With the leaves falling and ground vegetation dying back, autumn can be an easier time when it comes to spotting more of Britain’s native species in the wild.
Here at The Green Cumbria we’re extremely lucky to be surrounded by peaceful landscape and a huge variety of natural habitats that attract plenty of wildlife. In fact we like to think guests can venture out for their very own ‘Big 5’ safari during their stay with us.
Misty autumn across Appleby-in-Westmorland. Image courtesy Cumbria Tourism/Dave Willis
Here’s a snapshot of how you can combine a snuggly autumnal stay in one of our three properties, The Haystore, The Byre or The Carthouse and enjoy some of the UK’s finest wildlife in all their glory.
Red Squirrels
Red squirrels are busy foraging at this time of year and we’re extremely fortunate to have some regular visitors who raid the feeders for the hazelnuts that we put out for them.
Guests therefore don’t need to venture far to enjoy watching the red squirrels’ antics, simply look across to the feeders in the garden!
Roe Deer
Roe deer with their distinctive pale rumps and short antlers are found on the grassy inclines of the surrounding fells and the lower slopes of Wild Boar Fell where you can have a great day’s walking with superb views across to Mallerstang and, on a clear day, Morecambe Bay in the distance.
Brown hares
It’s still possible to see brown hares darting between the grassy tussocks on Ravenstonedale Common – a lovely sight for those patient enough to quietly sit and wait for them to make an appearance, and before they hurtle off at speeds reaching 45mph!
Peregrine falcons
Peregrine Falcons can be seen wheeling around in the sky above the higher fells and crags. These amazing birds of prey are a success story as they were once so persecuted they were on the verge of extinction.
Otters
The River Eden (image: courtesy of Cumbria Tourism/Dave Willis)
Finally for those enjoying a riverside stroll there’s the chance of spotting the elusive otters that have made a dramatic comeback along the River Eden in recent years.
Guests can retreat back to their base and cosy up in front of the log burner after a day’s exploring.
Cosy up in front of the log burner at The Green Cumbria
Or they can wait until nightfall before wrapping up in one of the locally made rugs and heading outside to view the starry skies above The Green, perhaps even spotting one of the natural night sky wonders, the Orionid meteor shower this October (2nd October – 7th November).
In October and November there’s also the chance of joining one of the Dark Skies Festivals at the Yorkshire Dales National Park (21st-30th October) or the Lake District National Park (28th October - 12th November) for an evening’s stargazing, night canoeing or trail running.