After organising the black grouse co-ordinated lek count this morning, Ian Ryding (Farmland Warden) was on the way back to the office when he found a little egret near Tindale Tarn.

Record shot of the little egret on Stagsike Meadow (Adam Moan)

The bird flew onto the meadow in front of the office and was feeding for a short while before flying off at height. This was the 200^th bird species to be seen on the reserve…

The new exhibition at Geltsdale Visitor Centre features the work of London based illustrator Phil Hayes. Inspired by childhood books and charts, he presents a series of pen and ink portraits of British birds.  

Working in black and white, and with little or no attention paid to background details, the work focuses on the subject matter itself; the form, shape and pattern of a particular species. These detailed and sometimes…

RSPB Geltsdale would like to acknowledge the dedicated work of local resident Jim Penton, who died on 24th December 2014 at the age of 94. 

Jim, a retired Army Major, collected weather data for the Environment Agency since 1st January 1990, which he kindly passed on to the reserve for our records. 

Jim’s service of thanks giving was held at Lanercost Priory on Wednesday January 7th, by the Reverend Dr Rod Allon-Smith, followed…

A late Ring Ouzel was found and photographed by Adam Moan near Tindale Tarn on Sunday. This is the latest ever record for the reserve, although we have had November records of this summer visitor before. The bird in the photo was with Fieldfares, there are thousands on the reserve at the moment, mainly feeding on hawthorn berries. There are also Redwings in some of the flocks and a few Lesser Redpolls. Good numbers of…

If finches were last month’s birds, this month is of the thrushes. Earlier in the week, mixed flocks could be seen passing through the reserve in number - groups of 10’s to 100’s of Fieldfare, Redwing and Starling. On the 6^th, hundreds of Fieldfare stopped off to feed - erupting from the vegetation as you pass, swooping around in every direction. A more secretive thrush has been spotted about the…

The Gallery at RSPB Geltsdale will feature a new exhibition from 25th October, showing original artwork by Barry Robson from the children’s wildlife books ‘Kitty the Toon’ and ‘Screamer the Swift’.

Local author and naturalist John Miles has teamed up with illustrator Barry Robson to create a series of children’s books which explore the lives of British birds.

The Alston Wildife Group visited Geltsdale on Saturday to see the visible migration in action over the visitor centre at Stagsike (photo - Fiona Knox). We are in the Tyne Gap, a recognised low level route for birds crossing the country. The hill to the south of the visitor centre act as a barrier concentrating the movement of birds over the garden. The weather was perfect that morning with a light westerly wind, there…

Following on from the success of our event at the beginning of the year, the Border Astronomical Society will be hosting a second sky watch event at RSPB Geltsdale. Both society members and the general public are welcome to attend.

If cloud obscures or restricts the viewing on the night a presentation will be used to illustrate what is visible in the sky at the time of year.

Participants are advised to wear warm clothing…

Despite a quiet night for bats last night, a male Natterer’s bat, ringed at a limekiln on the reserve September 2013, was caught again last night at the same site. This is our first bat to be ‘re-trapped’ as part of this licensed, volunteer project looking at how bats use our archaeological structures. Noctule, brown long-eared bat, common and soprano pipistrelle bats were also in the area last night…

The spectacle of over a thousand barnacle geese has been seen over the reserve, both today and yesterday. At least 300 landed on the reserve at Tindale Tarn yesterday lunchtime. Thousands of these geese were seen on the north-east coast yesterday morning and were then heading over the reserve to the Solway for the winter. A small group of pink-footed geese were seen flying over south west yesterday and today 30 greylag…

A call to all photographers, do you have any photographs of Geltsdale in the past and if so would you be willing to send a copy of your photographs to the reserve for our records?

The wardens at Geltsdale would like to compare the changes that have taken place to the landscape and your old photographs could help.  Photographs can be posted or emailed to the reserve.  Send photographs, or request our address details at geltsdale…

On Saturday 4th October, RSPB Site Manager Stephen Westerberg and John Errington of Tarnhouse Farm will lead small groups on a unique tour behind the scenes of a farm that has to constantly balance the needs of the ecological system of the upland landscape and the day to day practicalities of running a farm. As well as demonstrating some hands on techniques, they will lead discussion and tell stories of their shared…

The Geltsdale Gallery are currently showing a collection of works in pastel and watercolour by local sculptor and painter Hugh Clarke. 

