AROUND THE BRITISH ISLES IN 20 SPECIES

Join Patrick Barkham on a tour around the UK to spot some of our most spectacular flora and fauna. Then choose your favourite and go!

Patrick Barkham takes us on a tour of the UK to discover our most spectacular flora and fauna

Seals NORTH NORFOLK

Most summers, I take my children on a boat trip from Morston Quay in North Norfolk to see the seals. There’s a real sense of kinship between the chatty mammals in the open boat and the grunting, snorting mammals sunning themselves on the sand spit at the end of Blakeney Point. Our shores are a vital sanctuary for seals – more than onethird of the world’s grey seal population is found around the British Isles. These (and harbour seals) are faring well. Both pup on secluded winter beaches, but in summer you might spot them at their favourite ‘haul out’ spots between fishing trips. For boat trips, head to Morston Quay at high tide: Beans Boats (to book, call 01263 740505) or Temples (01263 740791). Wildlife photographer David Tipling also offers bespoke tours (norfolkphotosafaris.com).

Peregrine falcons LONDON

Even in the capital, you only have to look up to experience one of the most spectacular predators – the fastest animal on the planet. The peregrine falcon was almost driven to extinction by persecution and now-banned pesticides such as DDT. However, in the past two decades, it has colonised our cities – luxury tower blocks, industrial chimneys and church spires providing the metropolitan equivalent to high cliffs, where it traditionally nests. Numerous pairs live around Battersea Power Station and St Paul’s. They also nest in cathedrals and tall buildings in Bath, Derby, Winchester and Wakefield among other urban places. The Derby Cathedral Peregrine Project runs free‘ peregrine watch points ’( derbyshire wildlife trust. org.uk). In London, the Tate Modern, Charing Cross Hospital and Leadenhall Building are peregrine hotspots (wildlondon.org.uk).

Swallowtail butterflies NORFOLK BROADS

With its vibrant yellow-and-black stripes and dabs of red and blue, the swallowtail might look like an exotic escapee from a tropical butterfly house, but it’s actually our largest native butterfly. Apart from the odd visitor from France to our south coast, the swallowtail is only found on the Norfolk Broads, where the caterpillars feed on milk parsley. I’ve often glimpsed this dynamic insect dashing across Strumpshaw Fen (rspb. org.uk) or Hickling Broad (norfolkwildlife trust.org.uk). For events hosted on World Swallowtail Day (13 June), visit sbbt.org.uk. I also run swallowtail-spotting weekends on the Broads (greenwings.co, then click on ‘our holidays’).

Pine martens INVERNESS-SHIRE

The pine marten is one of our most elusive carnivores. Historic persecution by gamekeepers led to it being wiped out in England and Wales, but it managed to hold on in the Scottish Highlands and is now creeping back into Wales, Northumberland, Shropshire and the New Forest. The best way to see it is by visiting a purpose-built wildlife hide. I’ve been lucky enough to see one extremely close up when I stayed at Aigas Field Centre in the Highlands and visited their specialist wildlife hide at dusk for a guided watch

(aigas.co.uk/pine-martens-aigas). The marten dashed around impressively, exuding a beady-eyed intelligence, its eyes flashing electric blue in the torchlight. Alternatively, pine martens are regularly spotted at the Crom Estate in County Fermanagh (nationaltrust.org.uk /crom).

Bitterns SOMERSET LEVELS

While most ‘spottings’ in nature are a visual treat, the bittern is most definitely an auditory one. Its remarkable call or ‘boom’ stands out amid the glorious cacophony of early summer birdsong and sounds like an amplified version of someone blowing over the top of an old-fashioned milk bottle. Thanks to much wetland restoration, there are now more than 200 to be found in north-east England, Yorkshire and the Fens, but the real hotspots are the East Anglian Broads and the Somerset Levels. The latter is the heron capital of Britain – in addition to the bittern and little bittern, it’s home to the grey heron, little egret, great white egret, cattle egret and spectacular night heron, as well as enormous, charismatic cranes. Book onto a tour with acclaimed birder Stephen Moss (somerset birdwatchingholidays.com/spring-birding-bonanza).

