As well as our gorgeous little town, and beautiful surrounding views, Burleigh Mead is also an excellent base from which to set out and seek some of the most wonderful wildlife to be seen in Britain.
Our personal favourites have to be Red Squirrels. Our endangered indigenous breed is a lot more shy than their grey cousins who are pushing them out of their homes. You won’t see them stealing chips in the local park – you’ll need to head somewhere like Whinlatter Forest and have a quiet walk and keep your eyes peeled! It’s estimated that there are only 5,000 left in the whole of Cumbria so well done if you do spot some. If you do happen to spot a grey squirrel, please tell Red Squirrel Northern England to help them with their vital work protecting these lovely creatures.
Another contender for favourite will have you looking to the skies over some of the prettiest lakes you’ll ever see. Ospreys have finally started nesting again in the UK, and the pair you might see at Bassenthwaite Lake were the first in 150 years to grace us once again with their majesty. You can’t miss them if they are about – they have a 5 foot wing span! You can see them on various webcams and things too if you don’t spot them over the waters. Interesting fact – Bassenthwaite is actually the only Lake proper in the Lake District – the rest are ‘meres’ or ‘waters’. If you don’t spot the ospreys you might still get lucky with buzzards, peregrines or kestrels.
If spotting our rarer wildlife is your game, then otters are another one to go and look for. By the 1980s otters had almost disappeared from Cumbria mainly because of toxins from pesticides. Luckily they are growing again in numbers – head to the Eden Valley, on the Solway Plain and to the northern stretch of the west coast of Cumbria for your best chance. A lot of work has gone into conservation efforts like building stone wall otter holts for new families to occupy. Spotting otters playing in the water is an absolute delight.
Photo by Ryan Grewell on Unsplash
While you might not spot these three we’ve talked about, there are so many amazing birds and creatures roaming around you won’t go away unhappy. Even the plant life in and around Keswick is enough to keep our eyes and noses happy for hours on end – go forth and enjoy!