# Birding in Cumbria: sites, seasons and what's flying now Cumbria has the only seabird cliffs in the north west, around 30,000 geese on the Solway and ospreys you can actually watch. It also has weather. Here's where to go and when, from a Stanwix family with two small kids and one pair of binoculars. Updated Tuesday 29 September 2026. Section overview: https://fellandfamily.co.uk/birding.html Pages in this section: Overview https://fellandfamily.co.uk/birding.html; Where to go https://fellandfamily.co.uk/birding/sites.html; The birds https://fellandfamily.co.uk/birding/birds.html; Ospreys https://fellandfamily.co.uk/birding/ospreys.html ## The short answer Cumbria's best birdwatching splits between the coast and the hills. RSPB St Bees Head has the region's only seabird cliffs, with guillemots, razorbills, kittiwakes, a few puffins and England's only black guillemots from April to early July, while the Solway saltmarshes at Campfield Marsh, Burgh Marsh and Moricambe Bay hold around 30,000 barnacle geese, whooper swans and big wader roosts from October to March. Ospreys are watched from the viewing platform at Foulshaw Moss near Witherslack from late March to the end of August, and in 2026 a pair at RSPB Campfield Marsh became the first to breed on an RSPB reserve in England. RSPB Geltsdale near Brampton is the place for hen harrier and black grouse in April and May, and South Walney, Humphrey Head and Arnside on Morecambe Bay give the huge wader roosts in the two hours before high tide from September to March. Cumbria is the only county I know where you could watch 30,000 geese lift off a saltmarsh before breakfast and hear a wood warbler in an oakwood by lunch, though I've never managed both because someone always needs a wee. The Solway takes virtually the whole Svalbard barnacle goose population every winter, Morecambe Bay is the UK's most important estuary for wintering waders, and between them there are 90 metre seabird cliffs at St Bees, bogs with ospreys over them and oakwoods full of pied flycatchers for six weeks a year. Now the honest bit. It rains. The oakwood birds sing on calm early mornings in May and you can't order those. Midges arrive around July. The Solway coast road at Bowness, Anthorn and Burgh goes under on the biggest tides. Two things people still turn up expecting: the Dodd Wood osprey viewpoints, wound up in 2022 after the birds moved to a nest you can't see from there, and the Haweswater golden eagle, last seen in November 2015. He's gone. So, this page. The month strip says what's flying now. The site finder has all 38 places on a map, filters for area, habitat and bird, and sorts by distance from where you're stood. The species gallery has 61 birds with a tick box each, and the ticks stay on your phone. Check the tide before the coast and the cam before the ospreys. ## Month by month ### January: Geese, swans and wader roosts on the Solway The coldest month and the best on the Solway: barnacle geese at Burgh and Drumburgh, whooper swans behind Moricambe Bay, waders packed onto the Campfield saltmarsh. Dress for wind off the firth. Look for: Barnacle goose, Whooper swan, Pink-footed goose, Knot, Oystercatcher, Goosander, Hen harrier, Bittern. Best sites: burgh-marsh-and-drumburgh, anthorn-cardurnock-moricambe-bay, rspb-campfield-marsh, humphrey-head, siddick-ponds. ### February: Ravens tumble, geese linger, murmurations end Ravens already tumbling over the crags, dippers singing on the becks. The geese stay put, Whinlatter's feeders are busy, and the Leighton Moss murmurations stop this month. Expect mud. Look for: Raven, Barnacle goose, Whooper swan, Starling (murmuration), Dipper, Great spotted woodpecker, Siskin, Crossbill. Best sites: whinlatter-forest, burgh-marsh-and-drumburgh, river-eden-wetheral-armathwaite, rspb-leighton-moss. ### March: Ospreys return and the first migrants arrive The month it turns: ospreys back at Foulshaw and Bassenthwaite in the last week, sand martins over the lakes, ring ouzels on the fells. Whoopers start leaving; snow and sun in an afternoon. Look for: Osprey, Sand martin, Whooper swan, Ring ouzel, Goosander, Dipper, Red grouse, Curlew. Best sites: foulshaw-moss, bassenthwaite-lake-nnr, anthorn-cardurnock-moricambe-bay, wreay-woods, rspb-geltsdale. ### April: Migrants flood in and seabirds settle on St Bees Flycatchers, redstarts and cuckoos hit the oakwoods mid month, curlews display over Geltsdale, the St Bees ledges fill with auks. The barnacle geese leave at month end; do both in a day. Look for: Pied flycatcher, Redstart, Cuckoo, Ring ouzel, Guillemot, Kittiwake, Barnacle goose, Lapwing, Curlew. Best sites: rspb-st-bees-head, borrowdale-oakwoods-derwentwater, rspb-haweswater, rspb-geltsdale, rspb-campfield-marsh. ### May: The peak month: oakwoods, seabird cliffs, skuas Peak month, no argument: the full oakwood set, hen harriers sky dancing over Geltsdale, terns at Hodbarrow, puffins at St Bees, skuas off Bowness. Light till after 9pm, no midges yet. Look for: Wood warbler, Pied flycatcher, Cuckoo, Hen harrier, Black grouse, Puffin, Little tern, Tree pipit, Ring ouzel. Best sites: rspb-st-bees-head, borrowdale-oakwoods-derwentwater, rspb-hodbarrow, bowness-on-solway-and-port-carlisle, rspb-geltsdale. ### June: Long days, chicks everywhere, ospreys feeding young Osprey chicks hatch early in the month and the adults hunt hardest from now till August. Eider ducklings off Walney, swifts over the towns, woodland song fading by month end. Go early. Look for: Osprey, Puffin, Guillemot, Eider, Little tern, Sandwich tern, Swift, Redstart, Dipper. Best sites: foulshaw-moss, rspb-st-bees-head, rspb-hodbarrow, south-walney, dodd-wood-bassenthwaite-ospreys. ### July: Seabird cliffs empty as young fledge Young fulmars leap from the St Bees ledges and the auks are gone by month end, so go early in the month. Humid, midgy, busiest car parks of the year. Look for: Fulmar, Razorbill, Osprey, Common tern, Swift, House martin, Peregrine, Grey wagtail. Best sites: rspb-st-bees-head, foulshaw-moss, rspb-hodbarrow, borrowdale-oakwoods-derwentwater. ### August: Waders return and the ospreys prepare to leave Last month for ospreys: they leave Bassenthwaite mid to late August and Foulshaw around the turn of September. Waders build on the estuaries; onshore winds push the first shearwaters past Walney. Look for: Osprey, Dunlin, Knot, Redshank, Oystercatcher, Sandwich tern, Curlew, Golden plover. Best sites: south-walney, foulshaw-moss, sandscale-haws, rspb-campfield-marsh, arnside-kent-estuary. ### September: Pink-feet arrive and Walney seawatching peaks The first pink-footed geese reach the Solway towards month end, the roosts swell and Walney logs shearwaters and petrels after westerly gales. Warblers drop into the Grune Point hedges. Settled and quiet. Look for: Pink-footed goose, Knot, Dunlin, Golden plover, Redshank, House martin, Sand martin, Short-eared owl. Best sites: south-walney, rspb-campfield-marsh, grune-point, anthorn-cardurnock-moricambe-bay. ### October: Whooper swans and geese pour onto the Solway Whooper swans arrive in the first half of the month and the barnacle geese are back, mostly on the Scottish side at first. Bearded tits on the Leighton Moss grit trays. Wet. Look for: Whooper swan, Barnacle goose, Pink-footed goose, Bearded tit, Red-breasted merganser, Twite, Hen harrier, Knot. Best sites: anthorn-cardurnock-moricambe-bay, rspb-campfield-marsh, grune-point, rspb-leighton-moss, tindale-tarn. ### November: Murmurations begin and snow buntings reach the shingle Starlings gather at dusk, snow buntings on the Grune Point shingle, twite on the saltmarsh, winter ducks filling Siddick Ponds. Dark by 4.30pm: estuary in the morning, roost in the afternoon. Look for: Starling (murmuration), Snow bunting, Twite, Whooper swan, Bittern, Hen harrier, Goosander, Barn owl. Best sites: grune-point, south-walney, siddick-ponds, rspb-leighton-moss, foulshaw-moss. ### December: Short days, big tides, geese at their peak Barnacle geese move onto the Cumbrian marshes, whoopers fly in for the Caerlaverock feeds, and the biggest tides pack Morecambe Bay's 240,000 waterbirds into roosts at Humphrey Head. Seven hours of light. Look for: Barnacle goose, Whooper swan, Knot, Oystercatcher, Dunlin, Peregrine, Barn owl, Lapwing. Best sites: burgh-marsh-and-drumburgh, rspb-campfield-marsh, humphrey-head, arnside-kent-estuary, watchtree-nature-reserve. ## Where to go (https://fellandfamily.co.uk/birding/sites.html) ### RSPB Campfield Marsh (Bowness-on-Solway) Star species: Barnacle goose, Pink-footed goose, Whooper swan, Pintail, Wigeon, Lapwing. Best months: Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar. My pick for a first Solway trip: three hides, a flat 800 metre track, proper toilets, and fields heaving with wigeon and geese all winter. Ospreys nested here in 2026, an RSPB first for England. Tip: Scan the saltmarsh from the roadside around high tide, and check the tide table first because the coast road floods on the biggest tides. Access: Main entrance at North Plain Farm, 1.5 miles west of Bowness-on-Solway on the coast road. Reserve open 24 hours; visitor centre 10am to 3pm; Parking: Free. 25 spaces including 4 Blue Badge spaces at the visitor centre, plus Blue Badge spaces near the hide; Hides: Three hides, two overlooking the scrapes; one reached by a half mile (800 m) flat surfaced track from the car park; Toilets: Yes, single ground level accessible toilet with baby changing, open daily; Cafe: No cafe; self-service hot drinks in the visitor centre, picnic area opposite; Dogs: Welcome on public rights of way only, under close control; assistance dogs throughout; Step-free: Yes, 800 m flat surfaced track to the hide, suitable for wheelchairs and pushchairs; Cost: Free; Best time: October to March for wildfowl and geese; April to June for breeding waders; Tides: Watch the saltmarsh around high tide; some roads can flood on the highest tides Official page: https://www.rspb.org.uk/days-out/reserves/campfield-marsh ### Bowness-on-Solway shore and Port Carlisle (Bowness-on-Solway) Star species: Barnacle goose, Pink-footed goose, Greenshank, Black-tailed godwit, Bar-tailed godwit, Skuas on May passage. Best months: Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May. Roadside birding at the end of Hadrian's Wall Path: waders on the falling tide and the Cumbrian Solway's best spot for wintering greenshank at Port Carlisle. May brings a skua passage that gets birders twitchy. Tip: Arrive an hour or two before high tide and