North Walney: seasonal highlights
North Walney is a great place to visit all year round!
Spring and summer are the best times to visit, when the dune flowers add a splash of colour to the scenery and the reserve comes to life with a buzz of invertebrate and bird species. However, there is always something to see – just remember that North Walney is a very exposed site, so whether it’s sunny or stormy you should ensure you have suitable protective clothing and refreshments with you!
Spring
March – Breeding birds arrive and begin to nest on the ground. Make sure you keep your dog on a short lead from 1 March to 31 July to give these birds a fighting chance! Badgers and foxes begin courting and can be more visible, noisier and smellier than usual as they do their best to impress one another!
April – The best time to see and hear the natterjack toads making their way down from the dunes to the breeding pools. Common frogs, common toads and palmate newts will also be busy at this time of year – look for their spawn or tadpoles in the ponds. The reserve sheep will also begin lambing – another reason to be responsible and make sure you keep dogs on a short lead!
May – Look out for passing migrant birds like warblers, and enjoy the displays of singing skylarks and looping lapwings on a sunny day! Dune flowers such as the heart-ease pansy and early orchids begin to flower, and the gorse bushes come into full bloom exuding an irresistible coconut smell!
Summer
June – More wildflowers are blooming, and with it the invertebrate life comes alive with a buzz! Count the wasps in the sand dunes and search for hairy caterpillars on plants and bushes. Our resident wildfowl and waders will be busy breeding; look out for ducklings, goslings and cygnets appearing on the ponds. Admire them from a distance though. Remember it is against the law to disturb breeding birds.
July – This is the best time to see rare orchids such as the such as the green flowered helleborine and dune helleborine. Red and black burnet moths dot the dune landscape, and if you’re lucky you may even spot a nocturnal garden tiger moth! The ‘Walney geranium’ also comes into bloom in the northern sand dunes and the hay meadows become a colourful ‘mini-beast jungle’, humming with butterflies, dragonflies and damselflies!
August – Stunning purple sea lavender carpets the salt marsh and the heath land follows suite as the heather comes into flower too. On a sunny day watch out for common lizards basking on the beach or scuttling between the shingle. Feathers dot the landscape as birds lose their breeding plumage in preparation for winter. Barn owl parents are visible at dusk as they increase their hunting in a bid to feed their ever-growing chicks.
Autumn
September – The reserve is bursting with fungi – from puffballs to parasol mushrooms – there’s plenty to spot. Many migrant bird species prepare to leave for the winter, whilst others begin to arrive. You may even be able to spot some more obscure migrants simply ‘stopping over’ for a rest on Walney in-between flights. The toads, frogs and lizards prepare for hibernation, gobbling down as many invertebrates as they can manage.
October – Autumn brings stormy weather and spring tides, and this can be a great time to search the strandline for interesting shells and other marine life. Just keep your fingers away from the jellyfish! If you’re lucky you may even spot a grey seal off the northern end of the reserve. Winter-time bird visitors also begin to arrive. Look out for short-eared owls hunting in the heath, and marvel at the swirling flocks of knots over the sea. Everything begins to quiet for the winter, until next year!
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Contents
- North Walney NNR
- What makes it special?
- History
- Seasonal highlights
- How to get there
- School and community groups
- Want to get involved?
Resources
- Site map
(Nature on the Map)
Events
Other NNRs in the area