The Tail End

Our news-in-brief section this time includes an update about ‘baby season,' a date for your diary, and cake, cake and more cake!

Baby season is in full flow. This week we received 11 tiny ducklings that had fallen down a cattle grid in Grassington and had lost their mother. We have so far taken in a total of 38 of the tiny things, with our first intake happening about a month ago when a mother duck was purposefully killed in Silsden. Our job is to take care of the ducklings, in lieu of their mother, until their feathers are truly waterproof. Each of the singles that have arrived on their own are placed with a bigger group of the same age. They soon bond and will be released together when the time comes. But that's not the half of it! We’ve had other babies…. two leverets, ten rabbits, two jackdaws, one crow, two robins, two starlings, a fledgling quail, a tiny tawny owlet and five fledgling pigeons to date. By the time you read this, there will be more!

Ducklings and fledglings will continue for a while. If you find a fledgling, do watch it for a few hours to see if the parents are coming to feed it. Lots of people don’t realise that some fledglings spend a few days on the ground without being able to fly. The owlets are just appearing - again owlets are often found on the ground as they branch, literally walking up and down a tree. Please leave them unless we are sure there are issues. The next babies we expect are the stoats and weasels, with the hedgehog babies usually starting to be found around here in June. Disturbed nests and absent parents meaning the tiny hogs are peeping and heard in distress. It's such a busy time for us, but rewarding to be helping to bring new life into the world. Without our help these babies would almost certainly have died.

Our first owlet of the season

One of our biggest fundraisers of our year is Langcliffe Teas. Don't forget to add this to your diary! For more information click here.

We have been trialling Wild Cakes and Bakes (informally called the Cake 'Ole!) at the entrance to Horton in Ribblesdale Primary School. In this honesty box we sell cakes to raise funds for the Rescue - the most delicious creations baked by our volunteer Erica and the team. In between being a bunny foster mum, Erica has been baking whilst hubby Robert has been busy building the beautiful box. Take a look if you are passing and you may find (depending on the day) gluten and dairy free chocolate brownies, lemon drizzle buns, sticky toffee butterfly buns and lemon butterfly buns. You can pay cash, or by card.

We have done some sampling and we can confirm that the cakes are divine! What's not to love.... eat cake and support wildlife!