As a CNHS member, you are invited to attend the events organised this spring and summer. Most walks take place at the weekend with occasional weekday evening sessions too.

If you would like more information, contact the named leader for the walk. If no contact details are supplied, email info@calislenats.uk.

Download the FULL programme.

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Friday 25th April 2025, from 7pm:
Carlisle Natural History Society and Cumberland Bat Group – Bat Walk at Watchtree Nature Reserve

Venue: Watchtree Nature Reserve, Nr Wiggonby, Carlisle, CA5 6NL

What3Words: ///fallback.select.usual

Lead: Sam Griffin

Contact on the day: 07786318302

An evening walk around Watchtree Nature Reserve with Cumberland Bat Group. The meeting will start with checks of roosting boxes from around 7pm. The bat walk will commence at sunset. If you have a bat detector, bring it along although the Bat Group will have some to demonstrate and help to determine bat species present.

If the weather is poor that evening, we will still meet for an evening walk and look for other wildlife although bats might not be present!

Please wear suitable clothing and footwear for walking around the reserve: waterproofs recommended. Ample parking/toilets available. Walk is approx. 3 miles on mostly flat ground.

Booking recommended (to help with planning) but not required. If you would like to book, please do so here:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc8ErFsJGzNU1YClLEJ2U7ooQv_2wdgFN1qE4e6_NtdCARdHg/viewform?usp=sharing

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Saturday 21st June 2025, from 10am:
Tindale Fells and Tarn Walk

Venue: Park opposite the ‘Belted Will’ and Village Hall in Hallbankgate [NY580595; CA8 2NJ] by 10am; share cars to travel a further mile to park for walk.

What3Words: ///bracing.tidal.cool

Lead: David Clarke and Adam Moan

Contact on the day: TBC

We will visit the area below the Tindale Fells between Forest Head and Tindale Tarn. Weather permitting, we should find breeding Whinchats and Ring Ouzels, with a chance of Adders and Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary. We may hear and possibly see Grasshopper Warbler and Cuckoo, plus breeding Curlew, Redshank, Lapwing and Common Sandpiper. The beck should have Golden-ringed Dragonflies and valley now has a series of new ponds that should attract dragonflies and other wildlife. The Tarn often attracts visiting Ospreys.

The Visitor Centre at Stagsike has displays, toilets, refreshments (Honesty Box for tea/coffee) but bring water and lunch.

A circular walk of up to 4 miles, mainly on Public Rights of Way. Some moderate uphill slopes. Waterproof footwear strongly advised.

Booking required – places limited: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc8ErFsJGzNU1YClLEJ2U7ooQv_2wdgFN1qE4e6_NtdCARdHg/viewform?usp=sharing

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Sunday 29th June 2025, from 10am:
Cumbria Invertebrate Group with Carlisle Natural History Society – Bolton Fell Moss Walk

Venue: Bolton Fell Moss, Hethersgill, Carlisle CA6 6JL

What3Words: ///pepper.departure.exile

Lead: David Scott-Langley and Cumbria Invertebrate Group

Contact on the day: 07792  497568

This visit to Bolton Fell Moss National Nature Reserve is led by Cumbria Invertebrate Group. The site was previously used for the commercial extraction of peat but has undergone extensive and ongoing restoration. Linking to the nearby Walton Moss, one of the most pristine bogs in Britain, the sites form a landscape of bogs supporting features typical of raised mire but also has structural features of upland blanket bog. They have a variety of Sphagnum moss species and other bryophytes, including some nationally scarce species. The rare Bog Rosemary and all three native species of sundew can be found across the sites.

Please wear suitable clothing and footwear for walking around the reserve: waterproofs recommended. There is a continuous circular boardwalk around the reserve.

Booking recommended (to help with planning) but not required. If you would like to book, please do so here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc8ErFsJGzNU1YClLEJ2U7ooQv_2wdgFN1qE4e6_NtdCARdHg/viewform?usp=sharing

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Saturday 12th July 2025, 8:30-10am:
Moth Breakfast

Venue: Stephen and Alison Mott’s home in Carlisle

Contact on the day: email: stephen@mott.me.uk or mobile: 079 309 70579

Come for breakfast at the home of Stephen & Alison Mott in Carlisle and discover what moths have been caught in the garden light trap. Traps from other sites will also be explored. Coffee, tea, croissants will be available!

For catering purposes, please book your place by Thursday 10^th July and state any dietary requirements at time of booking (link below). Contact details must be provided so that Stephen can contact you if the event does not go ahead due to adverse weather for mothing. Location of house will be given after booking received.

Booking required – places are limited: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc8ErFsJGzNU1YClLEJ2U7ooQv_2wdgFN1qE4e6_NtdCARdHg/viewform?usp=sharing

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Saturday 6th September 2025, from10am:
Solway Wildlife

Venue: Bowness on Solway CWT Nature Reserve and RSPB Campfield Marsh, Carlisle, Cumbria CA7 5AG

What3Words: ///rhino.seasick.everyone (Campfield Marsh) and ///adverbs.zone.warping (CWT Reserve)

Lead: Mike and Anne Abbs

Contact on the day: TBC

A late summer walk around Cumbria Wildlife Trust’s Bowness on Solway Reserve which will explore the variety of habitats in this 7 hectare site including  a variety of butterflies, moths and dragonflies. The walk will start and finish at Campfield Marsh (where parking and toilets are available). High tide is at 11am so there will also be an opportunity to look for migrating birds on the estuary.

