Winter on a freshwater loch is a great time for wildlife-watching,” says Ian McCallum, of Strathkelvin Ramblers in central Scotland. “The sight and sound of thousands of geese flying in from Iceland and Greenland is one that you never forget.”

Pink-footed and greylag geese make for Scotland’s lochs in huge numbers over the winter months. One place in particular to see them up close is at the RSPB’s Vane Farm reserve in Perth and Kinross. “It’s centred on Loch Leven,” says Ian, “and there are paths and hides around the shores, plus some good walks in the area.”

Similarly, Loch Lomond hosts large flocks of wintering wildfowl, as well as uncommon visitors such as Greenland white-fronted geese. More unusual still is what lies under the water: as well as the typical trout and salmon, a rare freshwater whitefish called powan lives almost exclusively in Loch Lomond and is a relic of the last Ice Age. Meanwhile, along the shallower reaches of Lomondside you can find a range of rushes, sedges and the rarer whorled caraway, which thrive in damp meadows.

Lochs higher up on the moors are often more acidic and low in nutrients, so tend to support fewer plants. But some of those that do survive manage to supplement their diet in an unusual way. “On the boggy fringes you can find ‘midgie-munching’ carnivorous plants such as butterwort and sundew,” explains Ian. “They trap and digest small insects and invertebrates.”

He also suggests looking for wildlife where rivers feed into the lochs. “You might see goosander, a large diving duck that feeds on salmon and trout in particular, but also look out for mammals such as water voles, water shrews and even otters.”

Find out more

The Winter 2011 issue of Walk Magazine features a species-by-species guide to the wildlife of Scotland’s lochs– click here to order a copy or why not join the Ramblers to receive it free four times a year? Walk Strathkelvin by John Logan includes an introduction by Cameron McNeish and nature notes by Ian McCallum. It features over 70 varied walks and costs £7.99 from Strathkelvin Ramblers, 25 Anne Crescent, Lenzie, Kirkintilloch G66 5HB (cheques payable to ‘Strathkelvin Ramblers’).

A busy urban setting may seem an unlikely place for wildlife. But you’ll be surprised by what you find, says Libby Hunt, chair of City of Birmingham Ramblers. “We were walking the canal towpath in the heart of old, industrial Birmingham and a solitary stick was poking out of the water. On it sat a simply glorious, shiny blue kingfisher!”

Birmingham and the Black Country’s canal network stretches over 100 miles and took shape during the Industrial Revolution. “Follow the Worcester and Birmingham Canal out through the leafy suburbs of Edgbaston and Selly Oak,” says Libby, “and you’ll see mallards and moorhens busy on the water, and yellow iris and reedmace along the banks. Canals are like linear nature reserves and provide corridors for wildlife to move along.”

Canals are not just a haven for water-loving creatures either. “You can see fox runs beside the towpaths,” says Libby. The less well-used of Birmingham’s canals offer stiller water, and here you’ll see a range of insects and invertebrates such as pond skaters, great diving beetles and water boatmen. One of the best locations is the Bumble Hole branch of the Dudley Canal, near Sandwell – now a local nature reserve. The tunnels on the Dudley Canal are an important roosting site for bats, including Daubenton’s, whiskered and Natterer’s, which hibernate there in winter. Purple clumps of buddleja grow out of the smallest cracks in the waterside walls, their nectar-rich flowers attracting more species of butterfly than any native plant.

With urban canals as ever-cleaner, green corridors, it’s no wonder there is now evidence that otters are frequenting Birmingham’s waterways, too. “You just never know what you might see,” says Libby.

Image: suneko

Although called the New Forest, the origins of this lovely patchwork of Hampshire woodland – a National Park since 2005 – in fact date back more than 900 years, when William the Conqueror set it aside as a royal hunting ground. Local people, known as Commoners, were granted rights to graze animals, which they still exercise today, with around 4,000 New Forest ponies roaming the forest.

But it’s not only indigenous ponies you’ll see in the New Forest. “Virtually all the main species of deer found in Britain are present here,” says Linda Keating, who leads walks for New Forest Ramblers. “Red, fallow and roe deer are the most common, but you can also see sika, especially in the Beaulieu area, and occasionally muntjac.”

