25.


If you’re visiting the National Park between Saturday 14 July and Sunday 5 August why not take part in the national Big Butterfly Count 2012 - moths are included, too. Full details at www.bigbutterflycount.org


Did you know that a hedgehog has more than 5,000 quills, hollow hairs stiffened with keratin, and will shed its baby quills to make way for adult ones?


The slow worm is actually a legless lizard, the common frog can lighten or darken its skin in order to match its surroundings, and the common toad (pictured) secretes a toxic, foul tasting substance called bugafin as a defense against predators.


Find out more about our amphibians and reptiles on the species pages at www.natureinthedales.org.uk and what you can do to encourage them into your own garden at www.froglife.org


Green hairstreak: a butterfly’s sense of taste is 200 times stronger than a human’s.


Come and see our high flying guests at Malham Cove! The RSPB and National Park Authority hope that peregrines will nest there and produce young again in 2012 and we will be setting up a free viewing point with high powered telescopes - everyone is free to drop by. Visit www.natureinthedales.org.uk/ peregrines-visitus to find out more.


Help us find out more about the distribution of the west european hedgehog by logging sitings on the Mammal Society website www.mammal.org.uk - follow links for ‘Getting Involved’ and ‘Recording and Mapping Mammals’.


You can find out more about the best places to see wildlife, as well as information on all the wildlife and


habitats in the National Park and our work to look after them, at www.natureinthedales.org.uk


Visit the Yorkshire Dales National Park online at www.yorkshiredales.org.uk Page 13


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