Winter wildlife in Yorkshire

The winter months are a great time to see wildlife keeping busy. See birds and animals much more clearly without their usual cover of leaves and foliage, as they hunt for food. Take a closer look at the best places to spot nature in Yorkshire this winter.

Couple watching the deer in Studley Royal deer park
Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal Water Garden   North Yorkshire

See the deer at Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal

There are over 500 deer in the park at Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal. Look out for red, fallow and sika deer amongst the trees as they munch on their winter feed

Visit Studley Royal deer park
Robin sitting on the pear arch inWinter

Winter wildlife at Beningbrough Hall 

Not everything sleeps during the winter period. At Beningbrough, it's a wonderful time of the year to spot birds seeking food, or to take a walk through the parkland and look out for foxes or deer.

Discover the winter wildlife at Beningbrough Hall
Endangered water voles are returning to Malham Tarn
Yorkshire Dales   North Yorkshire

Water voles at Malham Tarn

Over the last two years 250 water voles have been reintroduced at Malham Tarn. In winter they'll retreat a little further inland, but look out for them in the streams around the boardwalk.

Visit Malham Tarn
A mountain hare shelters in a burrow
Marsden Moor Estate   West Yorkshire

Spot mountain hares at Marsden Moor

At Marsden Moor the National Trust cares for over 5,500 acres of unenclosed moorland. The moorland may look rather barren, bleak and inhospitable but it harbours a vast diversity of birds, mammals and insects. In winter one of the highlights to see is the native mountain hares - look out for them with their winter white coats.

Visit Marsden Moor
Close up of a herring gull with the sea in the background
Yorkshire Coast   North Yorkshire

Seabirds on the Yorkshire Coast

Seabirds will soon start to return to nest in the colony at Cowbar Nab, Staithes. Head out on a clifftop walk to see birds including herring gulls and kittiwakes. As the weather starts to get warmer razorbills and fulmars will start to return too.

Visit the Yorkshire Coast