The trees of the New Forest are immensely varied and this is great for bird life. “Go to Bolderwood, near Lyndhurst, to see treecreepers and woodpeckers,” says Linda. “While in grassy clearings beneath oak trees look out for redstarts. Stonechats and Dartford warblers can often be seen on gorse bushes; and the pine stands at Shatterford, near Beaulieu Road Station, are a good place for crossbills.”

Rarer summer visitors to the New Forest include nightjars and wood warblers. While for the past four years the RSPB has operated a camera in a goshawk’s woodland nest, allowing visitors online and in person at the nearby Reptile Centre outside Lyndhurst the chance to watch this majestic bird of prey rearing its young. New Forest goshawks have grown from a single pair in 2001 to 15 pairs last year. The New Forest also boasts sand lizards, slow worms and adders. “We’ve seen adders on our summer walks,” says Linda, “but they’re not aggressive.”

Image: Thinkstock

According to Brian Cheater of Sussex Ramblers, one of the challenges when you’re exploring the South Downs is deciding where to start. “It’s a unique and internationally important landscape, where the whale-back downs and iconic chalk cliffs contrast with wooded plateaux and ‘hangers’, river valleys and lowland heath,” he says. Britain’s newest national park is probably best known for its chalk downland. And where the grass is ‘unimproved’ (i.e. not treated with artificial fertiliser) it’s incredibly rich in plantlife, supporting up to 40 species
per square metre. Malling Down and Southerham nature reserves, east of Lewes, are home to a variety of orchids, including early purple, bee and fragrant varieties. Kingley Vale, near Chichester, boasts one of the finest yew forests in western Europe, including a grove of twisted and ancient 500-year-old trees. “Star species include green woodpeckers,” explains Brian, “which you can often see hunting for yellow meadow ants on the grassland, as well as the occasional red kite and resident buzzards.”

A visit to Noar Hill nature reserve at Selborne – home of the renowned 18th-century naturalist Gilbert White – is recommended. “The Duke of Burgundy (pictured) and brown hairstreak are just two of over 35 breeding butterfly species,” says Brian. “And look out for glow worms, rufus grasshoppers and the bizarre fairy shrimp – it lives in puddles after rain and survives as an egg when the puddles dry out!” However, Brian’s favourite area is the open heath of Iping and Stedham Common, west of Midhurst, which supports digger wasps, lizards, adders, nightjars and the rare Dartford warbler.

For our full guide to the wildlife of the South Downs, pick up the Spring 2011 issue of walk. For a general guide, turn to Sussex Wildlife by David Mortimer (£8.99, Snake River Press, ISBN 978 1906022099). Or to explore one particular area, see Wildlife Walks around the Cuckmere Valley by Patrick Coulcher (£7.95, SB Publications, ISBN 978-1857702477). Also, check out the websites of the local wildlife trusts at www.sussexwt.org.uk and www.hwt.org.uk.

When you walk through the reedbeds over boards just above the water, you feel right in the middle of it all,” says Sue Walker. “You can really sense the wildlife all about you.” She’s describing Ranworth Broad in the Norfolk Broads, a destination that’s especially rewarding for families with children. “There are plenty of short walks plus a floating visitor centre run by Norfolk Wildlife Trust. It’s a great place to see birds, from nesting common terns, warblers and ducks to rarities like ospreys.”

Sue is a member of Wensum Ramblers, based in mid-Norfolk, and knows the Broads well. A network of around 60 shallow lakes (known as broads) forms the basis for Britain’s only wetland national park. Because of its distinctive habitat, it’s home to some very special wildlife. Rare birds such as bittern and marsh harrier have re-established themselves here, and common cranes are breeding – visit the Stubb Mill raptor roost viewpoint at Norfolk Wildlife Trust’s Hickling Broad reserve between now and February to see these gigantic birds coming in to roost at sunset. Wetland plants include bog pimpernel, water soldier, marsh orchid and yellow iris, while the secluded Cockshoot Broad is known for its water lilies.