stay as the water drops; the small wall between Port Carlisle harbour and the caravan park lay-by is where waders feed first, and no toilets or cafe were verified in the village. Access: Roadside viewing from the village and from the pull-in by the railings east of Bowness; Port Carlisle harbour is on the same coast road to the east; Parking: Roadside lay-bys and pull-ins; verge parking at the CWT reserve entrance (do not block the farm track); Hides: None on the shore; the CWT reserve has a 1.4 km waymarked circular route with boardwalks and steps; Dogs: On a lead on the CWT reserve; Step-free: Roadside viewing is level; the CWT reserve has some wheelchair-suitable sections but also steps; Cost: Free (donations welcome at the CWT reserve); Best time: September to April for waders and geese; May for skuas; Tides: Best either side of high tide; roads can flood on the highest tides Official page: https://cumbriabirdclub.org.uk/where/solwayfirth ### Anthorn, Cardurnock and Moricambe Bay (Anthorn) Star species: Whooper swan, Pink-footed goose, Barnacle goose, Pintail, Golden plover, Knot. Best months: Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar. Where the Solway's whooper swans concentrate, plus a big high tide wader roost, watched from lay-bys on the coast road round the Cardurnock peninsula. No facilities, wide sands, bring a telescope. Tip: Come around high tide with a telescope, and check the tide table because the highest tides put the coast road under water. Access: Roadside viewing from lay-bys on the Bowness to Anthorn coast road; the Anthorn transmitter station itself is not open to the public; Parking: Lay-bys along the coast road; Hides: None; Step-free: Roadside viewing is level; Cost: Free; Best time: October to March around high tide; Tides: Best around high tide; roads may flood on the highest tides Official page: https://cumbriabirdclub.org.uk/where/solwayfirth ### Grune Point and Skinburness Marsh (Silloth) Star species: Whooper swan, Red-breasted merganser, Turnstone, Hen harrier, Skylark, Pink-footed goose. Best months: Apr, May, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb. A shingle spit north of Skinburness that Cumbria Bird Club rates for spring and autumn migrants, with whooper swans and sea duck in winter and snow buntings in November. Not one for the buggy. Tip: Spring and autumn mornings for grounded migrants; the marsh floods at high tide, so read the warning signs and park in Skinburness village or Silloth. Access: Park in Skinburness village and follow the Cumbria Coastal Path onto the marsh and the point; also an 8.5 km (5 mile) circular walk from the Solway Coast Discovery Centre in Silloth; Parking: Skinburness village or Silloth; Hides: None; Toilets: Listed as available by Solway Coast National Landscape; location not stated; Step-free: No; shingle, sand and saltmarsh paths; Cost: Free; Best time: Spring and autumn for migrants; winter for wildfowl and waders; Tides: Take care at high tide and watch the warning signs; the marsh floods Official page: https://www.solwaycoast-nl.org.uk/places-to-explore/nature/grune-point/ ### Burgh Marsh and Drumburgh (Burgh by Sands) Star species: Barnacle goose, Pink-footed goose, Whooper swan, Golden plover, Curlew, Peregrine. Best months: Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr. The barnacle goose spectacle, mostly doable from the car: several thousand feed east of Drumburgh from midwinter. If they don't show, the marsh path reaches the monument where Edward I died in 1307. Tip: Go two hours before high tide, watch from the raised banks on the Carlisle to Bowness road or the landward edge of the marsh because parts get cut off, and expect the geese on the Cumbrian side mainly from midwinter until late April. Access: Public footpath from Burgh by Sands across the marsh to the Edward I monument; roadside viewing along the Carlisle to Bowness road, including the raised banks at Drumburgh; Parking: Roadside lay-bys; free parking in Burgh by Sands village; Hides: None; Cafe: Pub in Burgh by Sands; Step-free: Roadside viewing is level; the marsh path is grass and can be wet; Cost: Free; Best time: October to April around high tide; Tides: The marsh floods on high tides and some areas can be cut off; watch the water Official page: http://solwaywetlands.org.uk/winter-birding-saltmarsh ### Siddick Ponds (Workington) Star species: Bittern, Whooper swan, Goldeneye, Pochard, Shoveler, Otter. Best months: Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun. A reedbed beside the Iggesund mill at Workington, and the Cumbrian site for bittern, with teal, goldeneye and pochard in winter. The hide is through the Iggesund site and needs a key from the gatehouse. Tip: A calm, cold winter morning is your best chance of a bittern at the reed edge; park free at Dunmail Park and allow time to collect the hide key from the Iggesund gatehouse. Access: Free access all year along the old mineral railway embankment (now a cycle path) from Dunmail Park next to Edgar's car showroom, off the A596 between Workington and Siddick; Parking: Free, in the Dunmail Park (Asda) car park; visitor parking at the Iggesund plant for the hide; Hides: One hide (the HUB, Hide for Unbelievable Birds), reached through the Iggesund Paperboard site; ask for the key at the gatehouse; Step-free: The embankment cycle path is a made surface; hide access not verified; Cost: Free; Best time: Winter for wildfowl and bittern Official page: https://cumberland.gov.uk/parks-culture-and-leisure/find-parks-and-public-gardens-near-you/siddick-ponds ### Workington harbour and the Derwent estuary (Workington) Star species: Purple sandpiper, Rock pipit. Best months: Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar. A quick urban stop for purple sandpiper and rock pipit on the breakwater rocks at the Derwent mouth, two birds you'll struggle to find elsewhere on this coast. Pair it with Siddick Ponds. Tip: Purple sandpipers are a late autumn to early spring bird here, so check the breakwater rocks around high tide; parking and toilets weren't verified, so treat it as a stop, not a day. Access: Public access to the harbour side and breakwater at the mouth of the River Derwent; Hides: None; Cost: Free; Best time: November to March around high tide; Tides: High tide pushes the waders onto the breakwater rocks Official page: https://www.birdguides.com/sites/europe/britain-ireland/britain/england/cumbria/workington/ ### RSPB St Bees Head (St Bees) Star species: Black guillemot, Guillemot, Razorbill, Kittiwake, Fulmar, Puffin. Best months: Apr, May, Jun, Jul. The seabird city: 90 metre cliffs with thousands of guillemots, razorbills, kittiwakes and fulmars from April to early July, a few puffins, and England's only black guillemots. Two steep miles up, no shade, no shop. Tip: Go in the morning for the light on the cliffs, and check the RSPB page first because the footpath towards Fleswick Bay was closed by landslips at the time of writing. Access: From St Bees village take Beach Road to the shore car park; cross the metal footbridge at the north end of the promenade and follow the coast path up the cliff. Viewpoints are 2 miles (3.2 km) from the car park; Parking: Council pay and display car park at St Bees shore (tarmac, no height restriction); Hides: Three viewing platforms on the North Head; Toilets: Council toilets at the shore car park; none on the reserve; Cafe: Small cafe in the car park (not RSPB, three steps to enter); none on the head; Dogs: On leads on public footpaths and bridleways; assistance dogs welcome throughout; Step-free: No; the path is steep and uneven with wet rock and loose debris, unsuitable for wheelchairs and pushchairs; Cost: Free entry; car park charge applies; Best time: April to early July Official page: https://www.rspb.org.uk/days-out/reserves/st-bees-head ### Drigg dunes and the Ravenglass estuary (Ravenglass) Star species: Ringed plover, Wheatear, Hen harrier, Goldeneye, Shelduck, Natterjack toad. Best months: Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb. Cumbria's biggest dune system behind the Ravenglass spit: ringed plover and wheatear breed, hen harrier and barn owl hunt, natterjacks in the pools. Walk from Ravenglass station to Drigg and train back. Tip: There's no beach access at high tide, so check the tables and walk out on the ebb; paths are muddy and a telescope helps for the far shore. Access: Footpaths and lanes from Drigg or Ravenglass; a 2.5 mile linear walk from Ravenglass station to Drigg beach with a train back. Ravenglass and Drigg both have stations on the Cumbrian Coast line; Parking: No designated car park at the dunes; parking at Ravenglass railway station; Hides: None; Cafe: Pub in Ravenglass village; Dogs: Permitted; Step-free: No; sand, shingle and field paths; Cost: Free; Best time: April to June for breeding birds and natterjacks; October to February for estuary wildfowl; Tides: No beach access at high tide; check tide tables Official page: https://www.livingseasnw.org.uk/explore/places-visit/top-beaches-wildlife/drigg ### Eskmeals Dunes (Bootle) Star species: Ringed plover, Wheatear, Goldeneye, Wigeon, Curlew, Natterjack toad. Best months: Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb. Cumbria Wildlife Trust's dunes south of the Esk, with ringed plover in spring, curlew and goldeneye in winter and natterjacks in the pools. It sits beside the MoD firing range, which is the catch. Tip: Ring the range on 01229 712200 before you go, don't enter when the red flag is flying, and don't try it at high tide because the reserve is cut off. Access: From the A595 at Waberthwaite turn through the village and continue 1.5 miles; under the viaduct the road swings left. The public footpath to the reserve entrance can be very muddy and slippery. No access when the red flag is flying; Parking: Park on the left just before the viaduct; alternative approach via Bootle village; Hides: None; Toilets: None; Cafe: None; Dogs: On leads; Step-free: No; unmarked circular paths (4 km / 2.5 miles) over dunes and saltmarsh; Cost: Free (donations welcome); Best time: April to July and October to February; Tides: Not accessible at high tide Official page: https://www.cumbriawildlifetrust.org.uk/nature-reserves/eskmeals-dunes ### RSPB Hodbarrow (Millom) Star species: Little tern, Sandwich tern, Common tern, Great crested grebe, Red-breasted merganser, Goldeneye. Best months: May, Jun, Jul, Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb. A flooded iron mine turned lagoon at Millom and the