There’s so many ways to enjoy Yorkshire’s wildlife this spring, as nature bursts into life all around us. From our streets to our nature reserves, here in Yorkshire we have a wealth of wild wonders and more daylight (and possibly warmer weather) means more opportunities to get outdoors.

The 15^th-23^rd May also marks Mental Health Awareness Week, an opportunity to increase public understanding of mental health and mental health issues including anxiety.

Dom Higgins, head of Health and education at The Wildlife Trusts said, “We feel happier when we are in places filled with wildlife. There is also abundant evidence that demonstrates the benefits to our physical and mental health of spending time in nature. People with nature and green spaces on their doorstep are more active, mentally resilient and have better all-round health.”

Here are Yorkshire Wildlife Trust’s top tips for watching wildlife at its most active time of the year, and enjoying some of those benefits yourself.

Brilliant birdsong

Nature is all around us, so wherever you are and whatever you’re doing, there are two simple things to remember: look and listen. Just by looking out of your window, you could see a swallow, swift or house martin, returning after their epic migration journeys from Africa.

As you’re out and about, tune into our songbirds in fine voice, including newly arrived summer visitors like blackcaps and willow warblers, and resident blackbirds and robins. It's also nesting season, and you can help your garden birds by providing food and water, a nestbox or nesting material.

May is the best month for the Dawn Chorus and Yorkshire Wildlife Trust have several fantastic reserves where you can listen to it in its full glory. Get up with the lark and visiting Adel Dam in Leeds, North Cliffe Wood in the East Riding or Grass Wood near Grassington for some truly overwhelming orchestral birdsong!

Pollinators aplenty

With the weather warming up – we hope – it’s the perfect time to take a closer look at the huge variety of insects that live in our gardens, verges and parks.

There are more than 200 species of bee in the UK! Only one of them is the honeybee, just over 20 are bumblebees, and the rest are all solitary bees.

World Bee Day falls on the 20th of May each year, so we thought this was a great time for us to raise awareness and highlight actions we can all take at home to help them.

If you fancy attracting more of your local bees to your garden, plant lots of pollinator-friendly wildflowers or consider constructing a bee hotel. 

They’re fascinating to watch at work! Honeybees will restock their food supplies, which they have used up during the winter months. The queen bee will begin to lay eggs and new bee colonies are started.

Time it right

Head out at dawn or dusk if you want to see some of our wild mammals, and make the most of sunrise or evening light to get some lovely atmospheric photos. Having slept the winter hidden away, newts perform a ritual courtship display commonly referred to as dancing after dark – spot them at Stocksmoor Common and Kirkstall Valley in West Yorkshire, and Potteric Carr near Doncaster.

Particularly quiet visitors to our nature reserves may also be lucky to spot some of our larger mammal species. Roe deer can be seen by an honoured few at Cali Heath in East Yorkshire, the Wyke Beck Valley in West Yorkshire and Stirley nature reserve in North Yorkshire, and stoats have been spotted by early morning visitors at Potteric Carr. You might be lucky to spot an otter at North Cave Wetlands.

Wilder adventures

For coastal views, head to Flamborough Cliffs nature reserve, where our charismatic puffins have just returned for the summer, and enjoy the winding bays and local boat tours. Alternatively, join an expert guide on a Spurn Safari or Bird Tour with an expert at Yorkshire’s most remote nature reserve. Bracing and unique, Spurn always has something new to offer including a sandy beach and miles of trails.  

If inland is more your style, deep in the Dales wonderful wildflower reserves such as Ashes Pasture near Horton in Ribblesdale and Elleburn Bank near Pickering put on an incredible display of flowering meadows and orchids. Perfect for stopping and waiting a while as a skylark sings overhead!

With over 100 nature reserves across Yorkshire, there’s a reserve for everybody and soul. Why not go a little wild this May?