Natural World

THE North-East is a fabulous place to watch wildlife. Here are just some of the many species that thrive in its wild, and not so wild, areas – and where to find them.1- Leading the way are the comeback kings – otters. Having been driven to the brink of extinction by pesticides in the 1950s, they have battled back and are now present on all the region’s main rivers and have even been spotted beneath the Tyne Bridge and in the middle of Durham.2- The region is also home to one of the more secretive mammals.There are those who argue that the pine marten is extinct in northern England, but repeated sightings in the hills of Northumberland, reports from Hamsterley Forest, County Durham, and rumours from east Cleveland would seem to discount the theory.3- They have been absent for years, but there is now talk of polecats returning as well. Reputedly, polecats were released in Cumbria some years ago and now the creatures are heading east over the Pennines.4- For many years, it was said that the harvest mouse was missing from the region, but recent reports, some from farmland around Darlington, suggest they are clinging on.5- The seals of Seal Sands, Teesside, are celebrated as a colony that re-established itself after being driven away by man’s disturbance a century ago. Now, there are about 70 seals and the number of pups is rising year on year.6- The region has a strong population of badgers – despite the actions of baiters.7- The North- East countryside is home to various species of deer, including wild roe deer and there are red and fallow deer at Raby Castle, Staindrop, County Durham.8- The Farne Islands, off Seahouses, Northumberland, are home to internationally-important colonies of breeding sea birds, puffins included, and a large colony of seals. Also along the North-East coast, St Mary’s and Coquet Islands are other important bird breeding areas.9- Darlington is one of the strongholds for the water vole, a creature believed to be on the brink of extinction in many areas due to loss of riverbank habitats.10- Another alien invader is making inroads. Having escaped from ornamental parks many years ago, muntjac, a form of small Asian deer, thrive in pockets across the region.Trouble is, they love bluebells and have voracious appetites.11- Listed as among Britain’s most endangered mammals, red squirrel hang on in the woodlands of north Durham and Northumberland.12- Brown hare are still a common site in some farmland areas in the region, including around Darlington and in Northumberland.13- The unique and ancient Chillingham Cattle herd can be found in the Chillingham area of Northumberland.14- Keep an eye out for several species of bats, including Daubenton’s, to be found swooping low along riverbanks on summer nights.15- There are six species of amphibians native to Britain and at least five of them occur in the North-East, including the common frog, the common toad, the smooth newt and the palmate newt.16- The fifth amphibian species is the great crested newt, which is endangered in many areas, but thrives in the waterways around towns including Darlington.17- Of the six native species of reptile in Britain, four can be found in the North-East, including the grass snake, the adder, the slow worm and the common lizard.18- One of the North-East’s most important butterflies is the Durham Argus, to be found on areas of rockrose plant. They are one of many species which rely on the rich, and precious, Durham magnesian grasslands for their habitats.19- There are increasing numbers of butterfly species heading north as warmer climates encourage their movement; look out for the likes of the hairstreaks and the comma.20- There is a population of rare green hairstreak butterflies on Hedleyhope Fell, the Durham Wildlife Trust nature reserve, near Tow Law, County Durham.21- Greyling butterflies are still pretty rare in North-East England, but can be found on a number of old industrial sites, including those on Teesside.22- All sorts of dragonflies are found in the region, including the spectacular Emperor, found at sites including Rainton Meadows, near Houghton-le-Spring, Wearside.23- The region has rich flora: look for the rare black poplar tree, subject of a rescue plan in Darlington, and various species of orchids, including the bee orchid, colonies of which can be found as far afield as Hartlepool and Washington.24- One of the most celebrated birds in the North-East is the red kite, which was recently reintroduced on Tyneside and is now recolonising following an absence of many years.25- In the 1950s, buzzards nearly died out due to pesticides. Today, they can be found across the region.26- Also forced to the brink of extinction was the peregrine falcon, but it, too, is back and spreading.27- The merlin, the country’s smallest bird of prey, can be found breeding in Northumberland.28- Hen harriers have been driven towards extinction by illegal persecution, but breeding attempts do still happen at isolated sites in the North Pennines.29- Hugging the high hills, the raven can be found among the crags and peaks of the North Pennines.30- Avocets, once a rare bird, bred in the region last year for the first time in many years. The wildfowl park at Washington, Wearside, was the lucky location.31- Teesmouth is one of the world’s best sites for seabirds as varied as common and little terns and egrets, many of them stopping off on long journeys.32- Several years ago, the bird world was stunned when two exotic bee-eaters successfully bred in Middleham Quarry, County Durham. They have not been back.33- The North Pennines are home to endangered species of bird, including lapwings and golden plover.34- The black grouse is fighting back to health, the ancient bird now being seen in increasing numbers in the North Pennines.35- Kingfishers are thriving on the rivers of the North-East.36- The seas of the North-East coast are increasingly witnessing reports of shark species, including porbeagles. The occasional basking shark is reported as well.37- Whales, including the minke and killer, as well as porpoises and dolphins, are regularly reported off the region’s coast.38- The waters of the North-East are also on the route for ocean-going turtles, which are occasionally entangled in fishermen’s nets.39- The salmon has made a spectacular return to the great North-East rivers, including the Tyne, the Wear and the Tees.40- Some rivers are home to the banded demoiselle, a damselfly that is among the North’s rarest insects.41There are also populations of lampreys in North-East rivers, the fish species being among one of the least understood of all in the natural world.42- The native white-clawed crayfish hangs on to life in some NorthEast waterways, although it is under attack from the introduced American Signal crayfish, which is larger, more aggressive and carries a virus deadly to the native version.43- The Northumberland hills are one of the places to visit to view the North-East’s varied wildlife species.44- The Malton nature reserve, near Consett, County Durham, is home to very rare species of spider.45- The Teesdale hills, in County Durham, support rare colonies of flowers, including gentians and other Alpine species.46- Hamsterley Forest, between Teesdale and Weardale, is worth a visit to catch a glimpse of species, including deer and the bird of prey, the goshawk.47- There is a thriving movement to preserve the wildlife of the North in cemeteries; worth starting with St Oswald’s Church, in Durham. Darlington’s West End cemetery has a bewildering array of mosses and lichens.48- The Saltholme nature reserve is being created on Teesside where the RSPB and the Teesside Environmental Trust are working together to transform 1,000 acres of former industrial land.49- No wildlife round-up would be complete without mention of the exotics and, in particular, the oft-sighted Durham Puma. There are also occasional reports of escaped wild boar in the Northern countryside, rumours of a wolverine loose on the northern hills and of wallabies in Teesdale and near Newcastle Airport.50- If you want to see some of the most exotic plants in the world, it is worth heading to the Botanic Gardens, Durham. Simply, blooming marvellous.

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