easiest tern colony you'll watch: little, common and Sandwich terns on an island right off the sea wall hide, May to July. No toilet, no cafe. Tip: May to July for terns; in winter the estuary waders are closest to the sea wall around high tide, the path to the hide is 1.5 miles of rolled stone, and the nearest toilets are in Haverigg, about a mile away. Access: From Millom town square take the second right onto Mainsgate Road (signed Hodbarrow RSPB), continue about half a mile and turn left by the lagoon to the car park. Also on foot from Haverigg; Parking: Car park at the end of Mainsgate Road, firm stone surface, ample spaces, free; Hides: Sea wall hide, 1.5 miles (2.5 km) from the car park on a rolled stone path with no gates, steps or stiles; Toilets: None on site; nearest at Haverigg, about 1 mile; Cafe: None; nearest food and drink in Millom or Haverigg, about 1 mile; Dogs: Allowed anywhere on a lead at all times; Step-free: Yes; the main path to the hide is wheelchair and pushchair accessible, with 28 inch gaps through the vehicle barriers; Cost: Free; Best time: May to July for terns; November to February for wildfowl; Tides: Estuary waders are closest to the sea wall around high tide Official page: https://www.rspb.org.uk/days-out/reserves/hodbarrow ### Sandscale Haws National Nature Reserve (Barrow-in-Furness) Star species: Natterjack toad, Sanderling, Dunlin, Curlew, Oystercatcher, Skylark. Best months: Apr, May, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb. National Trust dunes on the Duddon with a quarter of the UK's natterjack toads, and oystercatcher, curlew, dunlin and sanderling on the shore. A beach day with birds attached. Tip: Waders come closest two hours either side of high tide; for natterjacks come at dusk in April or May and listen at the pools near the car park, and never go onto the estuary mud. Access: Roanhead, Hawthwaite Lane, near Barrow-in-Furness. Countryside open dawn to dusk. On the Cumbria Coastal Way; nearest station Barrow (4.5 miles), no direct bus; Parking: Small car park with disabled bays; pay by JustPark app or machine, free for National Trust members; Hides: None; Toilets: Open through the summer season; Cafe: None; welcome hut closed; Dogs: On leads and under close control; Step-free: Boardwalks from the dunes to the beach; paths through the dunes are uneven; Cost: Free entry; parking charge for non-members; Best time: April and May for natterjacks and migrants; September to February for waders and wildfowl; Tides: Two hours either side of high tide for waders; never go onto the estuary mud Official page: https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/lake-district/sandscale-haws-national-nature-reserve ### South Walney Nature Reserve and Walney Bird Observatory (Barrow-in-Furness) Star species: Eider, Grey seal, Manx shearwater, Arctic skua, Short-eared owl, Knot. Best months: Apr, May, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb. The best all-round bird site in Furness: breeding eiders, Cumbria's only grey seal colony, huge winter wader roosts and serious seawatching, plus an observatory that has logged around 300 species. Non-members pay. Tip: Arrive before high tide for the waders and seals; the access road floods on very high tides above 10.5 metres, and the reserve opens 10am to 5pm (4pm in winter) with the gate locked shortly after. Access: From Barrow follow brown signs over Jubilee Bridge onto Walney, then Carr Lane south past South End caravan site to the reserve gate. Open daily 10am to 5pm (4pm in winter); the gate is locked shortly after closing. Visitor cabin open Friday to Monday; Parking: Car park at the reserve; bicycle parking; Hides: Bird hides around the reserve (BirdForum lists six hides and two screens); Toilets: Yes; Cafe: None; tea, coffee and biscuits in the visitor cabin when open; picnic area; Dogs: Assistance dogs only; Cost: Free for CWT members; non-members £3 adults, £1 children; Best time: Autumn and winter high tides for waders and seals; late summer and autumn for seawatching; Tides: High tide for wader roosts and seals; road may flood above 10.5 m tides Official page: https://www.cumbriawildlifetrust.org.uk/nature-reserves/south-walney ### Foulshaw Moss (Witherslack) Star species: Osprey, Tree pipit, Cuckoo, Hobby, Hen harrier, White-faced darter. Best months: Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug. Where you see ospreys in Cumbria. A pair has nested on this bog since 2014, raising 32 chicks, a second came in 2025, and you watch from a boardwalk platform with a telescope, late March to late August. Tip: Arrive early on fine weekends because parking is small and limited, stay on the boardwalks because the bog off them is deep and wet, and check the osprey cam before you set off. Access: Off the A590 near Witherslack; boardwalks lead from the car park, one crossing the best bog to a viewing platform (1.5 km / 1 mile). No access off the boardwalks. Bus X6 stops at Low Fell End and Parkside Cottages; Parking: Small and limited parking area; no minibus parking, drop-offs only. Bicycle parking; Hides: Raised viewing platform with telescope for the ospreys, plus two hides with bird feeders; Toilets: None; Cafe: None; Dogs: On a lead; Step-free: Boardwalks throughout; the page does not state wheelchair suitability; Cost: Free; Best time: April to August Official page: https://www.cumbriawildlifetrust.org.uk/nature-reserves/foulshaw-moss ### Humphrey Head (Grange-over-Sands) Star species: Peregrine, Curlew, Redshank, Shelduck, Pink-footed goose, Oystercatcher. Best months: Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun. A limestone headland in Morecambe Bay with peregrines most years and a wader roost below that Cumbria Wildlife Trust puts at over 30,000 birds. The 2 km grass walk to the top gives the lot. Tip: Be there at least two hours before high tide and watch from the headland, not the shore; the saltmarsh circuit is only for low water after you've checked the tables. Access: Directly from a public road; kissing gate on the main path. Beware sheer cliffs on the western side; Parking: Roadside parking; Hides: None; Toilets: None; Cafe: None; Dogs: On a lead; Step-free: No; grass path with small gradients and a kissing gate; Cost: Free (donations welcome); Best time: Winter high tides for wader roosts; April to July for peregrines and flowers; Tides: Roost forms on the rising tide; saltmarsh route only at low water after checking tide times Official page: https://www.cumbriawildlifetrust.org.uk/nature-reserves/humphrey-head ### Arnside and the Kent estuary (Arnside) Star species: Oystercatcher, Knot, Black-tailed godwit, Curlew, Pink-footed goose, Greylag goose. Best months: Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar. The easiest estuary birding in south Cumbria: a level promenade with free parking, cafes and toilets over Morecambe Bay's 240,000 waterbirds. On big tides the bore comes up first; kids remember that, not godwits. Tip: Two hours either side of high tide, and never walk out onto the sands; the bore arrives about 1.5 to 2 hours before high water and the tide comes in as fast as a galloping horse. Access: Promenade at the foot of the village; Arnside station on the Furness line with trains from Lancaster and Barrow; Parking: Free shoreside parking along the promenade and beach; Hides: None; Toilets: Public toilets on the promenade (card payment); Cafe: Several cafes and pubs on the promenade; Step-free: Yes; the promenade is level; Cost: Free; Best time: September to March around high tide; Tides: Two hours either side of high tide; siren warns of the incoming tide; never go onto the sands Official page: https://www.arnside-silverdale.org.uk/visit/villages/arnside ### RSPB Leighton Moss (Lancashire) (Silverdale) Star species: Bittern, Marsh harrier, Bearded tit, Avocet, Otter, Starling murmuration. Best months: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec. Not in Cumbria, just over the Lancashire border from Arnside, and here because it's the nearest place for bittern, bearded tit, marsh harrier and avocet. Seven step-free hides; non-members pay. Tip: The hides are open dawn to dusk even when the centre's shut; non-members pay £10 adults and £5 children at the time of writing, autumn is for bearded tits on the grit trays and winter dusk for the starlings. Access: Myers Farm, Storrs Lane, near Carnforth, close to Silverdale village; follow brown signs from J35 of the M6. Reserve and car park open dawn to dusk; visitor centre, cafe and toilets 9.30am to 5pm. Reachable by train; Parking: Main car park 90 spaces with 7 Blue Badge spaces, dawn to dusk, no height restriction; separate saltmarsh car park with 2 m height limit; no coach parking; Hides: Seven hides (Lilian's, Tim Jackson, Grisedale, Causeway, Lower, Allen and Eric Morecambe) plus the 9 m Skytower; all hides step-free with low windows for wheelchair users; Toilets: Yes; accessible toilet with baby changing open 24 hours at the rear of the visitor centre; Cafe: Yes, 9.30am to 5pm (hot food to 3pm), first floor with stair lift; shop with optics; Dogs: On leads on the Causeway public right of way and a designated dog path only; welcome in the visitor centre and car parks; assistance dogs everywhere; Step-free: Yes; Garden, Family and Lower trails and the Coastal trail are wheelchair accessible (except the Lower Hide path); Tramper hire available; Cost: Free for RSPB members; non-members £10 adults, £5 children 5 to 17 (first child free), £7 students, free for 16 to 24s and under 5s, £5 for arrivals by public transport or bicycle; Best time: All year; spring for bitterns and avocets, summer for marsh harriers, autumn for bearded tits, winter for starlings; Tides: Saltmarsh pools are best around high tide when waders come off the bay Official page: https://www.rspb.org.uk/days-out/reserves/leighton-moss ### Dodd Wood and the Bassenthwaite ospreys (Keswick) Star species: Osprey, Red squirrel, Redstart, Sparrowhawk, Goosander, Great crested grebe. Best months: Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug. Read this before driving here for ospreys: the viewpoint project ended in 2022 and the nest is out of sight. What's left is a steep conifer wood with red squirrels and a tearoom, above a lake ospreys still fish. Tip: Scan the lake from the higher tracks on a summer morning for fishing ospreys and go early and quietly for red squirrels; parking is pay on exit, up to £13 a day. Access: Off the A591 Keswick to Bothel road; forest entrance and car park on