Discovering the wildside of the North Pennine Dales - your own Springwatch
This
week involves lots of hands on activities discovering
the wildlife and plants that live in the North Pennines Area of
Outstanding
Natural Beauty. This will involve you in exploring the places we visit
and developing
new skills in identifying the things you find including some use of
wild flower
and minibeast keys. Well be using sweep nets, beating trays, pond
dipping nets,
bat detectors and binoculars to find out what’s around and about. Your
very own Spring / Summer / Autumnwatch!! Who needs to watch the tele
after this week you'll be able to do it all yourself wherever you go!
Monday
A focus on bird-watching
On Monday morning we’ll take a look at bird watching
techniques and identification in general. We’ll develop these skills when we go
off to explore the different environments from riverside to wild moorland later
in the week. We’ll cover a range of important points including:
- Using binoculars and telescopes
- Key identification features to focus on:
Plumage
Song
Habits
and behaviour
Habitat
Time of year
We’ll go for a stroll practicing these skills, identifying
and talking about the birds we see and hear.
We have a number of pairs of binoculars available if you
don’t have your own.
A focus on wild flowers
On Monday afternoon we’ll take a look at wild flowers in
general; a helping hand to get started making sense of the wonderful variety to
be seen in the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and elswhere.
We’ll cover a range of useful topics including:
- Key parts of the plant to look out for to help identify them
- Quick and easy tips to help you identify a range of plants
- How best to use a wild flower book to help your
identification
- Practice using a hand lens
You’ll get in a bit of practice at identification with
plenty of help.
We have a supply of hand lenses if you don’t have one of
your own.
Tuesday
Discover the hidden world of meadows, streams and ponds
We’ll take a stroll through marshland and meadow with nets,
collection jars and binoculars at the ready. We’ll have a look an amazing
variety of wildlife that usually goes unseen. We’ll dip the ponds to find out
what’s lurking under the surface and we’ll plodge around in a burn to discover
what is living in amongst the rocks and pebbles. We’ll identify the plants we
find in the different places and see what birdlife is around. We’ll also check
our live traps to see if we have caught any of the small mammals that live in the
grassland.
Likely birds, depending on time of year, will include
dippers, a variety of warblers, grey wagtail, kestrel, grey heron, linnets, yellowhammer,
a whole host too numerous to mention of frequent lowland birds. Plenty to get
us started.
Wednesday
Discover the secret life of a woodland
We’ll take a stroll through an ancient woodland where we’ll uncover
the tracks, trails and signs left behind by its secretive inhabitants from
foxes and squirrels to woodpeckers and ants. We’ll also explore the hidden
world of woodland minibeasts collecting them and getting a good close look at
their often bizarre appearance. We’ll have binoculars with us for the bird life
and we’ll also take a look at the plants that make up the woodland and find out
a bit of their folklore and uses. We’ll also check our live traps to see if we
have caught any of the small mammals that live in woodlands.
Likely birds, depending on time of year, will include great
spotted woodpecker, pied flycatcher, wood warbler, willow warbler, chiff chaff,
gold crest, several members of the tit family, song thrush and if we’re very
lucky there’s the chance of a goshawk.
The evening will involve a badger watch and some bat detecting.
This may be moved to Thursday night if the weather isn’t right.
Thursday
Discovering moors and upland meadows
We’ll take a walk up into Upper Teesdale and explore the
moorland and some of the best upland hay meadows in Britain. There are a whole host of
new plants to discover here including some very rare ones and some others with
sinister ways of feeding. The bird life is tremendous in the North Pennines with a massive
number of breeding waders and the largest population of black grouse in England.
Likely birds, depending on time of year, will include red
grouse, curlew, golden plover, lapwing, oyster catcher, common sandpiper, snipe,
wheatear, stonechat, meadow pipit and possibilities of black grouse, short-eared
owl and merlin amongst many others.
Friday
Landscape, geology and cultural heritage of the North Pennines
Optional or take a day
to explore on your own
An exploration of how the landscape of the North Pennines was created, its geology
and how man has used the landscape and geology of the northern dales over the
millennia.
Duration: 5 days: 6 to 7 hours per day
Cost: £500 for two people (£250 each); £50 per additional
group member.
(For example a group of four will pay £150 each for the week; a group of six will pay only £116.67 each and so on). Individual one-to-one booking available at £500. Accommodation not included;
see booking information.
Further information: Minimum group size two; maximum 12.
Participants should be 16 or over. We’ll lift share to get from one place to
another. You may need to use your own transport. Bring a packed lunch each day.
Activity leaders are CRB checked.
Location: North Pennines - Weardale and Teesdale
|
|
|