Orcas NORTHERN SCOTLAND

The wildlife sighting that caused my heart to beat like no other was during a visit to Shetland. A local guide tipped me off that a pod of orcas had been spotted. I ran to the water and soon saw a tall black fin rising from the waves. Then another, a muscular black bulk, spitting up water. I joined a crowd watching from a headland. Out to sea, there was a thrashing of white foam. A body leapt from the green water, flashing black and white, before slamming down. For your best chance of a sighting, head to Scotland’s north coast and its islands. Whale and Dolphin Conservation runs an annual orca and whale watch at the end of May (uk.whales.org). Brydon Thomason offers wildlife tours of Shetland (shetlandnature.net).

Natterjack toads CHESHIRE

Natterjacks are another creature you go searching for with your ears rather than your eyes. There’s something strange and beautiful about this rare toad chorus, which echoes far beyond the ponds where they congregate on early summer evenings. The grating-vibrating ‘brrr-hrrr’ has baffled many a listener. Is it the noise of the tropics or a mechanical sound? These toads are mostly found on coastal pools in Cumbria, Cheshire, North Wales, Lancashire and East Anglia. I’ve enjoyed their calling at several seaside nature reserves at the end of May, and later in July have met hundreds of their toadlets on a surprisingly speedy march out from their birthing pools. You can enjoy aural encounters with the amphibians at Red Rocks Marsh in Cheshire, where they breed in the brackish pools behind the dunes( cheshire wildlife trust. org.uk /nature-reserves/red-rocks-marsh).

Manx shearwaters SKOMER

While Britain is home to many remarkable nesting seabirds, there are none so otherworldly as the Manx shearwater, and Skomer, off the coast of west Wales, has the largest population (310,000 pairs) in the world. These delicate white-and-black birds are magnificent flying machines, dipping – or ‘shearing’ – from side to side as they glide just above the surf. They overwinter in the South Atlantic, before travelling north to breed in burrows on remote British and Irish isles. Skomer and nearby Skokholm are run by The Wildlife Trust of South & West Wales – day trips (Skomer only) and overnight stays are available (welshwildlife.org/ skomer-skokholm). Lundy in Devon also offers day trips and overnight accommodation (landmarktrust.org.uk).

Beavers DEVON

While you rarely see more than a ripple of a fast-moving otter, the beaver is a languid, slow-cruising herbivore – making it a delight to watch. The perfect emblem of British wildlife restoration, these industrious mammals are slowly being reintroduced across the country, as their dams are credited with filtering pollutants. In summer, they can be seen paddling with their kits – impossibly cute aquatic guinea pigs – who make a sighting even more memorable. I’ve especially enjoyed seeing wild beavers on the banks of the River Otter in Devon. There’s good public access along this waterway, with evidence of the animals from Budleigh Salterton across the East Devon AONB to Honiton. Cornwall Wildlife Trust also offers beaver-watching tours (cornwallwildlifetrust.org.uk /what-we-do/ our-conservation work/ on-land/ cornwall-beaver-project ).

COUNTY Spring gentians DURHAM

I find vivid blues possess a unique magic in nature, and nothing delivers that experience like a spring gentian. Upper Teesdale is justly famed among botanists but overlooked by many who dash to the Lake District. The valley’s outcrops of ‘sugar limestone’ – formed 295 million years ago – gave rise to unique floral riches. This month, meadows are filled with marsh marigolds but also rarer beauties such as the bog orchid and bird’s eye primrose. But the star is the gentian – little bigger than a daisy – a wild flower DH Lawrence called “Pluto’s dark-blue daze”. Park at Cow Green Reservoir or on the B6277 south of Langdon Beck. Gentians are most visible on Natural England’s nature trail along the access road to Cow Green Reservoir (northpennines.org.uk).