The Geltsdale Gallery played host to a successful textile workshop with Helen Walsh on Saturday 28th April.  Participants were totally absorbed in the activity and created some wonderful and very individual wall hangings.  You can still see Helen's exhibition "Wingspang" at the gallery until 21st May.  The gallery is open 7 days a week from 9:00am to 5:00pm.

To mark Curlew Crisis Month, Geltdale's Farmland Warden Ian Ryding and his band The Talkin Fellas, plus Stooshie will be performing at Hallbankgate Village Hall on Saturday 19th May.  A donation will be given to the RSPB from the proceeds.

Tickets are available on eventbrite, at the Belted Will Inn, Hallbankgate and on the door.

Be sure to join us as it promises to be a great evening!

Geltsdale had it's first Black Grouse count of 2018 last Wednesday 21st March with a total of 41 male birds.

Although the birds were a little subdued it was a good first count this early in the season - counts will continue until the beginning of May. 

If you would like to see the Black Grouse Lek we still have places available on our Black Grouse Lek event - Saturday 21st April 5:00am to 7:00am.  To book contact…

The Farmland team would like to thank the members of the public, students from Newton Rigg and RSPB staff who braved the weather to remove tree tubes from Bruthwaite Forest. 

There is now a visible improvement to the view and those tubes still in good condition will be utilised in community woodland projects organised by Living Landscapes.

RSPB Geltsdale planted at total of 110 000 trees 11 years ago to form the Bruthwaite…

The Gallery at RSPB Geltsdale is launching Impressions of the Wild a new programme of exhibitions and workshops which celebrate Geltsdale's dramatic landscape and wildlife.

Over the next 16 months the gallery, is hosting six exhibitions featuring local artists who take their inspiration from wildlife and the countryside. 

The first exhibition is Wingspan an exhibition by Cumbria-based textile artist Helen Walsh…

The feeders at the visitor centre at Stagsike have attracted in a flock of over 30 siskins with a few lesser redpolls, but the highlight has been a couple of male bramblings. Other birds here, include greenfinches, chaffinch, great tit, blue tit, coal tit, robin and dunnock.

Black grouse can be found lekking at this time of year or seen feeding in hawthorns. At least five males and five females can be seen near the visitor…

To thank our Wednesday volunteers for their sterling work all year round on the reserve, the last work day before Christmas is always a birding trip with no work at all!  This year we got permission to view the private hide on Rockcliffe Marsh (thanks to Brian Hodgson) so we spent a day on the Solway.  Not a stunning day, weather wise, but it stayed dry and the frost kept off, which we had been warned would deter the birds…

The latest exhibition at the Geltsdale Gallery features a series of new works from Penrith-based artist Dani Cook. Dani’s exhibition features magnificent birds of prey, such as red kites, that have returned from the brink of extinction, together with more common species.

Dani developed her love of birds whilst growing up in the Lake District, where it was only natural to be fascinated by birds. Dani was also…

Black grouse are being recorded more regularly, but are still difficult to see. A few have been seen near the office at Stagsike Cottages over the last few days feeding on hawthorn berries.

Visible migration is still happening, hundreds of fieldfares, redwings and woodpigeons have been flying over west. The thrushes can be seen from the trails, feeding on hawthorn berries too. Most of the goose passage is now over,…

Autumn migration is in full swing here, but westerly gales yesterday didn’t bring anything unusual that has been found yet. Pink-footed geese skeins have been seen today, heading west, barnacle geese should be going over soon. There has been an increase in the number of wigeon and teal on Tindale Tarn over the last week and numbers will start to increase as more wildfowl return.  No sign of redwings and fieldfar…

Geltsdale Gallery is hosting an exciting and thought provoking exhibition by Frances and Carolyn Marr. 

The exhibition can be viewed seven days a week between 9:00am until 5:00pm until 28th November.

Artists Frances and Carolyn Marr have worked with clay and a variety of locally-found materials to create this series of artworks.