the right opposite Mirehouse; buses 554, X4 and 73 (Saturdays only); car park open 24 hours; no camping or overnight stays; Parking: Pay on exit: up to 20 minutes free, first hour £2.10, then 55p per 15 minutes, all day maximum £13; 2 accessible spaces; card and contactless; Hides: No hides. Two former osprey viewpoints in the forest (lower and upper); the upper viewpoint is about 30 minutes' walk up forest tracks and no longer overlooks the nest; Toilets: Yes, in the car park; Cafe: The Old Sawmill Tearoom, open daily (check its website for hours); Dogs: Allowed; assistance dogs welcome; Step-free: No. Trails are steep forest tracks: Dodd Summit trail 3 miles (4.5 km), Skill Beck trail 1.5 miles climbing over 300 metres, plus Douglas Fir and Sandbed Gill trails; Cost: Free entry; parking charges apply; Best time: April to August for ospreys over the lake; red squirrels all year Official page: https://www.forestryengland.uk/dodd-wood ### Bassenthwaite Lake National Nature Reserve (Keswick) Star species: Osprey, Goosander, Goldeneye, Great crested grebe, Wood warbler, Pied flycatcher. Best months: Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun. The only Lake District water actually called a lake: pochard, goldeneye and goosander in winter, wood warbler and pied flycatcher in the lakeside oaks in early summer. The Powter How hide went in Storm Desmond in 2015. Tip: Park on the minor road just north of Powter How and walk under the A66 to the shore; there are no usable lay-bys on the A66 itself. Access: Lakeshore from car parks and lay-bys on the western shore (Ouse Bridge, Peel Wyke, Beck Wythop, Blackstock Point, Woodend) and the path from Powter How under the A66; no public right of navigation and all boat users need a permit; two no boating zones; Parking: Car parks and lay-bys along the western shore; small car park on the minor road just north of Powter How; Hides: The public hide at the Powter How shore was washed away in Storm Desmond in 2015 (Cumbria Bird Club). Dubwath Silver Meadows at the northern end has viewing points, boardwalks and topped-up feeders; Step-free: Dubwath Silver Meadows at the northern end is wheelchair accessible on recycled plastic boardwalks; Cost: Free; Best time: October to March for wildfowl; May and June for woodland songbirds; April to August for ospreys Official page: https://lakedistrict.gov.uk/protect/nature/lake-district-national-park-national-nature-reserves/bassenthwaite-national-nature-reserve/ ### Whinlatter Forest (Braithwaite) Star species: Crossbill, Siskin, Goldcrest, Red squirrel, Buzzard, Great spotted woodpecker. Best months: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, Nov, Dec. The easy win for kids in winter: the Wow Trail hide has feeders pulling in siskins, goldcrests, crossbills and woodpeckers, sometimes a red squirrel, plus cafe and toilets. Busy with bikes by mid morning. Tip: Sit in the hide early, before the bikes arrive, and walk quietly because Cumbria Wildlife Trust says you're likely to see red squirrels anywhere in the forest; parking is pay on exit, up to £14 a day. Access: Whinlatter Pass (B5292) 2.5 miles above Braithwaite off the A66 west of Keswick; main car park and toilets open 8.30am to 8.30pm; free admission for visitors arriving without a car; Parking: Pay on exit by card or online: up to 20 minutes free, first hour £2.90, all day maximum £14; 4 accessible spaces; Hides: Wildlife hide with feeders on the Wow Trail (4.5 miles, surfaced paths, maximum gradient 1 in 7); Toilets: Yes, main car park, 8.30am to 8.30pm; Cafe: Cafe Ambio, 9.30am to 4pm weekdays and 9.30am to 4.30pm weekends; visitor centre and bike hire 10am to 5pm; Dogs: Welcome; Step-free: Wow Trail is on surfaced paths with a maximum gradient of 1 in 7 and may suit some off-road mobility scooters; Revelin Moss trail (1 mile) is graded easy; Cost: Free entry; parking charges apply; Best time: Any time of year; go quietly for red squirrels Official page: https://www.forestryengland.uk/whinlatter ### RSPB Haweswater (Bampton) Star species: Ring ouzel, Peregrine, Raven, Pied flycatcher, Redstart, Dipper. Best months: Apr, May, Jun, Jul. England's only golden eagles lived here from 1969 until the last male vanished in 2015. Now it's ring ouzel, peregrine and raven on the crags, flycatchers in the Naddle woods, and nothing to buy for ten miles. Tip: Mardale Head car park is open at all times but fills early in summer; May is the month for ring ouzel and cuckoo, and bring everything with you because the nearest shop is Shap. Access: Along the reservoir road from Bampton to Mardale Head at the southern end; public rights of way only, marked on OS maps; the RSPB does not manage the paths; terrain steep and rugged with very uneven ground; Parking: Mardale Head car park (what3words weary.intrigued.published, NY469108), open at all times, small and very full in summer; pull-ins along the reservoir road; donation cairn, suggested £2 cash; Hides: No public hides. Bookable badger hide via wildhaweswater.co.uk; Toilets: None; nearest public toilets in Shap, about ten miles away; Cafe: None; nearest food and drink in Shap, about ten miles away; Dogs: Welcome on public footpaths and bridleways under close, effective control at all times; assistance dogs everywhere; Step-free: No; not wheelchair or pushchair accessible; Cost: Free (donations welcome); no BBQs at any time; Best time: April to July; May for ring ouzel, cuckoo and passage dotterel Official page: https://www.rspb.org.uk/days-out/reserves/haweswater ### RSPB Geltsdale (Hallbankgate) Star species: Hen harrier, Black grouse, Red grouse, Whinchat, Short-eared owl, Curlew. Best months: Apr, May, Jun, Jul. One of a handful of English hen harrier nesting sites; 2026 was its best season in over a century, 13 chicks from three nests. Black grouse and short-eared owl breed too, on a working farm with muddy tracks. Tip: April to early July for displaying waders and the harrier sky dance; take the Stagsike trail on to Tindale Tarn and keep dogs on a lead because there are cattle with calves. Access: Howgill car park near Hallbankgate, off the A689 east of Brampton; nearest station Brampton Junction about 2 miles; car park open daily dawn to dusk; visitor centre at Stagsike about a mile from the car park; five trails; Parking: 8 spaces including 2 Blue Badge spaces; unsuitable for coaches; no height restriction; no lighting; Hides: Viewing screen at Tindale Tarn, reached over level pasture that is soft in wet weather; Toilets: Single accessible toilet with hand rail beside the Stagsike visitor centre, about 30 metres down a shallow slope; no baby changing; Cafe: No food for sale; tea and coffee making facilities at the visitor centre; nearest food in Hallbankgate, one mile away; Dogs: Welcome on a lead, as the reserve is a working farm; assistance dogs throughout; Step-free: Visitor centre is level with no steps (uneven slate flagstones); trails are uneven tracks and grassy paths through farmland, steep in places, not recommended for pushchairs or wheelchairs; Cost: Free entry; Best time: April to July Official page: https://www.rspb.org.uk/days-out/reserves/geltsdale ### Tindale Tarn (Hallbankgate) Star species: Whooper swan, Goldeneye, Pochard, Tufted duck, Teal, Curlew. Best months: Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May. A 150 acre upland lake on the edge of Geltsdale with whooper swans and goldeneye in winter, and the reserve's best spot for spring waders. The screen is reached over pasture that turns to soup. Tip: Come along the old railway line from Tindale off the A689 or up the Stagsike trail from Howgill; winter for swans and diving duck, April and May for waders. Access: Old railway line from Tindale off the A689, or the Stagsike trail from the RSPB Howgill car park; a circular walk of about 9 km goes round the tarn (Visit Cumbria); Parking: Off the A689 at Tindale (BirdForum Opus), or the RSPB car park at Howgill (8 spaces, 2 Blue Badge); Hides: Viewing screen at the tarn, reached over level but soft pasture; Toilets: Nearest at the RSPB Stagsike visitor centre; Cafe: None; nearest food in Hallbankgate; Dogs: On a lead; working farm; Step-free: No; the approach to the screen is level pasture but soft in wet weather; Cost: Free; Best time: October to March for whooper swan and goldeneye; April and May for waders Official page: https://www.rspb.org.uk/days-out/reserves/geltsdale ### Talkin Tarn Country Park (Brampton) Star species: Wigeon, Brambling, Mute swan, Nuthatch, Great spotted woodpecker, Red squirrel. Best months: Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar. A glacial lake near Brampton with a tearoom and a rowing club, more country park than wild place: wigeon in winter, brambling in the woods, red squirrels about. A winter stop, not a destination. Tip: The park is open 24 hours, so go early on a winter morning before the walkers and rowers; toilets are 9am to 5pm and the downstairs tearoom 11am to 3.30pm. Access: Tarn Road, Brampton, about 9 miles east of Carlisle; park open 24 hours a day, seven days a week; Parking: Pay and display; wheelchair accessible car park; Hides: None; Toilets: Yes, open 9am to 5pm, with baby changing; Cafe: Boat House Tea Rooms: downstairs tearoom and gift shop 11am to 3.30pm daily all year; upstairs tearoom seasonal, Easter to October half term 10.30am to 4pm, then winter weekends and school holidays; Dogs: Accepted; clean up after your dog (fines up to £1,000); Cost: Free entry; parking charge; Best time: November to March Official page: https://www.cumberland.gov.uk/parks-culture-and-leisure/find-parks-and-public-gardens-near-you/talkin-tarn-country-park ### Kingmoor Nature Reserve and Kingmoor Sidings, Carlisle (Carlisle) Star species: Great spotted woodpecker, Nuthatch, Treecreeper. Best months: Mar, Apr, May, Jun. Carlisle's biggest surviving woodland, granted to the citizens by Edward III in 1352 and a reserve since 1913. The council's bird list is short (woodpecker, nuthatch, treecreeper) but it's level, free and on the doorstep. Tip: A quiet early walk in April or May when the woodland birds are singing; the council describes the paths as level and wheelchair suitable, but parking and toilets weren't verified. Access: North Carlisle, entrances off Kingmoor Road and Lowry Hill Road; Kingmoor North CA3 0JQ, Kingmoor South CA3 9QH, Kingmoor Sidings CA3 9PW; open access; Hides: None; Dogs: Allowed; clean up after your dog (fines up to £1,000); Step-free: Level paths suitable for wheelchairs (council Local Nature