Malham Tarn
Malham Tarn National Nature Reserve (NNR) is a pocket of fen, raised bog, wet woodland and open water habitat. The surrounding woodland usually holds redstart, flycatchers and other open woodland specialists. Lesser redpole, reed bunting, garden warbler and sedge warbler can be encountered on the NNR boardwalk, the latter two as summer migrants. All five resident owl species have also been recorded here but some luck is required! Mallard, Canada goose, little grebe and tufted duck are all resident on the Tarn but greatest interest here is from visitors which include whooper swan, goldeneye, gadwall and pochard. The inflow bay and outflow is often a good place to look for migrating waders on passage. Although not a bird it’s also worth keeping an eye out for otter, good views can often be had from the bird hide on the north east shoreline.
For winter bird watching Malham Tarn NNR is potentially one of the more exciting locations. Whittled down to our resident birds many of the habitats across the Dales become a lot quieter. However, we do receive big influxes of redwings and fieldfare, and sometimes in competition with our own resident thrushes they swirl around Wharfedale from hawthorn to rowan to blackthorn devouring berries as they go. Short eared owl, woodcock and brambling can all arrive in numbers from the continent also and it’s always worth scanning mixed flocks of tits and finches as you never know what might turn up. Malham Tarn itself is a good place for unexpected visitors, there’s always a chance of something unusual dropping in and spending a few days on the open water, and if not then just relax and enjoy a good walk.