Wildlife to look out for in the Forest of Bowland this autumn

As the days shorten and the shadows lengthen, the steep-sided river valleys gild the fringes of the Bowland uplands with the auburn colours of autumn. Along the Hodder, Wyre, Roeburn and Wenning, the leaves melt into a fiery display that rivals the best of New England.

As the last of the migratory birds like the wheatear and ring ouzel return to sunnier climbs, beneath the golden woodland canopy, Atlantic salmon brave the autumn spates to swim upstream to their spawning grounds in the headwaters of the Ribble and Hodder. Our friends at the Ribble Rivers Trust are working hard to improve both the Ribble and the Hodder to safeguard their increasingly scarce salmon populations. Click on the link below to find out more.

On the forest floor, toadstools and mushrooms push up through dense drifts of fallen leaves and the resident roe and sika deer become more visible as the rut approaches.

This is a busy time for the farming communities as the harvest needs to be safely gathered in and cattle and sheep brought down from the fells and installed in their winter quarters. In between wrangling sheep and weather-proofing outbarns, farmers gather at various showgrounds across the Forest of Bowland for the traditional autumn agricultural shows – a chance to renew friendships, exchange gossip, compare notes and show off the pride of their flocks and herds.

The Hodder Valley Show and Chipping Agricultural Show are permanent fixtures on the farming calendar and offer an inspiring showcase of the best of Bowland produce and an unrivalled insight into the pride and passion our farmers invest in their stewardship of these important upland landscapes.

Before the frosts of winter establish their icy grip, the Dark Skies of Bowland present an excellent opportunity to indulge in a spot of star gazing. Light pollution is kept to a minimum in this sparsely populated corner of Lancashire and since the AONB achieved Dark Sky Discovery Site status, the area has become popular with amateur astronomers.

With no large towns or cities for over 20 miles in any direction, the skies at the heart of the forest are among the darkest in England, allowing observers to see millions more stars, constellations and galaxies than in more built-up areas.

What to look out for in Autumn

• On the Ribble and the Hodder, look out for returning merganser and goosander – large, fish-eating ducks with spectacular green or russet heads, which breed inland before the males return to sea.

• Look out for short-eared owls patrolling over the grassland above Stocks Reservoir and Gisburn Forest at dusk
  
• Head to Roeburndale or the Lower Hodder near Hurst Green for tranquil riverside walks and spectacular autumn colours.
  
• As dusk descends, watch huge flocks of redwing gather for a communal roosts at Kemple End on Longridge Fell.

• Our friends at Lancashire Wildlife Trust have compiled some more handy autumn wildlife-watching tips here:

Posted
13th September 2024
in News