Ambleside & District

Natural History

Coordinators: Helen Jones and Jane Pilgrim

First Tuesday in every month at 10:00 unless otherwise notified. Details of future meetings can be found below.

Group web page editor is Helen Jones.

Everyone is welcome to our meetings which provide excellent learning opportunities with gentle walking and good company. If you would like email updates on activities, please contact Helen or Jane so that you can be included on the contact list. Many of our venues are Cumbria Wildlife Trust reserves and further information can be found on their website under ‘reserves’.
Those intending to come should phone the contact shown for each event by 19.00 on the preceding evening in case of change of venue and to arrange car-sharing. Meetings all begin at 10.00 unless otherwise stated and normally require a picnic lunch. As with all outdoor activities please come prepared with appropriate foot-wear and waterproof clothing.

Between March and June 2020 a portfolio of Covid lockdown photographs was compiled by our friend the late Peter Truelove from pictures taken by members of the Natural History group. They were all taken in and around Windermere and Ambleside. Most of the bird photos were taken by Peter in his back garden.

Shoveler Leighton Moss Jan Bowness Dec 22 Late arrivals Leighton Moss murmuration Murmuration Leighton Moss Jan

Bowness Dec. 22

Wood pigeon Mandarin duck Mandarin duck pair
Oak Eggar Caterpillar Foulshaw May Male Chaffinch Foulshaw May Chiffchaff Foulshaw May 1st swallow Foulshaw May Reed Bunting Foulshaw May
Stonechat Foulshaw May Willow warbler Foulshaw May Oak Eggar Caterpillar Foulshaw May Tree Pipit Foulshaw May Tree sparrow Foulshaw May
Rannerdale Knotts May Rannerdale Knotts May House Martin Hay Bridge Osprey Hay Bridge Unknown duck Hay Bridge
Barnacle & Emperor Geese Emperor Goose Blacktailed Godwit Cinnerbar moth Dunlin
Female Eider pair Female Eider & chicks Linnet Litte Egret Oystercatcher
Ringed Plover Small Bugloss Sparrow feeding Vipers Bugloss Yellow Horned Poppy
Foxgloves Smardale Smardale Raft Spider Roudsea Sept Adder Roudsea Sept
Osprey Mobbed by Magpie Leighton Moss Oc Male Gadwall Leighton Moss Oct Female Gadwall Leighton Moss Oct Cormorant Leighton Moss Oct Red Admiral Leighton Moss Oct
Holehird fungi day Nov 23 Fungi day. Nov 23 Godwit Leighton Moss March Avocet Pair Leighton Moss March Turnstone Winter Plumage Leighton Moss M

Nest Building Moorhen Leighton Moss Marc Male Shoveler in breeding plumage L Moss Female Shoveler Leighton Moss March Male Pochard Male Tufted Duck Female Gadwall Leighton Moss Cormorants Leighton Moss

Dates for your Diary
Tue Apr 2nd Staveley Woods (look at the early spring flora and listening for the returning migrant birds). 555 bus to Staveley Woodyard (09.38 from W’m station), or by car but parking tricky - Peggy Robinson
Tue May 7th A full day trip to Upper Teesdale. Park in CP at NY810306 for a short nature trail by Cow Green Reservoir (spring gentians, nesting waders etc). Drive to Bowlees Visitor Centre and a walk along the river to High Force waterfall. Meal in Appleby on the drive back - Helen Jones
Tue May 21st Geltsdale RSPB reserve near Brampton (toilets & parking) for black grouse, wading birds and harrier – Sue Dawes
Tue Jun 4th

Foulney CWT reserve to see the arctic and little terns, eider ducks etc, also maritime flora such as the horned poppy. Out and back walk along the spit is approximately 3 miles (4.6 km) - Carolyn Bradley.
******Start time depends on tides******

Tue Jun 18th Visit to Clint’s quarry CWT near Egremont NY008124 for limestone flora and butterflies, then on to Parton Beach for the rock pools. Meal planned at the Kirkstile Inn on the drive back - Stewart Sutcliffe

Click on a picture below to see it full-size with more details.

More Group Pages
Bridge at Ladyholme Climbing and Scrambling Crosswords Cultural History
Garden Visits Geology High Fells & Scrambles Learning Spanish Together
Local History Mah-jong & Rummikub Natural History Play Reading
Poetry Pub Lunches Reading Science & Technology
Social Walking Spanish for Beginners Table Tennis The RockDrops
Theatre/Concert Ukulele Writing Zoom Reading Group
More Group Pages
Bridge at Ladyholme Climbing and Scrambling
Crosswords Cultural History
Garden Visits Geology
High Fells & Scrambles Learning Spanish Together
Local History Mah-jong & Rummikub
Natural History Play Reading
Poetry Pub Lunches
Reading Science & Technology
Social Walking Spanish for Beginners
Table Tennis The RockDrops
Theatre/Concert Ukulele
Writing Zoom Reading Group