“The Broads are certainly popular,” says Sue, “but even at the well-visited sites, there are quiet backwaters where you can see kingfishers or hear the bitterns booming.” The Broads are also a stronghold for freshwater invertebrates. Upton Broad and Marshes is one of the top sites in Britain for dragonflies, including the rare Norfolk hawker; while Martham Broad is a good place to see the rare swallowtail butterfly – our largest native species.

“Most of all, you’re never quite sure what you’ll encounter on a walk through the Broads,” says Sue. “I love watching grebes diving and resurfacing. And once
I looked up and saw a pair of marsh harriers on the wing, dropping a piece of food from one to the other. What a sight!”

For our full guide to the wildlife of the Norfolk Broads, pick up the Winter 2010 issue of walk. The Wherryman’s Way is a 56km/35-mile trail through the Broads between Great Yarmouth and Norwich and is an excellent way to sample the area’s natural history. Download the free colour guide at www.wherrymansway.net.

Images:
Swallowtail Butterfly by Jean-Pol Grandmont
Common Darter by Hugh Venables

To see a herd of fallow deer grazing beneath ancient oak trees is a profoundly English scene,” says David McDowall. “It really does typify England’s fantastic parkland heritage.” David is describing a scene played out every day in the 2,500-acre Richmond Park. It’s the largest of London’s Royal Parks: a gently undulating landscape of woodland and open grassland that was created when Charles I built a 14km/9-mile encircling brick wall to establish a deer chase. Today, large herds of red and fallow deer still range freely throughout the park.

“The deer create the landscape as well as inhabit it,” explains David, “since their feeding habits produce a so-called browse line that strips lower branches and undergrowth.” There are around 1,200 ancient trees, especially veteran oaks, with some of the older, pollarded specimens probably dating back to the late Middle Ages. Mature oaks support a huge range of birds and insects, but even the rotten wood is important for fungi and beetles, including rarities such as the stag and cardinal click beetles. (Another type lives solely on deer dung!) Recently, however, flocks of ring-neck parakeets have begun to colonise the park, threatening to displace the native wildlife.

“For quiet woodland, go to the Isabella Plantation,” says David. “Look out for nuthatches and woodpeckers, and at the woodland edges you may well see a sparrowhawk on the wing. Pen Ponds make a good place for dragonflies and damselflies too. Go to Sheen Cross for one of the best locations to spot deer.”

Wildflowers that thrive in the park’s expanse of acid grassland, caused by centuries of grazing, include harebell, heath bedstraw, tormentil and mouse-ear hawkweed. “Even on a busy summer’s day you can find quiet corners where wildlife abounds,” concludes David. “And in autumn you have the woodland colours and also the rutting of the stags. You hear their wonderful roaring and it sends a shiver down your spine!”

Main image: Kevin Law

Find out more
Rural Walks Around Richmond by Richmond Ramblers is available for £1.80 plus 60p p&p from 59 Gerard Road, London SW13 9QH (cheques payable to Margaret Sharp). See www.richmondramblers.co.uk. Richmond Park: The Walker’s Guide by David McDowall is available via Amazon.co.uk.

There are few more dramatic and challenging natural habitats in Britain than mountains. And although flora and fauna have adapted to the extreme conditions, according to Vic Royce of Highland & Islands Ramblers: “Keen hill walkers often seem totally absorbed with getting to the top of a Munro, which blinds them to the abundant and unique wildlife around them.”

Mountains offer a surprising variety of habitats: from scrub and acid grassland to rock and scree. The Scottish mountains are home to tiny Arctic and Alpine plants that have clung on since the last ice age. “There are at least four species of saxifrage flower on the highest grassy ridges,” says Vic, “while among the summer flowering plants is the exquisite dwarf cornel. Lower boggy slopes are often carpeted with bog asphodel and common and hare’s-tail cottongrass.” The only abundant mammal on the Scottish mountains is the red deer.