Reserve report); Cost: Free; Best time: Spring for woodland birds Official page: https://www.cumberland.gov.uk/parks-culture-and-leisure/find-parks-and-public-gardens-near-you/kingmoor-sidings-nature-reserve ### Watchtree Nature Reserve (Great Orton) Star species: Tree sparrow, Teal, Barn owl, Snipe, Lapwing, Sedge warbler. Best months: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Oct, Nov, Dec. Carlisle's simplest birding day out: free, a two mile tarmac circuit on the old Great Orton airfield, ramped hides, pond dipping, toilets and a cafe. Teal, snipe, tree sparrows, winter barn owls. Tip: Open 9am to 4.45pm with last entry at 4pm and the car park locked at 5pm; dogs on a lead at all times. Access: Off the minor roads between Great Orton and Wiggonby, 6 miles west of Carlisle; open 9am to 4.45pm daily, last entry 4pm; closed Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day; Parking: Free; car park locked at 5pm; Hides: Bird hides with ramps and large spaces; a wooden hide overlooks the main lake; pond dipping platforms; Toilets: Two accessible toilets, one in the visitor centre and one on the east side; Cafe: Watchtree Cafe 9am to 4.30pm daily, plus Three Hills Gelato Shack; Dogs: On a lead at all times; Step-free: Yes; two mile tarmac circuit completed in 2019; all trails wheelchair and buggy accessible; hides and pond dipping platforms ramped; accessible bike hire including wheelchair carrying tricycle; Cost: Free entry and parking; donations welcome; bike hire charged; Best time: October to April for wildfowl, snipe and tree sparrows; May and June for warblers Official page: https://watchtree.co.uk/ ### Wreay Woods (Wreay) Star species: Kingfisher, Dipper, Grey wagtail, Nuthatch, Treecreeper, Jay. Best months: Apr, May, Jun, Jul. Riverside woodland in the Petteril gorge south of Carlisle, and the nearest reserve to the city where Cumbria Wildlife Trust itself lists kingfisher and dipper. Small, steep, often muddy, no facilities. Tip: April to July is the Trust's season; the footbridge near the entrance was closed at the time of writing, so check the Trust page first, and the lay-by parking is time limited. Access: Entrances at Scalesceugh Hall (NY 447 495) and the north end (NY 442 505); public footpath on the east side, 1.2 km, unsurfaced with steep slopes and steps; open all year; Parking: Time limited lay-by parking; Hides: None; Toilets: None; Cafe: None; Dogs: On a lead; Step-free: No; Cost: Free; donations welcome; Best time: April to July Official page: https://www.cumbriawildlifetrust.org.uk/nature-reserves/wreay-woods ### River Eden at Wetheral and Armathwaite (Wetheral) Star species: Goosander, Otter. Best months: Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb. Red sandstone gorges, the Settle to Carlisle line alongside and the 1834 viaduct at Wetheral, with some of the county's biggest winter goosander counts. Kingfisher and dipper unverified here; treat them as a bonus. Tip: Start at Wetheral station beside the viaduct and follow the riverside path south through National Trust Wetheral Woods; winter for goosander, and no facilities were verified. Access: Riverside public footpath south from Wetheral village and railway station (Newcastle to Carlisle line) through National Trust Wetheral Woods; Armathwaite also has a station, on the Settle to Carlisle line; Hides: None; Cost: Free; Best time: Winter for goosander Official page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/River_Eden,_Cumbria ### Smardale Gill (Kirkby Stephen) Star species: Redstart, Pied flycatcher, Wood warbler, Raven, Green woodpecker, Scotch argus butterfly. Best months: Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug. A disused railway west of Kirkby Stephen with a wooded gill, a 14 arch viaduct, redstart and pied flycatcher in summer and the Scotch argus butterfly. Flat and surfaced: the gentlest good-bird walk in the county. Tip: Go early in May or June for the woodland songbirds; the viaduct is 3 miles return from the Smardale car park and the Trust doesn't mention toilets, so plan for none. Access: From Smardale car park (what3words crispier.quench.snack, NY 742 083) along the disused railway; also from Newbiggin-on-Lune (NY 703 053) and Waitby Greenriggs (NY 756 085); open all year; Parking: Car park at Smardale with bike rack; roadside parking at Newbiggin-on-Lune and Waitby; Hides: None; Dogs: On a lead; Step-free: Yes; wheelchair and pushchair accessible surface from the car park to Newbiggin-on-Lune with ramps at both ends (7 miles return; viaduct 3 miles return); Cost: Free; donations welcome; Best time: April to August Official page: https://www.cumbriawildlifetrust.org.uk/nature-reserves/smardale ### Grizedale Forest (Hawkshead) Star species: Red kite, Buzzard, Crossbill, Siskin, Wood warbler, Woodcock. Best months: Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul. Home of the Cumbrian red kite: 90 were released here between 2010 and 2012 and the first Cumbrian breeding since 1807 came in 2014. Busy with sculptures and bikes; the Ridding Wood trail is tarmac for pushchairs. Tip: Any month for kites; head for an open viewpoint like Carron Crag and look up, and expect pay on exit parking up to £14 a day. Access: Grizedale visitor centre on the minor road from Hawkshead to Satterthwaite; visitor centre 10am to 5pm; bike hire 9.30am to 5pm; Parking: Pay on exit; up to 20 minutes free; main car park first hour £2.90 then 70p per 15 minutes, all day maximum £14; smaller car parks £2.20 first hour then 55p per 15 minutes; 6 accessible spaces; members free; Hides: None; Toilets: Yes, including accessible toilet; Cafe: Cafe Ambio 10am to 5pm daily; Dogs: Allowed; Step-free: Yes; Ridding Wood trail 1 mile (1.5 km) on tarmac from the visitor centre car park; all terrain mobility scooter hire; Cost: Free entry; parking charges apply; Best time: Any month for red kites; April to June for woodland songbirds Official page: https://www.forestryengland.uk/grizedale ### Ennerdale and Wild Ennerdale (Ennerdale Bridge) Star species: Dipper, Ring ouzel, Green woodpecker, Yellowhammer, Red squirrel, Marsh fritillary butterfly. Best months: Apr, May, Jun, Jul. The roadless western valley, Cumbria's largest National Nature Reserve since 2022, with 30 miles of traffic free paths and 100 to 150 red squirrels. Honest bird list: dipper, ring ouzel, green woodpecker, yellowhammer. Tip: Bleach Green is free and flat with a lakeshore loop graded for wheels and toilets in Ennerdale Bridge; Bowness Knott is pay parking (the operator and the Trust quote different prices, so check) and the end of the public road. Access: Bleach Green car park 1.5 miles from Ennerdale Bridge for the lakeshore path; Bowness Knott car park is the end of the public road, 3.1 miles further round the lake; no vehicle access beyond it unless staying at the YHA or field centre; lakeshore cycle path between the two car parks and forest roads beyond; Parking: Bleach Green free (CA23 3AS); Bowness Knott (Forestry England, CA23 3AU) pay by RingGo: up to 2 hours £3, up to 4 hours £6, all day £10; members free; Hides: None; Toilets: None at the car parks; nearest in Ennerdale Bridge, with accessible toilets; Cafe: The Gather cafe in Ennerdale Bridge; Dogs: Welcome under close control to protect stock and wildlife; Step-free: Yes; Ennerdale Views from Bleach Green, 3.2 km loop graded For many on a well surfaced lane and lakeshore path, class 2 or 3 mobility scooters; the longer 4.2 km loop is currently not suitable for wheels after flood damage; Cost: Free; parking charge at Bowness Knott; Best time: April to July Official page: https://www.wildennerdale.co.uk/ ### Borrowdale oakwoods and Derwentwater (Keswick) Star species: Pied flycatcher, Redstart, Tree pipit, Peregrine, Raven, Dipper. Best months: Apr, May, Jun, Jul. England's largest temperate rainforest and the county's best oakwood birding: pied flycatcher and redstart in Great Wood and Johnny Wood from late April, peregrines and ravens on the crags. Accessible path to Friar's Crag. Tip: Late April to June, early morning, for the flycatchers; winter evenings for tawny owls and ravens, with accessible toilets at Seatoller, Rosthwaite and Watendlath. Access: National Trust car parks along the B5289 south of Keswick: Great Wood (CA12 5UP), Kettlewell (CA12 5UN), Bowderstone (CA12 5XA), Seatoller and Honister (CA12 5XN), Rosthwaite (CA12 5XB), Ashness Bridge (CA12 5UN), Surprise View (CA12 5UU), Watendlath (CA12 5UW); Parking: Pay and display by machine or JustPark app; free for National Trust members; Hides: None; Toilets: Accessible toilets at Seatoller, Rosthwaite and Watendlath; Cafe: Moon and Sixpence coffee shop near Crow Park, Keswick; Dogs: Welcome under close control; Step-free: Yes; accessible path to Friar's Crag, the Bowder Stone and the boardwalk at the southern end of Derwentwater; accessible loop through Cockshot Wood; Cost: Free; parking charges for non-members; Best time: Late April to June Official page: https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/lake-district/borrowdale-and-derwent-water ### Wasdale and Wast Water (Nether Wasdale) Star species: Peregrine, Raven, Ring ouzel, Buzzard, Red squirrel. Best months: Apr, May, Jun, Jul. The deepest lake in England, with the Screes falling 600 metres into it. Fell birding: few species but the proper ones, peregrine, raven and ring ouzel, and the path under the Screes is boulders, not a stroll. Tip: April to July for ring ouzel on the crags; National Trust car parks at Lake Head (toilets), Overbeck and Nether Wasdale are pay and display with no overnight parking. Access: Single road up the valley to Wasdale Head; lakeshore path the full length of Wast Water below the Screes through boulders and scree; woodland walks at Nether Wasdale and Low Wood on the south west shore; Parking: National Trust pay and display at Lake Head (CA20 1EX), Overbeck and Nether Wasdale, free for members; no overnight parking; Hides: None; Toilets: National Trust toilet block with accessible toilet at Lake Head car park; Dogs: Welcome under close control to protect stock and wildlife; Step-free: No; much of the countryside is steep and rugged; Cost: Free; parking charges for non-members; Best time: April to July Official page: https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/lake-district/wasdale ### Rydal Water, Grasmere and Elterwater (Grasmere) Star species: Whooper swan. Best months: Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar. The classic easy Lakeland circuit, 5.3 