Natural England - Castle Eden Dene: wildlife

Castle Eden Dene: wildlife

Look out for ancient oaks, yews, ash and wych elms, many of which are the descendants of trees that first arrived here after the last Ice Age.

In most natural woodlands, up to a quarter of the trees may be dead and rotting, and the Dene is no different, with many dead trees left to rot where they fall.

Both living and dying trees are home to fungi and insects which feed many woodland birds. In autumn, toadstools spread across the deadwood, while in the spring it reverberates to the familiar drumming of woodpeckers.

The cavities and holes in old trees are also a great place for the Dene’s resident bats to roost, while other mammals that live on the reserve include roe deer, fox and badger.

If you’re lucky you may see a sparrowhawk swooping through the trees hunting for prey, while woodcocks enjoy the protection of the undergrowth.

Listen out too for the clear, sharp ‘twit’ of nuthatches as they walk head first down trees searching for food. You may also hear the high pitched call of goldcrests up in the tree tops.

Plantlife at the reserve includes primrose, wild garlic, and wood anemones in spring. In early summer parts of the wood are carpeted with bluebells, while in late summer and autumn it’s time to admire the glowing red berries of wild arum or Lords and Ladies.

There are spectacular patches of giant horsetail throughout the woodland, an incredible plant that’s changed little since prehistoric times, and at the bottom of the Dene, where conditions are always damp and moist, mosses, liverworts and ferns, such as the smooth green fronds of harts tongue, thrive.

Along any of the path look out for the speckled wood butterfly. The male has wings spotted with orange, the female with yellow, and both love feeding on brambles.