Five things: RSPB Fairburn Ings between Leeds and Castleford

Fairburn Ings was designated a Local Nature Reserve in 1957 and has recorded around 280 bird species.

The word “ings” (singular “ing”) is of Old Norse origin and means “damp or marshy land that floods”, a reference to the area being flooded regularly by the River Aire.

The area was once home to industrial and mining land for over 150 years and when it flooded it provided ideal habitats for a number of species

Habitats at Fairburn Ings include flood meadows, wet fenland, marsh and reed bed, woodland and scrub.