Ferntastic!

Alongside the banks of Risedale back fronds of ferns are beginning to unravel.  These ancient plants thrive in damp and shady conditions and have been found as fossils in rocks upto 400 million years ago.  The majority of the world's coal is made from these fossilised remains.

Members of the bird ringing team were in this morning making a preliminary check of the small nest boxes.  Most of these were either in the early stages of nest building or with eggs.  This nest is from one of the boxes in the Adopt-a-Box scheme and shows four warm Great Tit eggs nestled in the dry grass and moss lining.