Geltsdale - Cumbria, UK
Posted by: 
Superted
N 54° 55.161 W 002° 38.600
30U E 522861 N 6085875
Quick Description: Set in the beautiful North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), home to black grouse, birds of prey and breeding waders and ideal for walking.
Location: Northwest England, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 9/15/2009 2:31:48 PM
Waymark Code: WM77W5
Views: 3
Long Description:This is a reserve belonging to the RSPB (The Royal Society for the
Protection of Birds).
There are four waymarked trails leading from the car park at
Howgill.
Opening times
Trails are open at all times, and the Information Point between 9
am-5 pm.
Entrance charges
Free, but donations to help us continue our work here are
welcome.
Our star species are some of the most interesting birds you may
see on your visit to the reserve.
Barn owl
When the barn owls have young to feed, you could see them at any
time of day as they scour the land for small voles and shrews to
take back to their nest. They are mostly seen on summer evenings
and spring late afternoons.
Black grouse
At Geltsdale, black grouse can be seen in autumn, winter and early
spring. As their name suggests, the males are black but the females
are a mottled brown to enable them to hide from predators while
incubating eggs.
Curlew
Curlews are large, brown wading birds with very long, curved bills.
In spring, you can hear their gorgeous, 'bubbling' song.
Lapwing
Watch the nesting lapwings here chasing predators that may come too
close to their nests. The protective parents regularly give chase
to crows and do not stop their 'mobbing' attacks until the danger
has passed.
Redshank
Keep an eye out for the redshanks' towering display flights in
spring. They are sometimes known as 'the sentinel of the marshes'
for their noisy habit of drawing attention to predators.