The Great British Migration

Spring is finally here. As most of us contemplate what and where we are going on our summer holidays this year, the mass summer migration has begun for Britain’s wildlife.

Could you imagine having to travel half way around the world to get to your destination, only to then repeat the same journey four months later? No nor can I but that’s exactly what hundreds of millions of our summer migrants do every year.

Birds

 

Bird species such as Wood Warbler, Redstart, Cuckoo (arrive early April and leave by end of June) Swallow, House Martin, Sand Martin, and Swift (last to arrive and first to go) arrive in the spring and have traveled for thousands of miles from either North-West or Sub-Saharan Africa. These species come to Britain to breed because the further North they go, the greater the abundance of food and more light in which to search for it.

Wood Warbler	Redstart
Cuckoo	Swallow
Sand Martin	House Martin

Butterflies & Moths

 

Would you believe that some of our butterflies and day flying moths migrate to the UK too?

Take the Painted Lady for instance; this migrates from North Africa, the Middle East and Central Asia, which is somewhere in the region of 9000 miles and at altitudes of over 1,000m.

For a tiny creature weighing less than a gram, with a brain the size of a pin head, and no opportunity to learn from older, experienced individuals, undertake an epic journey. It’s estimated that 11 million arrive in Britain each year, with around 25 million migrating back by the end of the summer.





The Red Admiral like the Painted Lady is another migrant to Britain, flying from North Africa and Continental Europe in there millions and covering similar distances as their counterparts.



The Humming-Bird Hawkmoth is a day flying moth that also migrants to Britain. These arrive in there thousands every year. Historically these were usually frequenting the South and East of the Country, However due to changes in our climate and hence warmer summers; they are being seen in Cumbria in larger numbers.



The Silver Y moth is our most common immigrant moth from Southern Europe, North Africa and parts of South East Asia, which can arrive in numbers up to 250 million in a good year (yes that’s correct you read it right!), with a staggering four times as many leaving as arrived.

Views, Brews & Loo's

If you are a regular visitor to our blog you will have noticed that being a National Trust Ranger has many varying different tasks and responsibilities, for instance.

The Upland Ranger, fix miles upon miles of the Lake Districts Fell top paths, their skin hardened by the elements and suntans any antique dealing TV presenter would be proud of.
The Estate Team, endlessly & tirelessly mending broken fences and wall gaps, ensuring lost or misguided wanderlusters continue safely on their quest for the ultimate 'WOW' by simply pointing them in the right direction!
The Woodland Ranger, rarely seen without his trusty tail wagging companion, will have a dangerous path side tree felled and tidied away in the time it takes you to consider if anyone was around to hear it fall?

All of them take great pride in what they do! I am no different, I am ....

The Car Park Ranger! ... Before you swiftly scroll away to a story of epic endeavour I want you to know that I am going somewhere with this story. My main role is managing the presentation of the car parks (5 in total for the South Lakes), filling in potholes, fixing drains etc etc. I also assist the team with the maintenance and upkeep of certain areas the car parks are attached to such as Tarn Hows, Blea Tarn and so on. This means I have the pleasure of traveling around our property the most. This encompasses the sleepy village of Little Langdale, the rugged landscape of Coniston, the beautifully picturesque market village of Hawksead and the wild wild western shore of Windermere, in particularly what is known as Claife Heights, and what is a personal favourite of mine.

welcome to Claife viewing station

Claife is steeped in folklore, legend and history, most noticeably at Claife viewing station. Originally built in the 1790's by Rev William Braithwaite, to entertain wealthy visitors to the area. Legend has it that the windows were varied in colours to create a 'WOW' effect to the views over Windermere deemed so amazing that female visitors were given mirrors to witness the views in reverse for fear of swooning. The Viewing Station (not the Cottage & Courtyard) passed to the National Trust in 1962 as part of a 1000 acre estate. Sadly the building which once stood as a grandiose beacon for the picturesque movement had become quite derelict, and beyond repair.

With the help from donations, legacies and various project funding (such as Windermere reflections) the station once again stands proud as a beacon of artistic movement. You can now discover this amazing structures colourful past and enjoy the Panoramic views of Windermere as they were enjoyed over 200 years ago (N.B. mirrors are not supplied just yet). The station challenges all your senses, from textures of the building, the views over lake Windermere and the slightly chilling sound of the Aolean wind harp.

No National Trust property worth its salt should come without it's very own Cafe and, Claife is no exception. So after you've absorbed the views of the Lake you should wander down and grab yourself some freshly made cake, a coffee or a pot of freshly made tea from local, family-owned tea specialists 'the New Leaf Tea tasters' (located just 5 minutes away).

The Cottages are a very recent addition to the National Trust family. They came into our possession in 2010 and were built c1800. From the early 20th century to the 1960's these cottages served as a tea garden. South Cumbria Construction, along with the National Trust labour teams have done a fantastic job of bringing these cottages to their former glory, and are in effect an attraction in their own right. Sit in, or sit outside in the young gardens underneath the wooden gazebo.