miles round Rydal Water and Grasmere, with whooper swans wintering on Elterwater to the west. Thin on verified birds; go for the walk, count the swans as a bonus. Tip: Winter for the swans; the paths are rammed in summer so go early, and parking and toilet details weren't verified, so check before you go. Access: Rydal Water and Grasmere circular walk, 5.3 miles on a well maintained low level path; Grasmere lakeshore walk 4 miles; Elterwater village is off the B5343 in Great Langdale; Hides: None; Cost: Free; parking charges; Best time: October to March for wintering swans and wildfowl Official page: https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/lake-district/allan-bank-and-grasmere/walking-at-allan-bank-and-grasmere ### Wet Sleddale Reservoir (Shap) Star species: . Best months: . A bleak reservoir south of Shap, Crow Crag in Withnail and I, with no regular birds verified. Listed because a white stork, a crane and a ring-necked duck turned up in one week in April 2024. Tip: Signed from the A6 near M6 junction 39; park under the dam and wear wellies because the circuit is usually wet. Access: Signed from the A6 near M6 junction 39; public footpath along the south shore from the car park at the end of the dam; circular walk with a short section of indistinct boggy ground marked by white posts; Parking: Public car park beneath the dam; Hides: None; Toilets: None; Cafe: None; nearest in Shap; Step-free: No; Cost: Free Official page: https://www.birdguides.com/sites/europe/britain-ireland/britain/england/cumbria/wet-sleddale-reservoir/ ### Killington Reservoir (Kendal) Star species: . Best months: . A canal reservoir beside the M6 with a services on its bank: quick, opportunistic, occasionally brilliant. Ospreys and scoters on passage, a great grey shrike in 2021, crane and stork in 2024; no regular list verified. Tip: Killington Lake services is on the southbound M6 only; spring and autumn passage are when the surprises happen, so check the sightings pages first. Access: Beside the M6; Killington Lake services, on the southbound carriageway only, is on the bank; fishing from the banks only, no boats except the sailing club; Hides: None; Toilets: At Killington Lake services (southbound M6); Cafe: At Killington Lake services (southbound M6); Cost: Free Official page: https://www.birdguides.com/sites/europe/britain-ireland/britain/england/cumbria/killington-reservoir/ ### Hutton Roof Crags (Burton-in-Kendal) Star species: Woodcock, Skylark, Willow warbler, Nuthatch, Great spotted woodpecker, Mistle thrush. Best months: Apr, May, Jun, Jul. Limestone pavement above Burton-in-Kendal with woodcock in the woods, skylark over the top and fieldfare and redwing in winter. Most people come for the orchids, the butterflies and the boulders; slippery when wet. Tip: April to July; wear boots because wet limestone is slippery, parking is a limited lay-by, and it's open access land so you can roam beyond the two waymarked routes. Access: Open access land with public rights of way and informal paths; entrance at SD 54350 78080; two waymarked circular routes, white 1.5 km and red 2.6 km, plus an audio trail; open all year; Parking: Limited lay-by parking at SD 54306 78285; Hides: None; Toilets: None; Cafe: None; Dogs: On a lead; Step-free: No; paths narrow, uneven and muddy, limestone slippery when wet; Cost: Free; donations welcome; Best time: April to July Official page: https://www.cumbriawildlifetrust.org.uk/nature-reserves/hutton-roof-crags ### Dubbs Moss (Cockermouth) Star species: Willow tit, Whitethroat, Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Fieldfare, Redwing. Best months: Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug. Birch and fen outside Cockermouth, reached from The Old Stack Yard Tea Rooms, the right order for a family: tea room, then bog. Willow tit is the bird here; the Trust recommends wellies all year. Tip: Park at the tea rooms and follow the white topped fence posts round the 0.8 km circuit; it's very wet in places whatever the season. Access: From The Old Stack Yard Tea Rooms, Wellington Farm (NY 107 294), whose 0.7 km nature trail links to the reserve entrance (NY 103 290, what3words laws.jaunts.digested); 0.8 km circuit; open all year; Parking: At The Old Stack Yard Tea Rooms, Wellington Farm; Hides: None; Cafe: The Old Stack Yard Tea Rooms at Wellington Farm; Dogs: On a lead; Step-free: No; kissing gates, undulating and very wet ground; Cost: Free; donations welcome; Best time: April to August Official page: https://www.cumbriawildlifetrust.org.uk/nature-reserves/dubbs-moss ## The birds (https://fellandfamily.co.uk/birding/birds.html) - **Osprey** (Pandion haliaetus), summer visitor, easy chance, months Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug: The viewing platform at Foulshaw Moss, with an on-site telescope, is the reliable place from the last week of March to the end of August; the nests are also on live webcams. Scan Bassenthwaite Lake from the Dodd Wood side for fishing birds, or take an Osprey Safari boat on Esthwaite Water. - **Puffin** (Fratercula arctica), summer visitor, lucky chance, months May, Jun, Jul: Only a few pairs nest at St Bees Head among thousands of other auks, so scan the guillemot ledges and the sea below the North Head viewpoints from May to early July, ideally with a telescope. Do not expect Farne Islands numbers. - **Black guillemot** (Cepphus grylle), resident, fair chance, months Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul: St Bees Head has the only breeding black guillemots in England. Look on the sea close under the cliffs from the North Head viewing platforms for a small all-dark auk with white wing patches and bright red feet. - **Guillemot** (Uria aalge), summer visitor, easy chance, months Apr, May, Jun, Jul: Thousands pack the ledges of St Bees Head from April to early July, and the three viewing platforms on the North Head look straight onto them. Mornings give the best light on the cliffs. - **Razorbill** (Alca torda), summer visitor, easy chance, months Apr, May, Jun, Jul: Look among the guillemots on the St Bees ledges for the blacker bird with a deep, blunt bill; razorbills tend to sit in crevices and pairs rather than tight rows. - **Kittiwake** (Rissa tridactyla), summer visitor, easy chance, months Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug: The noisiest bird on the St Bees cliffs, calling its own name from mud nests on the ledges. The RSPB says you are most likely to see them between February and August before they head out to sea for winter. - **Fulmar** (Fulmarus glacialis), summer visitor, easy chance, months Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug: Watch for the stiff-winged glider patrolling the St Bees cliff face; fulmars sit on grassy ledges rather than the bare rock used by auks, and the young leap from the nests in July. - **Little tern** (Sternula albifrons), summer visitor, fair chance, months May, Jun, Jul: The island in the Hodbarrow lagoon holds a colony of little, common and Sandwich terns. The RSPB says visit from May to July and watch from the sea wall hide as birds commute to and from the Duddon estuary at close range. - **Sandwich tern** (Thalasseus sandvicensis), summer visitor, fair chance, months Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug: Pick out the largest tern at Hodbarrow by its black bill with a yellow tip and grating call; birds also fish the Walney channels and Duddon mouth through the summer. - **Common tern** (Sterna hirundo), summer visitor, fair chance, months May, Jun, Jul, Aug: Hodbarrow's island is the reliable colony; watch birds hover and plunge for fish over the lagoon. Single birds fish the inner Solway off Bowness and Port Carlisle in summer. - **Hen harrier** (Circus cyaneus), resident, lucky chance, months Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar: RSPB Geltsdale is one of a handful of English nesting sites and in 2026 had its best season in over a century, with 13 chicks from three nests; watch the skyline in April and May for the male's sky dance. In winter look for a grey male or brown ringtail hunting low over Solway mosses, Foulshaw bog and the Drigg dunes. - **Black grouse** (Tetrao tetrix), resident, lucky chance, months Mar, Apr, May, Oct, Nov, Dec: Geltsdale, on the Cumbrian edge of the North Pennines, is the county's stronghold; the RSPB North Cumbria group mentions lekking birds in spring and Cumbria Wildlife Trust says they can be seen there in autumn, winter and early spring. Scan rushy fields and moor edges from the tracks at first light and never approach a lek. - **Red grouse** (Lagopus lagopus), resident, fair chance, months Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec: Heather moorland on the Pennine side of the county, including the higher ground at Geltsdale; birds burst from the heather at your feet with a whirring flight and a cackling call. Present all year. - **Peregrine** (Falco peregrinus), resident, fair chance, months Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec: Crags and sea cliffs across the county: peregrines breed on Humphrey Head most years and on the St Bees cliffs, and in winter they hunt the wader roosts of the Solway and Morecambe Bay, so watch the panic when a flock lifts. - **Raven** (Corvus corax), resident, easy chance, months Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec: Listen for the deep cronk over any Lakeland crag. Ravens nest early, so late winter and early spring show pairs tumbling and rolling over the fells; the National Trust notes them calling on the Borrowdale crags in winter. - **Ring ouzel** (Turdus torquatus), summer visitor, fair chance, months Apr, May, Jun, Jul: Steep gullies, screes and crags: Riggindale at Haweswater and the Wasdale Screes are classic places, and May is best. Listen for the ringing call and look for a blackbird with a white crescent on the chest. - **Dipper** (Cinclus cinclus), resident, easy chance, months Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec: Any fast, stony beck. Watch from a bridge for the dumpy bird with the white bib bobbing on a mid-stream rock, then follow it as it walks under the water; present all year and singing on frosty winter mornings. - **Grey wagtail** (Motacilla cinerea), resident, easy chance, months Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec: Shares the dipper's becks, weirs and bridges; look for the very long tail and lemon-yellow under-tail as it flits between waterside rocks. - **Kingfisher** (Alcedo atthis), resident, fair