If you’ve been pottering in your garden or exploring your local greenspace, you’ll have noticed the changes of the coming season: leaves are turning from green to yellow and red, nights are quickly drawing in and there’s a sudden nip in the air. Autumn has most certainly arrived on our doorsteps.
As Halloween approaches, get ready to discover some of the spookiest species to fly, slither or creep and crawl across Yorkshire! It’s a spellbinding time to spend time in nature and you may be fortunate enough to spot some of our weirdest natural wonders at one of our reserves…
A scuttling sensation...
It wouldn’t be a Halloween without the most spine-tingling of sensations, like the feel of insects scuttling across your skin. In particular, the Devil’s coach horse beetle lives up to its sinister name as a vicious predator with a painful bite. They often curl up like scorpions and emit a foul-smelling liquid from their abdomens when threatened. There’s no need to travel far to observe one of these creatures; they’re likely already lurking under stones and hedges in your garden.
A stump emerging...
Fungi are synonymous with this time of year. Many species of mushroom that burst up through the ground provide fodder for nightmares, from the stumps of dead man’s fingers to the spongy brain fungus. The candle-snuff fungus deserves a mention, with long candle-like white talons that feed directly from rotting wood. Woodlands and other dark, damp places are best for fungi forays; try Grass Wood nature reserve.
A screech from afar...
But it’s not just insects and fungi that can send shivers up your spine. To hear the haunting cry of a barn owl, swooping low over dark fields in search of unsuspecting prey, is an utterly unnerving but truly unforgettable experience. The shrieks echoing across a valley are the reason that barn owls were known as ‘screech owls’ in Shakespeare’s day. To experience it yourself, Skerne Wetlands is a good place to start - arrive just as the light is failing to catch the start of a long night’s hunting.
A sinister splash...
Our last spooky species is an altogether more unlikely suspect; the water shrew. You’ll find them in wetland areas like streams, ponds, fens and reedbeds. Despite their small size; between 6 and 9.5cm long and weighing less than 20 grams; the water shrew is the only venomous mammal to live in the UK. With saliva that will stop prey in its tracks and tackle predators up to 60 times their weight, the water shrew is capable of far more sinister things than their little bodies might suggest. Head to Staveley nature reserve to try and get a glimpse.