Bird Watching
Carlisle Cumbria Bird Watching
Welcome to Bird Watching Carlisle Cumbria
Bird Watching
In addition to the spectacular Solway Estuary, there are RSBP nature reserves at Campfield Marsh and Haweswater in the Lake District, and Caerlaverock just across the Scottish Border has its own Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust Reserve. But Geltsdale, with its wooded river valley, is only a stone’s throw from Carlisle and is inhabited by some of the rarest breeding birds in England.
It is not surprising that the reserve is not well known. There are no signs pointing directions, it is not marked on the ordnance survey maps and is rarely mentioned in tourist information. It is not so much that it has been kept a secret, as the fact that the reserve has been building slowly in extent over the years. It is only partly owned by the RSPB and has no parking or visitor facilities. But those who enjoy a good walk can visit the reserve and on a fine day be treated to some great bird watching and fine views.
The reserve covers 42 square kilometres and lies to the east of Castle Carrock and south of Tindale where it is worked in partnership with the landowners and tenant farmers. Heather moorland covers most of the site. During the spring and summer months it bursts to life with the songs of skylark and curlew and there shouldn’t be too much trouble spotting a red grouse in the spring. Heather moorland is also where the rare hen harrier makes its home. Geltsdale is one of only a handful of breeding locations in England, it offers a safe haven where at least a few of these birds can raise their young in peace. The best way to see a hen harrier is to scan the horizon with a pair of binoculars . Short-eared owls – pale birds with a deep wing beat – can also be observed using this technique, as can kestrels and buzzards. If you are really sharp-eyed you may pick up the strong purposeful flight of a peregrine, or glimpse a merlin dashing by.. The footpaths and tracks which cross the reserve offer ideal vantage points for scanning the birds in this way and also take you through moorland-edge habitats with a bird community all of its own.
The commonest bird here is the meadow pipit – the ‘small brown job’ with the spotted breast.You may be scolded with a harsh chack of a wheatear, distinguished by its prominent white rump. Whinchats are common in patches of bracken by the footpaths, and their close relative the stonechat can also be spotted. Several pairs of lapwing nest on more level areas of grassland on the moorland edge
Dropping down to the stream sides, if you are lucky you may see the elusive ring ouzel - the moorland equivalent of a blackbird but with a white crescent emblazoned across its breast.
Dippers are frequently seen along the rivers, along with the grey wagtail and occasionally the common sand-piper. Look out for otter prints in areas of soft mud. They look like large broad cat tracks, distinguished from dog tracks by the rounded shape of the toes and usually a lack of claw marks.
There are some areas of pastureland on the edges of the reserve, such as around Tindale Tarn, which are great places to see breeding waders, such as Lapwing, curlew, snipe and redshank. In the Gelt Valley grazing is excluded on some fields in the summer, so that meadow plants can flower, providing food for butterflies and other insects and, of course, birds.
Woodland is scarce on the reserve and most tree cover is limited to scattered alder, birch and rowans, usually in the ghylls (small steep-sided valleys). Woodland plants which survive under the cover of bracken patches, indicate that woodland was once much more widespread. A number of ghylls have been planted with small areas of woodland to bring them back to their former glory and to benefit the rare black grouse that feeds on catkins and berries.
There are also small areas of ancient woodland in the Gelt valley. These woods are a great place to see pied flycatchers and redstarts in the spring, and wild flowers and butterflies in the summer. Many of the alder trees are several hundred years old and there are some impressive gnarled and twisted specimens to be seen.
Note:
Geltsdale is a working landscape. Birds and lambs are vulnerable in the breeding season.
Please: be considerate in choosing a parking place; avoid blocking gates; keep to the footpaths; keep dogs on a lead; close all gates behind you; take your litter home and use extreme caution if smoking, to avoid starting a moorland fire.
Most birds can be seen during May and June. Visit in August to see the heather in bloom.
Have a safe visit.
Moorland can be a dangerous place with unpredictable and severe weather conditions. Always carry waterproofs and warm clothing, a map and compass; food and a hot drink.
Let someone know your route and your expected return time. Don’t rely on your mobile phone to get you out of difficulty, reception is only possible from high ground.
Carlisle Bird Watching
Carlisle Cumbria Bird Watching