chance, months Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec: Slow, tree-lined water: the River Petteril at Wreay Woods and the reedy margins of Bassenthwaite Lake are listed sites. Listen for the piercing whistle and watch for a blue flash low over the water; a quiet wait on a bridge works better than walking. - **Pied flycatcher** (Ficedula hypoleuca), summer visitor, fair chance, months May, Jun: Lakeland oakwoods, often around nest boxes: Great Wood and Johnny Wood in Borrowdale, the Naddle woods at Haweswater and Smardale Gill. Go early in the morning from late April to June while the males are singing. - **Redstart** (Phoenicurus phoenicurus), summer visitor, fair chance, months Apr, May, Jun, Jul: Open oak and birch woods with old trees and stone walls, from late April. The quivering orange-red tail gives it away as it drops from a low perch to catch insects. - **Wood warbler** (Phylloscopus sibilatrix), summer visitor, lucky chance, months May, Jun: Sessile oakwoods with little undergrowth; find it by the accelerating spinning-coin trill from the canopy in May and June. The lakeside oaks at Bassenthwaite and the woods at Smardale are listed sites, but numbers are low. - **Whooper swan** (Cygnus cygnus), winter visitor, easy chance, months Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar: Moricambe Bay and the wet fields behind the Solway saltmarshes hold the county's main herds from early to mid October until April; check the fields from the Anthorn coast road lay-bys and Tindale Tarn on the Pennine edge. Listen for the bugling calls at dawn and dusk. - **Barnacle goose** (Branta leucopsis), winter visitor, easy chance, months Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr: The whole Svalbard population winters on the Solway. Cumbria Bird Club reports flocks of up to several thousand east of Drumburgh, and the birds move onto the Cumbrian marshes as winter goes on, so the Carlisle to Bowness road and Burgh Marsh are the easiest viewpoints from midwinter until they leave in late April or early May. - **Pink-footed goose** (Anser brachyrhynchus), winter visitor, easy chance, months Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar: The first skeins reach the Solway in late September and early October. Listen for the high yelping over Campfield Marsh and Moricambe Bay at dawn and dusk as birds move between roost and feeding fields; smaller numbers use Morecambe Bay. - **Eider** (Somateria mollissima), resident, easy chance, months Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Nov, Dec: South Walney is one of the southernmost places in Europe to see breeding eider. Drakes court with cooing calls in spring and flocks ride the swell off the spit all year; also on the Hodbarrow lagoon in winter. - **Red-breasted merganser** (Mergus serrator), winter visitor, fair chance, months Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar: Sheltered coastal water in winter: the Hodbarrow lagoon, Moricambe Bay off Grune Point and the Duddon estuary. The spiky crest and thin red bill separate it from the goosander, which prefers fresh water. - **Goosander** (Mergus merganser), resident, easy chance, months Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar: Rivers and lakes. Cumbria Bird Club's winter survey found some of the county's biggest concentrations on the lower Eden around Wetheral and Armathwaite, and pairs breed along Lakeland rivers; the drake is white with a dark green head. - **Knot** (Calidris canutus), winter visitor, easy chance, months Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar: Grey carpets of knot roost on Morecambe Bay and the Solway at high tide. Be at Humphrey Head, the Arnside promenade or Bowness two hours before high water and watch the flocks twist and turn as the tide pushes them in. - **Oystercatcher** (Haematopus ostralegus), resident, easy chance, months Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec: Impossible to miss on any estuary shore, piping loudly with an orange bill and pink legs; Morecambe Bay holds more wintering oystercatchers than anywhere else in the UK, and pairs breed on shingle and even inland fields. - **Curlew** (Numenius arquata), resident, easy chance, months Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec: On the estuaries all year and on Pennine and Lakeland moors from March to July, when the bubbling song carries across Geltsdale and the Campfield bog; the curved bill and size make it unmistakable. - **Lapwing** (Vanellus vanellus), resident, easy chance, months Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec: Tumbling and calling over the Campfield scrapes and Geltsdale's in-bye fields in spring; in winter flocks gather on flooded fields and roost at Watchtree and along the Solway. - **Golden plover** (Pluvialis apricaria), resident, fair chance, months Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar: Breeds on the Geltsdale moors, where its plaintive whistle carries in spring; in winter tight flocks with rapid twinkling wingbeats gather on the Solway marshes and fields near Burgh and Anthorn, often with lapwings. - **Dunlin** (Calidris alpina), winter visitor, easy chance, months Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr: The commonest small wader on every estuary. Feeding flocks work the falling tide at Bowness and Port Carlisle, and thousands roost on the Campfield saltmarsh and the Walney spit around high water. - **Redshank** (Tringa totanus), resident, easy chance, months Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec: Saltmarsh creeks and pool edges; you will probably hear its piping alarm before you see the bright orange-red legs. Breeds on Campfield's wet grassland and at Geltsdale, and is on every estuary in winter. - **Marsh harrier** (Circus aeruginosus), resident, fair chance, months Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep: Marsh harriers nested successfully at RSPB Campfield Marsh for the first time in 2023 and hunt the Foulshaw Moss bog in winter. RSPB Leighton Moss, just over the Lancashire border, has the most pairs and summer food passes. - **Bittern** (Botaurus stellaris), winter visitor, lucky chance, months Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar: Siddick Ponds at Workington is the Cumbrian site, best on a cold, calm winter morning watching the reed edge from the hide. RSPB Leighton Moss in Lancashire, a few miles from Arnside, has breeding birds and reports bitterns from the Lower and Causeway hides most days. - **Bearded tit** (Panurus biarmicus), resident, fair chance, months Sep, Oct, Nov: Not a Cumbrian breeding bird: go to RSPB Leighton Moss in Lancashire, where 30 or more have been counted on the grit trays beside the causeway in autumn. Listen for the pinging calls in the reeds. - **Crossbill** (Loxia curvirostra), resident, fair chance, months Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec: Conifer plantations. Listen for hard chip calls over Whinlatter and Grizedale and watch the tops of spruce and larch; the feeders at Whinlatter's wildlife hide sometimes draw them down. - **Siskin** (Carduelis spinus), resident, easy chance, months Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, Nov, Dec: Whinlatter's wildlife hide feeders and lakeside alders; in late winter siskins hang acrobatically from garden peanut and seed feeders across the county. - **Redpoll (lesser redpoll)** (Acanthis flammea), resident, fair chance, months Jan, Feb, Mar, Oct, Nov, Dec: Birch and alder tops, often in mixed flocks with siskins; Watchtree's wetland scrub and the birch cloughs at Geltsdale are listed sites. - **Tree pipit** (Anthus trivialis), summer visitor, fair chance, months Apr, May, Jun, Jul: Bog edges, clear fell and woodland clearings with scattered trees: the birch edges of Foulshaw Moss in May are reliable. It sings from a treetop then parachutes down with wings raised. - **Cuckoo** (Cuculus canorus), summer visitor, fair chance, months Apr, May, Jun: Late April to June on moss and fellside where meadow pipits nest; Foulshaw Moss and Haweswater are named sites and May is the month to hear the call. - **Short-eared owl** (Asio flammeus), resident, lucky chance, months Apr, May, Jun, Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb: Breeds on the Geltsdale moors and hunts by day; in winter watch the rough grass at South Walney, the Drigg dunes and Solway mosses in the last two hours of daylight. - **Barn owl** (Tyto alba), resident, lucky chance, months Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec: Dusk and dawn over rough grassland on the Solway Plain and the coastal dunes; the Watchtree sightings archive notes regular barn owl sightings in January and February. - **Tawny owl** (Strix aluco), resident, fair chance, months Jan, Feb, Mar, Oct, Nov, Dec: Heard far more often than seen: autumn and winter evenings in the Borrowdale oakwoods and at Grizedale, when pairs call to establish territories. The National Trust recommends winter evenings for tawny owls in Borrowdale. - **Red kite** (Milvus milvus), resident, fair chance, months Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec: Grizedale Forest, where 90 young kites were released between 2010 and 2012. Scan the sky from open viewpoints such as Carron Crag for the long, deeply forked tail. - **Buzzard** (Buteo buteo), resident, easy chance, months Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec: Anywhere with trees and thermals; listen for the mewing call and watch broad-winged birds circling over Whinlatter and Grizedale on warm mornings. - **Goldcrest** (Regulus regulus), resident, easy chance, months Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec: Conifers at Whinlatter and Grizedale; find it by the thin, very high song and watch for a tiny green bird flitting through the branches, sometimes at the hide feeders in winter. - **Treecreeper** (Certhia familiaris), resident, easy chance, months Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec: Mouse-like up the trunks of mature trees at Kingmoor and Wreay Woods, spiralling upwards then flying to the base of the next tree. - **Nuthatch** (Sitta europaea), resident, easy chance, months Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec: Loud whistles in mature oak and beech at Kingmoor, Talkin Tarn and Wreay Woods; watch for the blue-grey bird running head first down a trunk. - **Great spotted woodpecker** (Dendrocopos major), resident, easy chance, months Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec: Drumming