“We organise walks to observe the rutting season in October. The bellowing of angry stags and clash of antlers can often be heard from several miles away,” says Vic. One of the best places to view the rut is at Beinn Eighe National Nature Reserve, in the Torridon Hills near Kinlochewe. The 4,800ha area of moorland, bogs and ancient pinewoods has extensive marked trails. Some upland wildlife has adapted to the conditions in specific ways. Both the mountain hare and ptarmigan (a game bird) shed their darker coats in autumn for a white covering to camouflage themselves against the winter snow. In summer, golden plover and dotterel nest on the highest slopes, while golden eagles are year-round residents.

“Take binoculars, you never know what you might see,” says Vic. “During a mountain walk in Argyll, our group saw a golden eagle struggling to fly with a dead heron in its talons. Suddenly, three peregrines mobbed the eagle, forcing it to drop its booty, which they then devoured themselves.”

Find out more
Go to www.highlandramblers.org.uk. For more about Beinn Eighe NNR, visit www.nnr-scotland.org.uk. Or read Hostile Habitats – Scotland’s Mountain Environment edited by Mark Wrightham & Nick Kempe (£16, Scottish Mountaineering Trust). ISBN 978 0 907521 93 8).

Main image: Richard Bartz / Text: Andrew McCloy

Click here to listen to an excerpt from the dawn chorus recorded last spring…

birds

Since 1984, various organisations in the UK and around the world have been marking the annual peak with walks, breakfasts and other events that reward early risers. This has now culminated with the excellent International Dawn Chorus Day website, which lets you search for events in your area throughout late April and into May. You can also organise and list your own – the perfect way to encourage new people to get up, get out and discover the joys of walking. Depending on where you live, the birds you’re most likely to hear are the following – in order of appearance. Click on each to learn more and listen to their songs…

Blackbird

Robin

Wren

Tawny Owl

Chaffinch

Common Pheasant

Chiffchaff and other warblers

Song Thrush

Greenfinch

Dunnock

Goldfinch

Sparrow

Dunnock

Goldfinch

Sparrow

For more, check the BBC’s excellent series of audio programmes from 2007 – which includes guides to identifying and recording birdsong, plus an interview with Bill Oddie and links to all manner of bird-related organisations. The International Dawn Chorus Day website also contains an alternate recording of sunrise in the New Forest, plus audio samples of various birds singing together. Enjoy this year’s dawn chorus, and remember to post any pictures to our Flickr group – we’d love to see them!

Main image submitted to walk Flickr group by Frances Wilson.

In quiet glades and sun-dappled woods across the country, bluebells are springing up to blanket the landscape in colour. To celebrate this annual spectacle, Ramblers’ Bluebell Strolls Season will take place across the country in 100+ locations, from now until June 2010. It is part of an ongoing campaign with the Natural History Museum to better understand one of our most iconic and threatened spring flowers and discover more about our changing climate and countryside.

“For many the bluebell is Britain’s favourite flower and an important sign of the start of spring,” says Dr Fred Rumsey, botanist at the Natural History Museum. “We’re now keen to know when our Bluebells start flowering to help decide whether the genes within the hybrids between Spanish Bluebells and native British bluebells have altered their flowering time, or is spring just starting earlier?”

To help out, walkers are encouraged to join a bluebell walk, help ‘spot’ different types of bluebells, and enter their findings into the Natural History Museum’s online survey when they get home. Experts will use this crucial data to build a map of where the different types of bluebell are flowering. This is the fifth year running that the Ramblers have helped to contribute to research on British bluebells, and the Ramblers-led walks are free and open to all – offering the chance to see Britain’s beautiful woodland and countryside at its loveliest. Although the walks vary in length and difficulty – from family friendly 5, to 14 mile walks – all contain swathes of beautiful bluebells.

“The deep blue hue and gothic arches of the British bluebell, currently under threat from hybridisation, have brought immeasurable pleasure to walkers throughout history,” says Tom Franklin, CEO of the Ramblers. “What better way to help preserve these flowers, than putting on your boots and joining a led bluebell walk through Britain’s loveliest countryside this Spring?”

