[T]he colours of autumn are spectacular in Cumbria, as trees start to turn from green to red, brown and gold. Against this lovely backdrop, this is the time to enjoy the sight of red squirrels foraging for nuts, spot red deer during the rut and marvel at the great numbers of migrating birds arriving on our coast.
Cumbria Wildlife Trust has just published a new guide to Great Places to See Autumn Wildlife in Cumbria, recommending some special areas to see these stunning seasonal highlights. They include:
- Martindale valley – one of the best places in Cumbria to see red deer. October is the rutting season, so why not pay a visit (early morning and dusk are the best times) and listen out for the distinctive bellowing of the males? You may also be lucky enough to see them locking antlers!
- South Walney Nature Reserve – come and see Cumbria’s only breeding colony of grey seals. October to December is their breeding season, so you may be rewarded with the sight of a pup!*
- Whinlatter Forest – a great place to see red squirrels. The forest is also home to roe deer, badgers and foxes and the fells are the hunting ground for buzzard and merlin.
- Solway Coast, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty – marvel at thousands of barnacle geese arriving from the Arctic Circle to enjoy our milder winters
Just one quick look through Cumbria Wildlife Trust’s Great Places to See Autumn Wildlife in Cumbria and you’re sure to find a nature reserve, some woodland or a stretch of coastline near you that’s worth a visit this autumn.
Cumbria Wildlife Trust’s guide, Great Places to See Autumn Wildlife in Cumbria, is available to download at www.cumbriawildlifetrust.org.uk
*Please note that at South Walney Nature Reserve there is no access on to the beach, but at high tide, you can watch the seals in the water from the hides.