from late winter into spring in any mature wood; in winter it is a bold visitor to the peanut feeders at Whinlatter's wildlife hide. - **Green woodpecker** (Picus viridis), resident, fair chance, months Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec: Listen for the loud laughing yaffle over the limestone pasture at Smardale Gill and in Ennerdale; it spends much of its time on the ground hunting ants, so check short grass and anthills. - **Snow bunting** (Plectrophenax nivalis), winter visitor, lucky chance, months Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar: Small parties on shingle and the tideline at Grune Point and Walney in late autumn, and the odd bird on the high fells in winter; Cumbria Bird Club's only 2016 record was eight at Grune Point on 13 November, and a bird was photographed at about 900 m on Helvellyn in March. - **Twite** (Linaria flavirostris), winter visitor, lucky chance, months Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar: Winter flocks feed on saltmarsh seed heads on the Solway and around Walney; Cumbria Bird Club recorded flocks of 250 on Border Marsh, 180 at Walney and 30 at Anthorn in autumn 2012. Separate from linnet by the tawny face, shorter tail and stubbier bill. - **Starling (murmuration)** (Sturnus vulgaris), resident, fair chance, months Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb: Murmurations form at dusk from November to February. Visit Cumbria names Gilcrux, the Solway near Silloth, Orton, Walney Island and Carlisle as places they have been seen, and a roost in the valley south of Distington drew thousands in December 2024; RSPB Leighton Moss in Lancashire is the reliable reserve. Roosts move, so check recent sightings before travelling. - **Sand martin** (Riparia riparia), summer visitor, fair chance, months Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug: Colonies in sandy river banks such as the Eden and its tributaries, which Cumbria Bird Club has surveyed; passage flocks feed over Grune Point and the Solway shore in spring and autumn. The first hirundine of the year, usually in March. - **House martin** (Delichon urbicum), summer visitor, easy chance, months Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep: Mud nests under the eaves of houses in villages across the county from late April to September; watch for the white rump. Passage flocks gather along the coast at Grune Point in autumn. - **Swift** (Apus apus), summer visitor, easy chance, months May, Jun, Jul: Screaming parties over town centres such as Carlisle, Penrith and Kendal on warm evenings from May to late July; swifts nest in old buildings and are gone again from early August. - **Golden eagle** (Aquila chrysaetos), historic, lucky chance, months : England's only golden eagles lived in Riggindale at Haweswater from 1969; the last female died in 2004 and the lone male was last seen in November 2015. In 2025 young satellite-tagged eagles from the South of Scotland Golden Eagle Project explored the Lake District and North Pennines, so a sighting is possible but cannot be planned. - **White-tailed eagle** (Haliaeetus albicilla), historic, lucky chance, months : Not resident in Cumbria. The last recorded breeding attempt was at Haweswater in 1787, and a steering group led by the Lifescape Project with the National Park, Cumbria Wildlife Trust and the RSPB is consulting on a reintroduction. Young eagles from Scotland are nomadic in their first years, so a wandering bird is possible. ## Spectacles of the year - **Svalbard barnacle geese on the Solway** (October to late April; on the Cumbrian marshes mainly from midwinter): Virtually the whole Svalbard population winters on the Solway, about 30,000 birds, and several thousand at a time feed east of Drumburgh from midwinter. The noise when a flock lifts is the point. - **Whooper swans at Caerlaverock and Moricambe Bay** (October to March): Icelandic whoopers winter on both shores, Moricambe Bay being a main Cumbrian site. For the close-up cross to WWT Caerlaverock in Scotland, which feeds them daily from October to March, up to 200 at a time. - **Ospreys at Foulshaw Moss and on Bassenthwaite** (Late March to early September): Foulshaw Moss has had a breeding pair since 2014, 32 chicks so far, and a second since 2025, watched from a platform and on live cams. In 2026 a Campfield Marsh pair raised three chicks, an RSPB first for England. - **Seabird cliffs at St Bees Head** (April to early July): The north west's only cliff-nesting seabird colony: thousands of guillemots, razorbills, kittiwakes and fulmars on 90 metre ledges, a few puffins and England's only black guillemots, April to early July. The smell arrives before the view. - **Wader roosts on Morecambe Bay** (September to March, two hours before high tide): The UK's most important estuary for wintering waders, over 240,000 waterbirds including 41,000 oystercatcher and 14,000 knot. Stand at Humphrey Head, Arnside or South Walney two hours before high water and watch the knot twist. - **Eiders and grey seals at South Walney** (All year; spring for courting eiders, high tide for seals): One of Europe's southernmost breeding eider sites and Cumbria's only grey seal colony, watched from the hides at high tide or on the seal webcam. The bird observatory has logged around 300 species since 1964. - **Starling murmurations** (November to February, at dusk): The reliable one is RSPB Leighton Moss in Lancashire, dusk, November to February. Cumbria's roosts move: Visit Cumbria lists Gilcrux, Silloth, Orton, Walney and Carlisle, and thousands gathered near Distington in December 2024. Check sightings first. - **Hen harriers at Geltsdale** (April to July for sky dancing and nesting): One of a handful of English nesting sites for the hen harrier, the UK's most persecuted bird of prey. 2026 was its best season in over a century: 13 chicks from three nests, helped by round the clock nest watches. ## Ospreys (https://fellandfamily.co.uk/birding/ospreys.html) Arrive: Late March or early April (last week of March or first week of April at Foulshaw Moss). Leave: Mid to late August at Bassenthwaite (Lake District National Park); end of August or early September at Foulshaw Moss (Cumbria Wildlife Trust). Ospreys bred in the Lake District in 2001 for the first time in over 150 years, near Bassenthwaite, and for years the Osprey Project ran public viewpoints at Dodd Wood. Then the birds moved to a nest you can't see from there, and the National Park says the project was disbanded in 2022 because pairs had re-established around the Lakes. So where now? Foulshaw Moss near Witherslack: a pair since 2014, 32 chicks, a second from 2025, a boardwalk to a platform with a telescope, and live cams. The National Park also points to the Osprey Safari boats on Esthwaite Water, and to Cogra Moss reservoir. And in 2026 a pair bred at RSPB Campfield Marsh, raising three chicks, the first on an RSPB reserve in England. My end of the county, and I'm still not over it. Timing: in during the last week of March or first of April, eggs late April, chicks early June, out of Bassenthwaite mid to late August and Foulshaw around the turn of September. Turn up mid September and it's an empty nest from a nice boardwalk. Check the cam first. ## Questions people ask **Where can I see puffins in Cumbria?** Only at RSPB St Bees Head, where a few pairs nest among thousands of guillemots, razorbills and kittiwakes. Go between May and early July, take a telescope, and don't expect Farne Islands numbers; Cumbria Bird Club's word for them is a few. **Are there ospreys in the Lake District?** Yes. A pair nested near Bassenthwaite Lake in 2001, the first in the Lake District for over 150 years, and by 2021 there were six established nests raising 15 chicks. The easiest place to watch them is the viewing platform at Foulshaw Moss from late March to the end of August, and in 2026 a pair bred at RSPB Campfield Marsh on the Solway. **When do the geese arrive on the Solway?** Pink-footed geese arrive in late September and early October, whooper swans from early to mid October, and the Svalbard barnacle geese build up through October and November. About 30,000 barnacle geese winter on the firth and they're gone again by late April or early May. **Where is the best birdwatching in the Lake District?** Depends on the month. In May and June the Borrowdale oakwoods, RSPB Haweswater and Smardale Gill have pied flycatchers, redstarts, wood warblers and ring ouzels; Foulshaw Moss has ospreys from April to August; Bassenthwaite Lake has the best winter wildfowl. For sheer numbers of birds the Solway and Morecambe Bay beat the fells every time. **Can you see eagles in the Lake District?** Not reliably, no. England's last golden eagle lived at Haweswater and was last seen in November 2015, and white-tailed eagles last tried to breed there in 1787. Young golden eagles from the South of Scotland project explored the Lake District in 2025 and a white-tailed eagle reintroduction is being consulted on, so a sighting is possible but you can't plan for it. **Where can I see red kites in Cumbria?** Grizedale Forest, between Coniston Water and Windermere. Ninety young kites were released there between 2010 and 2012 and the first Cumbrian breeding since 1807 was confirmed in 2014; any open viewpoint in the forest can produce one. **When is the best time to birdwatch on the Solway?** October to March, in the two hours before high tide, when the waders and wildfowl are pushed up onto the saltmarsh at Campfield Marsh, Bowness and Burgh Marsh. Check the tide table first because the coast road floods on the highest tides. **Where can I see hen harriers in Cumbria?** RSPB Geltsdale near Brampton, one of only a handful of English nesting sites, which fledged 13 chicks from three nests in 2026. April to July gives you a chance of the male's sky dance; in winter harriers hunt the Solway mosses, Foulshaw Moss and the Drigg dunes. **Where are the starling murmurations in Cumbria?** They move from year to year. Visit Cumbria lists Gilcrux, the Solway near Silloth, Orton, Walney Island and Carlisle, and thousands roosted south of Distington in December 2024. The reliable one is RSPB Leighton Moss, just over the border in Lancashire, at dusk from November to February. **Is Leighton Moss in Cumbria?** No, it's in Lancashire, a few miles from Arnside and the county line. It's the largest reedbed in north west England, with bitterns, bearded tits, marsh harriers and avocets, and it's the nearest place to Cumbria for all four.