WALK ON THE WILD SIDE

While a swallow heralds the arrival of spring and summer for many, here in the Peak District it’s perhaps the mysterious ‘mountain blackbird’ – the ring ouzel instead.

As its nickname suggests, the ring ouzel is similar in size and shape to the garden blackbird, but this rare visitor from Africa also boasts a moon-shaped chest patch and silvery-edged wings. Sometimes arriving in late March when snow can still dust the uplands, the male birds cut through the icy air with a song that gives away their presence; before they make a home in rocky crags for the summer.

Where: try the gritstone crags of Stanage Edge, Burbage and the Eastern Moors from March until September.

Where woods and uplands give way to tumbling streams or calmer waters, it’s worth looking out for the dipper – a quintessential riverside dweller than you won’t find anywhere away from the water’s edge.

Dressed in a dapper black and white suit, dippers can often be seen perched on mid-stream boulders, diving into the bubbles below or flying torpedo-like just above the water’s surface as they travel along their territory.

Where: almost all fast-flowing and many calmer streams and rivers throughout the Peak District, sometimes even in the heart of towns and villages.

o er the soundtrack to spring in

As shorter days in autumn start to turn the landscape rusty red and bronze, an unearthly bellowing their deepest, a rich aroma also permeates the woods

On their very own ‘stag do’ male red deer signal the end of summer by ‘bolving’ to show o their prowess in anticipation of a harem of female deer for the following season. Best enjoyed from a distance and away from the immediate action.

Where: red deer are most often seen on the Eastern Moors near She eld, but deer of several species such as roe and fallow deer live throughout the Peak District and may be spotted almost anywhere despite their secretive nature.

For those venturing up onto the Peak District moorlands in the colder months, the e ort may be rewarded with a glimpse of the mountain hare.

The exclusively Peak District population, E ngland’s only mountain hares, fluctuate in numbers but can sometimes be seen scampering across the heather as their brown summer coat turns white for winter.

Where: almost anywhere in the high uplands across the Dark Peak in the northern Peak District, with those of the Upper Derwent Valley closest to She eld.

The Peak District In Miniature

Whatever the season, a trip to Stanage North Lees has something to o er. The estate’s woodlands come alive with bluebells in spring, whilst over 200 nesting boxes play host to pied flycatchers and redstarts. The rocky crags of Stanage Edge are a stronghold for the ring ouzel, and birds of prey make good use of the daily breeze and summer thermals.

In the moors beyond, curlews echo amongst the clouds and lapwings see o would be nest invaders with their space age-like call.

A little lower in the valley and the meadows surrounding North Lees Hall buzz with bees, butterflies and other important pollinators, whilst the dry stone walls below the Edge create a staging post for wheatears and pipits.

Nature On Your Doorstep

Newly opened after a stunning restoration in 2022, Cattis Side Cottage near Hathersage is now a firm favourite with wildlife watchers, families and dog owners, with bookings available throughout the year.

The cottage is perfectly placed just minutes away from some of the best walks and wild encounters in the Peak District.

If it’s a first just a taste of the area you’re looking for, then North Lees Campsite with its tent pitches, pods and campervan options also o ers a great way to immerse yourself in the area for the first time. Private AirB&B rentals are also available at the adjacent North Lees Hall.

KNOW - STANAGENORTH LEES:

Car Parks: S32 1BR, What3Words/// - fully.ladder. being, answer.fruit.behind

Toilets (public): S32 1BR ‘The Dale’, /// - paper.editor.dishes

Campsite & North Lees Hall (private): S32 1DY ‘Birley Lane’, /// - into.solve.shadow

Cattiside Cottage (pictured above): bookings at holidaycottages.co.uk

CAN YOU HELP?

Stanage North Lees is an internationally important landscape with a diverse range of habitats.

It’s also one of the most popular areas of the Peak District National Park –enjoyed by walkers, climbers, runners and riders.

Thanks to Peak Running’s Run for the Birds event in 2022, alongside our wider fundraising, we’ve supported woodland restructuring and restoration at Stanage North Lees to improve feeding and nesting opportunities for redlist bird species.

This has included creating glades within the woodlands, opening up the tree canopy to improve the growth of trees and shrubs and giving potential veteran trees the space to grow.

Our support is also helping to care for pathways and improve access and interpretation to help visitors enjoy this special place.

peakdistrictfoundation.org.uk