Migrating birds

Crag LoughDuring the winter months, look out for visitors from the frozen north right on our doorstep.

Northumberland National Park is blessed with a series of shallow, fresh-water lakes, called loughs, strung out along the central section of Hadrian’s Wall, that are vital refuelling stopovers for many arctic-nesting birds who winter here.

Whooper SwansWhooper swans; a range of geese including Greylag, White Fronted, Pink Footed and Barnacle, and ducks such as Goldeneye, Goosander, Pochard, Wigeon and Teal can be seen on the loughs. Some are just passing through en route to the Solway estuary or Ireland. Others move around the north of England until conditions improve in early spring when they begin to make their way back to Scandinavia and the arctic circle to breed.

Greylag GeeseMigration is triggered by changes in daylight hours. Most birds return to the same places each year, and many wintering wildfowl fly some three thousand kilometres from places like Greenland and Spitzbergen in the Svalbard archipelago. Swans and geese fly at 60-80 kph, while some ducks reach 110 kph or even 160 kph with a following wind. Most flying takes place at between 650 and 200 metres, and you can see groups of the same species flying in great “V” shapes, called skeins. As far as we know, birds navigate using the pole star as a fixed Tealpoint, the position of the sun and moon and by recognising landmarks. Swans and geese pass the knowledge of their migration routes on to the next generation by flying with their young.

Broomlee, Crag and Greenlee loughs just north of Hadrian’s Wall above Bardon Mill, are all favoured watering holes where the birds dabble and graze the wet grassland. They are all European Special Areas of Conservation and Sites of WigeonSpecial Scientific Interest (SSSI). Greenlee is also a National Nature Reserve and its bird hide allows you stay out of the weather and watch the birds and without disturbing them. Grindon Lough on the Stanegate, south of the Wall, is visited by lots of birds and is best viewed from the road.

For information on locations and walks contact the National Park Centre at Once Brewed Telephone: +44 (0)1434 344396, Email: tic.oncebrewed@nnpa.org.uk.