Please wear suitable clothing and footwear for walking around the reserve: waterproofs recommended.

Waymarked route around the CWT reserve is 1 mile. There are boardwalks over wetter areas and a small number of steps.

Booking recommended (to help with planning) but not required. If you would like to book, please do so here:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc8ErFsJGzNU1YClLEJ2U7ooQv_2wdgFN1qE4e6_NtdCARdHg/viewform?usp=sharing

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As a CNHS member, you are invited to attend the events organised this spring and summer. Most walks take place at the weekend with occasional weekday evening sessions too.

If you would like more information, contact the named leader for the walk. If no contact details are supplied, email info@calislenats.uk.

Download the programme.

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11th May 2024 Saturday:
Tarras Valley Nature Reserve

Leader: Frank Mawby and Kat Meyer.

Kilgreen car park Langholm.Grid ref NY 363849 meet at 10a.m.

Due to the size of the site, in order to see more than just the moorland driving is necessary, but to reduce the number of vehicles the intention is to meet at the Kilgreen car park in Langholm town and then share vehicles. The route through the site has a ford halfway, which can be crossed in suitable vehicles, but can be avoided by driving back through the town if necessary.

Harriers are best seen from the roadside, so to begin with we intend to stop on the moorland road for a while to look for them, before driving down into the valley and woodlands. If everyone is interested, there is a walk that follows the river, often offering views of cuckoos, dippers, pied flycatchers etc (depending on migration times/ time of year), which goes to some beautiful wood pasture with ancient alder trees. Walking conditions across the site are generally rough and wet, so although we can alter where we walk on the day, waterproof boots or wellies are generally recommended. 

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5th June 2024 Wednesday:
Carlisle Green Spaces

Leaders: Guy Broome and Stephen Mott.
 
Sheepmount Car Park Carlisle. Grid ref NY 395566 meet at 6:30p.m.
 
We will proceed along Hadrian’s Footpath along the banks of the Eden, passing the junction of the Caldew, proceeding to Engine Lonning, a Cumberland Council re-wilded railway yard. The habitat is lush riverine vegetation and an excellent corridor for Wildlife of all sorts. Diverse Taxa including Vertebrates, Invertebrates, Plants and Fungi are abundant in this urban site that is on our Society’s doorstep. There is no need to leave the footpath but those that wish to should wear wellies and thorn-proof trousers.

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22nd June 2024 Saturday:
Motty’s Mothing Breakfast

Come for breakfast (08.30am till 10.30am Coffee & Croissants) at the home of Stephen & Alison Mott in Carlisle and discover what moths have been caught in the garden light trap.

FOR CATERING PURPOSES PLEASE CONTACT STEPHEN BY THURSDAY 20TH JUNE IF YOU WISH TO ATTEND AND STATE ANY DIETARY REQUIREMENTS. CONTACT DETAILS MUST BE PROVIDED SO THAT HE CAN CONTACT YOU IF THE EVENT DOES NOT GO AHEAD DUE TO WET WEATHER FORECAST.

Contact: stephen@mott.me.uk . Location of house will be given on application.

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30th June 2024 Sunday:
Borders Forest Trust

Leader: Frank Mawby and Adrian Kershaw

Corehead/Devil’s Beeftub 10:30a.m.

The tour, chat and lunch will take us until at least 2 p.m., which will still allow time for a brief visit to Talla & Gameshope.  This is a 30-minute drive from Corehead.

Nearest postcode;          DG10 9LT (Do not take right turn if following sat nav, keep going to Ericstane Farm).
WhatThreeWords             CAR PARK trials.awakening.snap
Grid reference;                 NT 073 122

3.7 miles north out of Moffat, take Beechgrove/Old Edinburgh Road, NOT the A701 which takes you to the top of ‘The Beeftub’. Follow the Old Edinburgh Road to the end, Ericstane farmyard, then turn sharp right, left over the bridge then follow the track right out of the farmyard to our car park/barn. 
Corehead: https://goo.gl/maps/J1swdzgj8qb9MaN57

Details for the second site of the visit: Talla and Gameshope.
Nearest postcode;           ML12 6QR
WhatThreeWords;           Gameshope (bottom entrance).  secrets.armful.honeybees
                                             Talla (top entrance).                feasts.exporters.mascots
Grid reference;                 Gameshope (Bottom entrance). NT 134 201
                                             Talla (top entrance).                NT 143 201

From the A701 turn off at Tweedsmuir; from the A708 turn off towards Megget and Talla reservoirs. 
Talla and Gameshope: https://goo.gl/maps/zCWCJJwEF7p6Xwiv6
 