Their starting point is lines in the landscape. These lines may be natural, human-made…

Here is just some of the excellent work produced at our Textile Workshop on Saturday.  This was the second of two workshops hosted by Helen Walsh a Textile Artist based in Carlisle.  Helen will be exhibiting her work at the Geltsdale Gallery next year.

Wet weather in June is not good for many species with young in the nest, small naked chicks can chill easily while parents are off finding food. Some species may fair better than others, wet weather will be better for birds looking for earthworms, such as ring ouzel.The RSPB Conservation Science Research Assistant on the Ring Ouzel Trial Management Project found a ring ouzel nest with week old young on the reserve yesterday…

After a long dry spell of weather, we are now in a spell of wet and windy weather due to a series of North Atlantic depressions. This is not good news for many of our nesting birds, chicks are prone to chilling in this weather. However many of our lapwings have fledged.

Curlew chicks have still a bit to go, but their parents can be seen alarm calling as you walk around the trails.

Short-eared owls have had a good…

RSPB Geltsdale is delighted to exhibit work by members of Eden Valley Artistic Network. The work on show is by six artists and features paintings, photography and jewellery.  The exhibition is open daily 9:00am to 5:00pm until Sunday 11^th June.

Eden Valley Artistic Network aims to bring art to venues based in the North Lakes and Eden Valley. Formed from the concept that an artistic network should be friendly,…

On Thursday 9th February, RSPB and Border Astronomical Society members turned out on a cold and breezy evening to catch a glimpse of the stars.  The night was overcast but offered glimpses of the moon.  The photograph shows the large 10 inch diameter telescope used during the evening.  Many thanks to the Border Astronomical Society for their interesting presentations and the use of their equipment.

If you have not had the opportunity to visit Helen Walsh's exhibition "As the Crow Flies" you still have time.   Exhibition ongoing until  25th February.  Our Information Centre and Gallery is open 7 days per week between 9:00am to 5:00pm.

RSPB Geltsdale is delighted to host an exhibition by Helen Walsh an Artist and Creative Practitioner who lives and works in Cumbria.

Helen specialises in drawing and textiles, in particular delicate stitch work. She is fascinated by the natural world and our connection to it.  Birds (especially the crow family) and feathers have become an important element in her work.

Choosing to work predominantly with natural…

After a gap of 10 years we have a hen harrier nest on the reserve. The male is a first-year bird and is mainly brown with a few grey feathers coming through, as can be seen in Adam Moan’s photo.

The pair only got down to nesting very late and experienced some cold weather during incubation. From the five eggs laid only one chick has hatched, which is now about two weeks old.

Supplementary food is being put out…

RSPB Geltsdale is delighted to host Christina Hargraves current exhibition ‘Meadows’ at the Geltsdale Gallery.

Christina has a deep love of the countryside and draws her inspiration from the beautiful surroundings of Lanercost, near Brampton, where she lives.

Christina grew on a farm in near Allendale, in the North Pennines.

She remembers working in the hayfield and just needs to smell a newly mown hayfield…

The sun shone brightly on St Bede's Year 2 pupils as they joined our education volunteers to learn about wildflowers, bird watching and mini-beasts.  We look forward to seeing St Bede's again next summer.

Year 5 pupils from St Bede's Primary School Carlisle, braved the mist and rain to learn about Geltsdale's moorland habit and the birds, plants and animals that live there.  They were rewarded with pleasant sunshine, bird watching and habitat themed games in the afternoon.  We look forward to seeing year 2 pupils next month.

RSPB Geltsdale is hosting a new exhibition ‘Sacred Land’ by local artist Robin Oliver.

Robin takes his inspiration from his native Cumberland the place where he was born. His images, often using mixed media, represent his slow and gentle evolution as an artist.  

This latest exhibition shows some of Robin’s lesser known images and new work, some which have been created specifically for display within…

Migrants arriving all the time now, the first Swift and Whinchat was seen today in the Gelt Valley. Also there were 190 Golden Plover in one flock, these dark faced birds were almost certainly stopping over on their way further north.

Grasshopper Warblers were heard yesterday, Common Sandpiper, Redstart, Pied Flycatcher and Tree Pipit have been present since the weekend. Willow Warblers (like this singing bird here)