Hugh lives alongside one of the many visitor trails on the reserve, and Geltsdale's big skies, wooded valleys and wide open spaces act as an inspiration and catalyst for his work.  The paintings in his current exhibition show a selection of landscapes illustrating local view points.

The…

With a disappointing forecast, strong winds and stormy skies, Belinda Lloyd, Assistant Farmland Warden and Jill Jones, Reserve Administrator set off to woman a stall at the Gilsland Show, supported by Ness and Bonnie the dog.

After the ordeal of setting up the gazebo in storm force winds, the team prepared themselves to receive the public and create a work of art, a “willow sheep”. The members of the public bravely…

Geltsdale volunteers Amanda and Martin have returned for a fourth year to continue their amazing work monitoring and ringing our whinchat population on the reserve.

This spring/summer they have identified provisionally 81 territories (singing males) with at least 50 of those territories occupied by pairs. 54 colour ringed birds have returned to the reserve from 2012 and/or 2013. The oldest colour-ringed male has had…

Come and join RSPB Geltsdale for an afternoon of family fun at Hallbankgate Primary School on Saturday 12th July.

The RSPB's Skydancer project has just been nominated for a National Lottery Award!

Skydancer is just one of seven projects in the running for Best Education Project, selected from more than 750 applications.

Winning would mean gaining national media attention for the plight of the hen harrier, as the award ceremony will be televised at primetime on BBC One in September! There's also a £2,000 prize which would go…

On Wednesday 7th May 33 pupils from Castle Carrock School visited RSPB Geltsdale as part of a storytelling project “Tales of the Forgotten North”. The visit was led by Chris Bostock (storyteller, A Bit Crack) and Paul Frodsham (archaeologist, ANOB).

On Wednesday 25^th at 7pm, Chris Bostock, Paul Frodsham and the children of Castle Carrock School will present their tale at Castle Carrock Village Hall, together…

RSPB Scotland Research Assistant, Davide Scridel, has gone south this summer to search for ring ouzels in the North Pennines at RSPB Geltsdale.   To find out more about his work with this elusive species click on the link below.

http://www.rspb.org.uk/community/ourwork/b/scotland/archive/2014/06/12/a-record-breaking-giant-tortoise-in-cumbria.aspx

Visitors on Geltsdale’s Owl Evening (29th May) enjoyed a fine display of Short-eared Owl activity. Several birds emerged from their roost; allowing visitors to enjoy close up views of birds hunting over the heather in their acrobatic style. We were even treated to the marvellous aerial display of a territorial dispute.

Good views of lekking Black Grouse, Whinchat and Stonechat were also observed; whilst the Cuckoo…

The Photoworks produced for this exhibition were all created in and around the fells and hills of the North Cumbrian Pennines.

The work is constructed with objects found at the site, with the finished piece produced and photographed during the process. The object at the centre of the work is placed where it is found and dictates how the piece is made and photographed. Other objects found close by are added or removed…

Wardens at RSPB Geltsdale are celebrating this spring as the number of lekking black grouse rises from 27 to a whopping all-time high of 50, following a successful breeding year in 2013. 

Black grouse males gather at traditional open spaces to perform their flamboyant displays, called 'leks', peaking in April to May, and mainly in the early morning or at dusk. The females, known as grey hens, select a mate, and afterwards…

RSPB Geltsdale is offering amateur and professional photographers a unique opportunity to get close to the reserve’s breeding waders.

A photographic hide will be available for hire for a total of ten two hour sessions, between 12^th and 27^th April 2014. The hide can take up to a maximum of two people per session and will be exclusively for the use of the person making the booking.

The fee is £40 per session with…

TWO new hedgehog hotels have appeared in upper Teesdale this week thanks to RSPB Geltsdale and Denton Woodcraft.

They are located at  the Forest of Teesdale Primary School and AONB’s Bowlees Visitor Centre and means families of hedgehogs will now have a better chance of getting through tough winters in cosy new winter homes.

Children at the school will add their hotel to their growing nature garden and…

A peregrin falcon called into Geltsdale this morning and relaxed for about 30 minutes washing and preening itself in one of the scrapes opposite the reserve office.  The photo above was taken by Ian Ryding, Farmland Warden, with a camera held to the eyepiece of a scope.