Geltsdale RSPB reserve

Geltsdale RSPB reserve
Nature reserve
Howgill Beck and Stagsike Cottages (visitor information point for the RSPB reserve). Photo by Ian Taylor.
Country	England
County	Cumbria
Coordinates	54°55′09″N 2°36′58″W / 54.91929°N 2.61621°W / 54.91929; -2.61621Coordinates: 54°55′09″N 2°36′58″W / 54.91929°N 2.61621°W / 54.91929; -2.61621
Biome	Moorland
Animal	Black grouse, Hen harrier
For public	Open year round
Protection status	AONB, (see note1) SSSI (see note2) and SPA
Website: http://www.rspb.org.uk/reserves-and-events/find-a-reserve/reserves-a-z/reserves-by-name/g/geltsdale/index.aspx

Geltsdale RSPB reserve is a nature reserve in Geltsdale, Cumbria, England. The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds manages the site for upland birds such as the hen harrier and black grouse.

Birdlife and habitats

The hen harrier is a bird of open habitats such as heather moorland, a type of vegetation which is typical of the reserve. The black grouse requires a more varied habitat and the RSPB has planted many trees at Geltsdale.

Facilities

There is a visitor information point.^[1]

There is free entry to the reserve. There are four waymarked trails leading from the car park at Howgill:^[2]

• There is a viewpoint at an altitude of 1,500 feet at Bruthwaite.^[3] The Bruthwaite trail is 1.8 miles,
• the Stagsike Trail covers 2.8 miles
• the Moorland Trials are 2.5 miles and 5 miles respectively.

Hen harrier

In 2016 a hen harrier chick fledged at the reserve.^[4] Named Bonny,^[5] he was one of only seven such chicks to fledge that year in England. Bonny was satellite tagged as part of a project funded by the European Union LIFE Programme. Information was no longer transmitted from the tag after 14 December 2016 and he is assumed to have died.^[6][7]

Notes

1.^ North Pennines AONB

2.^ Geltsdale & Glendue Fells

References

External links

Official website