For details of Ramblers led bluebell walks, and to find one near you, visit www.ramblers.org.uk/walkthemes/Bluebells

Other bluebell-related events around the country include:

•The Cotswolds Bluebell Weekend, which takes place on 24 and 25 April. This event will provide unique opportunities for people of all ages to discover some of the best places to see bluebells across the AONB – from Ozleworth Bottom near Wotton-under-Edge, to Lynches Wood near Chipping Campden. Walks around Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust’s Midger Nature Reserve south of Nailsworth and the spectacular bluebell woods of Berks, Bucks & Oxon Wildlife Trust’s Foxholes Nature Reserve near Chipping Norton also form part of the weekend’s programme of events.

•The Perth & District Ramblers will be running a 5-mile, Grade C walk on Thursday  3rd June. Meeting point either ASDA car park , Perth at 6.30 p.m. or 7 p.m. at minor road at Broomhill, nr. Ballathie. Map Reference : Map 53 NO:133375
For further information contact John Andrews on 01738 827275

•Various National Trust woodlands and parks across England, Wales and Northern Ireland will be running events. Here is their selection of top bluebell locations.

Allen Banks & Staward Gorge in Northumberland – The largest area of ancient woodland in Northumberland, in spring Allen Banks comes alive with the fresh growth of wild flowers.  Explore the woods and discover the carpet of bluebells and wild garlic (ramsons) covering the woodland floor in late spring.  Download the gentle two mile riverside walk at www.nationaltrust.org.uk/walks. For more information contact:01434 344218.

Ashridge Estate in Hertfordshire – The 1.5-mile way marked woodland trail has a stunning display of bluebells beneath the bright-green beech canopy.  Red kites can also be seen, pick up an I-spy Ashridge leaflet from the Discovery Centre. Download a two mile wildlife walk at www.nationaltrust.org.uk/walks. For more information contact: 01494 755557.

Blakes Wood in Essex – This 106 acre ancient woodland bursts into colour in spring with carpets of bluebells, primroses and yellow archangel along the woodland floor. Bring your binoculars and see if you can spot a Nightingale or Hawfinch. For more information contact: 01245 222 669.

Blickling in Norfolk – The wilderness garden and woodland in the park are renowned for their bluebells when a breathtaking two acres of blue can be seen with a single cloud of white formed by a clump of wild garlic growing in its midst. There are three way marked estate walks. For more information contact: 01263 738030.

Buckland Abbey in Devon – Discover fabulous bluebell displays in the Great North Wood and take a three mile ‘Bluebell Walk’ with the estate warden on Friday 7 May, 11am – 1.30pm.  No extra charge to normal admission but booking is advisable. For more information contact: 01822 853607.

Calke Park and Abbey in Derbyshire – With secret walks and 600 acres of parkland, much of it a National Nature Reserve, Calke is home to some of the oldest trees in Europe.  Among this ancient woodland, bluebells flower in abundance dotted with the yellow flowers of archangels in the Serpentine Wood. Download a Wildlife Walk at www.nationaltrust.org.uk/walks. For more information contact: 01332 863822.

Dinefwr in Carmarthenshire – There are several way marked walks throughout the parkland and wooded estate: take in the stunning bluebell displays and ancient trees at this special place.  For more information contact: 01558 824512.

Emmetts Garden in Kent – One of the highest points in Kent, with magnificent views of the Weald and North Downs. The woodland slopes are famed for their carpets of bluebells in spring.  For more information contact: 01732 751509.

Hardcastle Crags in Yorkshire – A hidden beauty spot near Hebden Bridge. The 3-mile Mill Walk is the ideal place to see a mass of bluebells in spring. You can also visit Gibson Mill, a flagship eco-friendly visitor centre, open Tuesdays – Thursdays and weekends from 1 April.   For more information contact: 01422 844518. Downloadable walk available at www.nationaltrust.org.uk/walks

Kingston Lacey in Dorset – The 2.5-mile woodland walk and lime walk on the estate are a great place to see the annual show of bluebells. For more information contact: 01202 883402.

Lanhydrock in Cornwall – At the start of the 1.5-mile Great Wood and Avenue Walk you’ll come across the bluebell wood, famed for its carpet of colour in spring. For more information contact: 01208 265950.

Lyme Park in Cheshire – Wander up West Park Drive and enjoy a glorious bluebell display during May – along with great views across the Cheshire Plain.  For more information contact:01663 762023.

