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Wildlife at Lands End
From otters to bluebells ....
Whether you are an avid twitcher, a budding botanist or just enjoy seeing animals and plants in the wild, Rusland Valley is a perfect place to spot a huge variety of birds, mammals, plants, funghi and insects. With woodland, pasture, open tarn, fen, raised bog, riverbank and fell; such a diverse range of habitats, in such a relatively small area, leads to an equally diverse and varied range of flora and fauna
Mammals
Red Deer have roamed the Furness Fells since time immemorial, but are now vulnerable to man’s pressures and the valley provides them with a safe haven. Large groups gather at certain times of the year, particularly during the rut and they can often be seen on the edges of the Moss, or grazing the adjacent pastures. Roe Deer, Fox, Badger, Otter, Stoat, Weasel, Brown Hare and many small rodents can all be found on the valley and occasional visit the garden and meadow.
Several Species of Bats can be seen in large numbers through the summer months, coming from their roosts under the slates of the buildings at dusk, or hunting in the woods and over the tarn.
Birds
Bird Species in and around Lands End are numerous and include Common Buzzard, Sparrow Hawk, Kestrel, Red Kite, Merlin, Hen Harrier, Barn Owl, Tawny Owl, Green Woodpecker, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Nuthatch, Treecreeper, Mistle Thrush, Song Thrush, Redstart, Redpoll, Crossbill, Stonechat, Snipe, Curlew and Woodcock. Bullfinchs amongst others nested here this year and a pair of Hawfinch's were regular visitors to the bird table. Honey buzzards are known to be in the area and Ospreys can occasionally be sighted, with more certain sightings to be had at their nesting site in Esthwaite just over the head of the valley. Summer visitors to the valley include, Swallow, House Martin, Pied Flycatcher, Spotted Flycatcher, Willow, Garden and Marsh Warbler and Chiffchaff, to name but a few. The variety of habitats also enables Buntings, Pipits, Titmice and Finches to flourish.
Wildflowers
Wildflowers are profuse, and those of the woodlands and the Fen, Lagg and Mosses are of particular interest to botanists. Large clumps of Royal Fern thrive on the Lagg, a variety of mosses and lichens colonise almost every available surface, and a profusion of fungi put on a fabulous display in late summer and autumn. For the more casual observer the vast carpet of bluebells in the spring is a marvellous sight whilst the autumn colours are spectacular.