Now, before you set off! I have something very important to tell you! there aren't any public toilets on site. Before you reel away in outrage there was very little we could do about this, mainly due to lack of facilities. HOWEVER! this does not mean we have left you lumbered in the middle of no where with your legs crossed. Saved from closure in 2011 the National Trust took on the mantel of managing the toilets at Ferry Nab from the National Park. We've given them a fresh lick of paint and a full makeover in line with the rest of the development ...

We hope you will come and visit us at Claife, it's testament to the hard work everyone has put in over the last year or so, and it's particularly warming to see this almost unrecoverable building standing proud once more.

cup of tea anyone?	standing proud
aolean harp	Viewing station interior
we look forward to seeing you soon	Craig in his natural habitat

Winter Wildlife in 3D and High Definition

Zebra crossing !

I was watching a David Attenborough wildlife programme recently it was the one where the 6 week old zebra with its mum was trying to cross a swollen river  , a raging torrent of a  river populated by grumpy hippos and with lions on the far bank waiting to pick off the tired beasts as they scramble up the bank on the other side. It was shocking,  thrilling and dramatic stuff to watch .

Apart from making  me think how inappropriate the name ‘ zebra crossing ‘ is for  a safe place to cross  anything , I was also reminded that you don’t have to go to the African plains to witness this sort of life and death drama ; it’s going on all around us in the countryside and winter is a great time to witness these events.

Stoat v’s Rabbit

While walking along Wray Castle drive last week ,with some colleagues ,we heard a squeal from the field on the other side of the railings a rabbit was running at top speed towards us with a stoat in hot pursuit . Both rabbit and stoat were apparently oblivious to our presence.

The large rabbit being closely followed by the much smaller stoat with its long slender body and short legs looked a comical mismatch , like a  sausage dog  trying to bring down a red deer stag !

At least this would have been comical if it was a game of tig and not a chase to the death. The stoat  although much much smaller is very capable of bringing down the rabbit and killing it . The two did a figure of eight around us before disappearing back into the field .  We didn’t see the outcome, but let’s just say it can be long and very unpleasant for the rabbit !

Hide and Seek

the sparrowhawk - an acrobatic killer

A unremarkable hedgerow next to Hawkshead village seems an unlikely place for thrilling drama , but just before Christmas I could see a bird of prey giving an impressive acrobatic display  zipping from one side of the hawthorn hedge to the other , flying along at speed  and then darting back , the lack of foliage made it easier to see what was going on . A sparrowhawk , the most agile of birds of prey, was after a blue tit . The blue tit trapped in the hedge was flying along inside, using the thorny branches for protection , the sparrowhawk goading and threatening, trying to get at the tiny bird or scare it out into the open .

This deadly game of hide and seek went on for what seemed like ages , I’m sure it felt longer for the blue tit ,  but was probably over in less than a minute . On this occasion brains won out over brawn as the blue tit stayed put and the sparrowhawk lost interest or was scared off.

Rumble in the jungle

Probably the most titanic struggle that I have witnessed in the wild, while being a National Trust Ranger is that between a Great crested newt and an earthworm,  unlikely sparring partners I’m sure you’ll agree ! This ‘ battle’  took place in a small pond , under torch light,  on Claife Heights some years back ; the ‘rumble in the jungle’ if you like.

in the blue corner

In the blue corner……  the great crested newt the largest of the British newts is an uncommon amphibian, a protected species, with its jagged crest along its back it looks like a mini dinosaur generally 10-14cm long , but pretty fearsome looking , it looks like it can handle itself in a fight !   

in the red corner

 And in the red corner ……… a worm a plump wiggly worm,  not really built for street fighting . Ladies and gentlemen ,place your bets please.

The ‘fight’ started with the newt bothering the worm and quite quickly devouring a third to half of its length , this should have been game over for the worm , but we underestimated the worms instinct for survival and what followed made for  compelling viewing , for several minutes the worm used the only weapon in its arsenal ….the wriggle….. it bucked and writhed for as long as it could, the newt not letting go , the worm tiring, stopped , rested and then started wriggling  again as though its life depended on it and indeed its life did depend on it . After maybe five minutes of this strange wrestling match, an unlikely outcome,  the newt  decided that there were easier ways of getting a meal and the worm, having never given up, broke free, and lived to wriggle another day.  Rocky would have been proud.

So turn off the telly, put on a coat  and get out there this winter. These amazing thrilling spectacles are available for free,  in high definition, in 3 D and with surround sound,  in your back garden, local green space or nearest bit of countryside.

 

Hawkshead village is worth a visit at any time of year , the Beatrix Potter Gallery in the village re-opens on Feb 14 2015, the Victorian gothic  Wray Castle located 2 miles from Hawkshead re-opens on 21 March 2015 but the grounds are open year round.