Nap Wood in Sussex – A tranquil woodland oasis along an ancient track way of the Weald, which possibly date back to the first few centuries AD. Mature tall trees tower above while a dense carpet of bluebells brightens the woodland floor in spring. Downloadable walk available at: www.nationaltrust.org.uk/walks.  For more information contact: 01892 893868

Osterley Park in Isleworth, Middlesex – One of the last surviving country estates in London, the garden and park are the perfect retreat from London life. The bluebells appear late spring around the south and west woods. For more information contact: 020 8232 5050.

Rowallane Garden in County Down – Be inspired by this enchanting garden which reflects the beautiful natural landscape of the surrounding area.  Take a tranquil walk around the spring garden and the woodland trail, carpeted with bluebells in May. For more information contact: 028 9751 0131.

Speke Hall in Merseyside – Take a wander through the estate to Stocktons Wood where you’ll see a fantastic display of bluebells; keep going to be rewarded with great views of the Mersey estuary.  For more information contact: 0844 800 4799.

Stourhead in Wiltshire – One of the finest landscape gardens in the world, created in the 1740s by Henry Hoare II.  Bluebells are abundant throughout the Estate and give wonderful displays through the wooded glades.  Park Hill Camp is a circular 3 mile walk through the magnificent woodland.  Downloadable walk available from www.nationaltrust.org.uk/walks. For more information contact: 01747 841152.

The Weir near Hereford – A wonderful informal garden situated on the steeply-sloping, south-facing bank of the River Wye.  Richly planted with an abundance of bulbs, providing colour throughout spring, including bluebells. For more information contact:01981 590509.

Winkworth Arboretum in Surrey – Buried amidst the gorgeous collection of trees and shrubs is the old English bluebell wood, which slopes down to the lake beneath a canopy of oak and Japanese maple. All paths are hard-surfaced for wheelchairs and buggies. For more information contact: 01483 208477.

Image credits: Main photo by Wikipedia user ‘Palmiped’; landscape photo Ramblers; Buckland Abbey National Trust; Nap Wood © NTPL / Stephen Robson / National Trust

There are three characteristics of the Somerset Levels that can make planning a walk quite challenging, according to Ken Burgess of Taunton Deane Ramblers. “It’s flat, full of straight lines and made up of a lot of water which rises and falls quite sharply. But on the other hand, you can see for miles, it’s all very accessible and the natural history is superb.”
Bounded by the Mendip Hills to the north, the Somerset Levels is one of the lowest and flattest areas of England; a shallow peat basin seldom more than 8m/25ft high that forms a vast grazing marsh, popular with wading birds such as whimbrel, snipe and lapwing. It’s divided into narrow fields by drainage ditches known as rhynes, which provide a valuable habitat for insects and invertebrates such as dragonflies, spiders and water snails, as well as more than 80 types of water beetle.
“Wetlands offer a great variety of habitats including marsh, heath and carr (flooded woodland), which support a wide range of wildlife. For me, the highlights are hearing the booming of a bittern and seeing marsh harriers glide over the reedbeds, as well as a chance to glimpse an otter,” says Ken.
Reedbeds are a special feature of low-lying wetlands, and one of the largest restoration projects in Britain is taking place at the RSPB’s Ham Wall reserve, specifically to encourage returning bitterns; but bearded tits, marsh harriers and various warblers are all present. For otters, go to Shapwick Heath, where there are six public hides – Mere Heath and Decoy are supposed to be the best ones for a successful otter spot.
“It’s not unusual for the wetlands to be flooded,” warns Ken, “but despite this, the Levels are a great place to explore on foot. The nature reserves have a network of easy paths and trails. And at Shapwick Heath, make sure to walk some of the Sweet Track – an elevated wooden walkway across the swamps built around 6,000 years ago.”

Where to find out more
For more, see www.somersetwildlife.org or check out Rambling in Somerset by Taunton Deane Ramblers – a new guidebook available at a discounted £5 + p&p to Ramblers members at www.tauntonramblers.org.uk

Click on the image below for our pictoral guide to wildlife in the Somerset Levels, from walk Spring 2010.

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