Treasure trove of wildlife right on my doorstep

Celebrations for the 2010 UN year of biodiversity turned into a something of a damp squib after the UN reported that expected targets to halt the rapid loss of the world's wildlife have not been met.

The chalk grassland of the Yorkshire Wolds, where I live, is one of the worst hit. Rough chalk grassland harbours a rich variety of species, but sadly it now covers just over one per cent of the Wolds. Most has been lost under the plough. Thankfully, I live in Thixendale where some of the dales have sides too steep for most farm machinery and so the grassland has been left. While the variety of species supported in this small part of the Wolds doesn't match up to what it could have sustained in times gone by, it is still a very rewarding place to find wildlife. You only have to walk out of my front gate and within minutes you can find such a wide variety of native species that it is difficult to feel any of the doom and gloom predicted by the UN experts. Last week, after a long day spent at my easel preparing for my new exhibition, I took just such a walk. Within a few footsteps of the front door of my gallery I spotted a male kestrel. It was heading towards its nesting site in a line of sycamore trees, carrying a vole for its female and chicks.

As I walked past, the male flew back out and headed off for more food. But he was soon distracted when a buzzard glided by, carrying food for its own growing family. The plucky kestrel mobbed it, dive bombing until the buzzard was a safe distance away from the kestrel's chicks.

The kestrel shares this line of trees with a family of tawny owls, whose chicks have just fledged. As I passed I could hear the soft contact call of the female. I looked up and saw her sitting next to one of her chicks; a chick so fluffy you wouldn't expect it to be able to fly. But it can.

Next, I saw a second young tawny owl in a great elm tree. I should point out here that the Yorkshire Wolds is host to quite a few of the elms that have so far survived Dutch Elm Disease. Suddenly my attention was draw by chaffinches and blackbirds alarm calling and I was diverted from my intended route to see what all the commotion was about. It turned out that they were upset by the male tawny owl, which was out enjoying a bit of evening sun. Moments later, out of the corner of my eye I spotted the movement of a green woodpecker flying by. Now, to some, the sighting of kestrels and tawny owls would be special. But I'm used to seeing these several times a day since I feed them at my garden bird table. But this was the first time in 15 years that I had seen a green woodpecker here. He landed on the dale side just 50 yards from me. I'd been hoping to see one for quite some time as this particular dale has the perfect habitat for green woodpeckers. Its unimproved pasture is carpeted with thyme, scabious and other chalk land flowers and there are numerous grass mounds formed by ant hills. The green woodpecker's favourite food is ant larvae and he quickly settled down to hunting and digging the mounds with his bill. I crouched down with my binoculars, hoping he wouldn't spot me. I was totally absorbed as he hopped from one ant hill to the next.

As I watched, the dale side, trees and hedge came to life. A young blackbird was close at hand in a hedge and a robin was foraging just metres away from me. I also saw a pair of yellow hammers and a pair of linnets in a nearby hawthorn hedge and there were tree sparrows everywhere. One particularly cunning pair was shadowing the green woodpecker. They caught and benefited from any morsels that the woodpecker missed. As I watched, a hare ran over the horizon and startled the woodpecker. The latter flew off showing its spectacular plumage of greens, yellows and reds.

I carried on walking down the dale and spotted a little owl standing guard over its nesting hole. I was just 300 yards from my home in the field adjacent to my gallery and already I had seen so much. And yet that was just the beginning. It wasn't long before I spotted a male redstart. These birds love these rough dales and benefit from the flies that are around livestock. I know of a badger sett in the area and decided to wait by it until dusk to see if any badgers came out.

While I waited a barn owl drifted down the valley and soon caught a vole, which it carried in its talons towards its nesting site. Then, the first badger stuck his snout out of the main entrance to the sett, nervously scenting the air, just as evening fell. It was quickly followed by two others. Close to this is a fox den where I know there are cubs. On this occasion, however, they did not make an appearance. By 9pm I decided to head back home. En route, I watched male lapwings doing their display flight overhead and I heard the whistling of a curlew in the distance.

In just one evening I had seen a snapshot of the rich pickings that can be found in this area. The experience proved that parts of the Yorkshire Wolds are still biodiversity hotspots which need to be treasured and preserved for the future.

Robert Fuller's latest exhibition at Fotherdale Farm, Thixendale, near Malton: 11am-4.30pm, June 26-July 11. Alongside a stunning display of paintings, the exhibition will feature a wildlife festival of nature walks and tours to celebrate the rich variety of species that the countryside has to offer. www.robertefuller.com or tel: 01759 368355.

CW 12/6/10