The Borders Forests Trust is best known for their pioneering work (they are amongst the first in their vision and purpose), transforming the Carrifran valley (acquired in 2000) from sheep grazed, wildlife impoverished moorland into a diverse ‘wildwood’ landscape. More recently in 2009 they acquired 1580 acres of valley and moorland in the Devil’s Beeftub, which is a mix of semi-natural grassland and new woodland. They increased their holding in 2013 with the purchase of 4527 acres of the Talla and Gameshope valley. With a history of land use similar to Carrifran the Trust aims to transform these two sites into diverse wildwood and mixed habitats, bringing back associated wildlife. The Trust has an excellent website which is well worth visiting to whet your appetite for this visit. There is no doubt we shall see and hear much about their success and ambitious plans. I should also mention that we are also close to the Borders Golden Eagle project and there is always the chance of a sighting.

Depending on the weather walking boots will be the recommended footwear. Footwear and clothing as usual will be determined by the weather so please wear appropriate outdoor clothes and be prepared with sun cream if perchance it is sunny.

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27th July 2024 Saturday:
General Wildlife

Leaders: Phil Chadwick (West Cumbria Rivers Trust) and Sam Griffin. Contact Sam – 07786318302

River Ehen – Low Moor End Farm, Ennerdale Bridge, CA23 3AS

Meet at gate at 10:00hrs (NY 07347 15829), and drive down to farm where there is plenty of parking space. Track is slightly rough but passable.

The River Ehen is designated as a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) and Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). Freshwater mussels (Margaritifera margaritifera) and Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) are both qualifying reasons for the designation of the upper River Ehen as an SAC. The river supports the largest population of freshwater mussels in England. A former drinking water abstraction licence held by United Utilities (and potential drought orders at Ennerdale Water) were determined to have potentially significant negative impacts on both interest features of the River Ehen SAC during a Habitats Directive ‘Review of Consents’ completed by the Environment Agency. In December 2013 the EA confirmed the decision ‘to revoke the Ennerdale Water abstraction licence as soon as is reasonably practicable and to investigate options with regard to timing of weir removal and withdrawal of the compensation flow’. Evidence from the severe stress event affecting the mussels in the spring and early summer of 2012 contributed to the decision.

Following the revocation of the abstraction licence, United Utilities in conjunction with Natural England and the Environment Agency, developed a package of compensatory measures to reduce, or offset, adverse impacts on the River Ehen SAC, whilst alternative public supply – via the Thirlmere Transfer Pipeline / West Cumbria Supply Scheme – was completed. The West Cumbria Supply scheme was competed in 2023 when abstraction from Ennerdale Water ceased. The compensatory measures implemented between 2013 and 2023 included the reinstatement of Ben Gill to deliver water and gravels back to the River Ehen, compensatory pumping arrangements to maintain flows in the River Ehen during period of dry weather and the purchase of land around the River Ehen at Bleach Green, The Mill and Low Moor End.

Low Moor End was purchased in 2015 and all agricultural activity on the site ceased. At that time Low Moor End consisted of semi-improved neutral grassland, which is heavily dominated by soft rush and Yorkshire fog grass. The River Ehen occupies a meandering course through this area and is tree lined on one or both banks throughout. Tree species are of a variety of ages and many have holes, crevices and hollows which may be used by roosting bats and nesting birds.

Since the purchase of Low Moor End in 2015, West Cumbria Rivers Trust have managed the site. Areas of the site have been planted as woodland and scrub, ditches have been blocked and all agricultural practices ceased.  

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17th August 2024 Saturday:
Insect Hunt

Leaders: Gary Skinner, Mike and Anne Abbs

Kettlewell Car Park, Borrowdale   NY 26702 19516 . Meet at 9:30a.m. The car park is quite small but there should be spaces available at this time. Lodore Hotel offers an alternative parking option although you will need to purchase food/drink for access!

Wellies should not be required but stout footwear is advisable.

The main focus of the day will be the hairy or northern wood ant Formica lugubris.  We should be able to find it in the Lodore Falls area.  The ants themselves are fascinating and I will talk about their biology around the nest.  In addition, people may be interested in looking for myrmecophiles, of which the wood ants harbour many.   One such is Formicoxenus nitidulus, the shining guest ant or SGA.  This has been found with F. lugubris in The Duddon area in 1998 but not, so far as I can tell, in the Borrowdale population in recent years.  There is a specimen in Tullie House which NBN atlas has at Latitude: 54.614561 Longitude: -3.162853 which seems unlikely now as I do not know of F. lugubris in that area North of the Lake, but again on NBN, there are 2 records, one in 1907 and one in 1980.  This is not the best time of year for the SGA but it is not hopeless, a lot will depend on the weather, it likes dull warm days apparently.  Leptothorax acervorum, Myrmica rubra, Formica fusca, Myrmica rubra, Lasius niger and Formica lemani have also been found in this general area, so we will take a look around for these.  

A sieve will be useful for myrmecophiles, I will bring one but if others have them that would be useful, along with white trays. 

If time permits the group may move further down the valley with Mike and Anne to look for dragonflies and butterflies.

No dogs are permitted at this event.

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