Birding in the UK: British Moorland Birds on Grassington Moor

Last June, Eric and I had the opportunity to spend the month in the UK, taking in its incredible natural beauty and rich history.  A few of our favorite days were spent in the Yorkshire Dales, where we enjoyed a cool, drizzly hike up onto bleak but beautiful Grassington Moor.  Here, high above the verdant pastures, the rocky, heather-covered hills were wild and rugged, and the birds were both abundant and interesting! 

European Golden-Plover


One of the most abundant species we saw on the moors (as well as in other habitats throughout the UK) was the Meadow Pipit, a close relative of our familiar American Pipit. 

Meadow Pipit

Meadow Pipit


A species I wasn't expecting to find on these moors was Northern Wheatear - and we stumbled across a whole family of them, with recently-fledged young!

Northern Wheatear


Northern Wheatears are birds of open country, breeding in treeless habitats like rocky tundra and the UK's high moorlands.  Previously, I've encountered these pretty little songbird high in the Swiss Alps, and some can be found in Alaska's tundra as well!

Northern Wheatears


Our most exciting encounter up on Grassington Moor was with a pair of European Golden-Plovers, calling to each other as they hurried across the barren landscape of slag heaps near old mine workings.

European Golden-Plover


Like their North American cousins, European Golden-Plover nest on remote open tundra as well as bleak moorlands like these.  Seeing two of these beautiful birds was a special treat, as they are not terribly common in most places in the UK in summer (thanks to their predilection for rugged, wild and remote places, like moorlands and mountaintops!)

European Golden-Plover

European Golden-Plover


A family of European Stonechats hopped along the stone walls, not bothered by the misty rain that was falling.

European Stonechat


In the lower pastures, Northern Lapwings fluttered and called to each other with their wonderfully weird songs.  This was definitely one of my favorite birds from the whole trip!

Northern Lapwing


Eurasian Curlew also breed out on the moors, and their call must be one of the most iconic of all sounds in the wild Yorkshire Dales.  The distant curlew in the photo below can just be picked out amongst the cotton-grass.

Eurasian Curlew


Another surprising shorebird that spends the summer on the moors and adjacent pastures is the Eurasian Oystercatcher, which is very similar in appearance to our American Oystercatcher.

Eurasian Oystercatcher


Grassington Moor has seen a long history of human use, as evidenced by the remains of an Iron Age fort and field system at the foot of the moorland.  Later, from the 17th through the 19th centuries, the moor was pock-marked with lead mines, the remnants of which are still visible today.  

Nowadays, the high moors are managed for grouse and other moorland birds by burning sections of the heather each winter in order to promote new vegetative growth.  The resulting mosaic of burned and unburned patches of vegetation provides food and shelter for Black Grouse and Red Grouse, along with curlew, golden-plover, lapwing and Ring Ouzels. 



Stone walls crisscrossing the moors and lower pastureland contain grazing sheep, as they have done for centuries.  Adventurous ramblers and hikers are welcome to visit these moors as well to experience the wild, rugged beauty of a truly amazing place.



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About Me

Named after the Sierra Nevada Mountains, I am a naturalist and avid birder based in Central California. Above all, I am a follower of Jesus Christ, our amazingly good Creator God whose magnificent creation is an unending source of awe and inspiration for me. I hope to inspire others to appreciate, respect and protect this beautiful earth we share, and invite you to come along with me as I explore the nature of California and beyond!
- Siera Nystrom -



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