Birds, mammals, insects, amphibians and flora - Northumberland
is singularly rich in wildlife owing the the widely contrasting
nature of the terrain. It is a large county, extending from the
wild moors of the North and West of the county, through rich
agricultural land, to the cliffs, dunes and salt marshes of its
spectacular coastline.
Whatever your interest in wildlife, Northumberland has
something to offer.
Bird-watching
Northumberland cottage is only minutes from the
Northumberland Coast, so right on the doorstep you may see:
Auks, Shearwaters, Skuas, Various Gulls and Terns,
Buff breasted waders, Sandpipers, Stints, Geese, Ducks,
and even Kingfishers.
Hides and observation points are available at several
locations up and down the coastline.
From Amble
you can take a boat trip to Coquet
Island Bird Sanctuary to view Puffins, Eider ducks and
Arctic terns, not to mention the Seals. You may even glimpse
the rare Roseate tern. Due to the seasonal migratory nature
of many species, of course, sightings cannot be guaranteed.
Red Squirrels
The increasingly rare native red squirrel can still be
found near Northumberland Cottage.
The immigrant American grey squirrel carries a virus to
which it is immune itself, but which is deadly to the native
red. Consequently, large areas of Britain have been
colonised by grey squirrels, at the cost of eliminating
populations of reds.
Pockets of red squirrels remain, mostly in Scotland, but
Northumberland is one of the few areas of England in which
red squirrels still struggle on.
Measures to preserve reds are contentious in that they
frequently involve the trapping and culling of populations
of greys.
After many years of being hunted almost to extinction, the otter population of Northumberland is now well into recovery. Improvements over the last few years in water quality have led to an increase in fish population, which in turn allows otters to thrive. On the banks of many Northumbrian rivers, you may find traces of otter populations, but to actually catch a glimpse of this elusive and shy cretaure, you will need infinite patience, or a great deal of luck.
In the south of the county, otters are on the increase on the river Blyth at Plessey Woods
Country Park, and in the north of the county, on the river Till.
Otters are also known to be near the coast at Creswell and
Druridge Bay, both a short drive from Northumberland
Cottage.
