Park life | Parks are great places to see wildlife. Take a few tips from the 'Hands on Nature' team as we get close to wildlife with three activities that you can do near your home. Or why not find out about new parkland locations to visit! | | Deer watching at Richmond Park |
Here are three activities that you can try out throughout the year in parkland areas. Happy nature watching! Red Kite adventure Harewood Estate in Yorkshire is set in beautiful grounds, including areas of natural woodland.
One of Harewood's main attractions is its Red Kites breeding programme. These magnificent birds can be seen flying high above the estate. Red kite identification
* Red kites have long wings with a wingspan over 1.5 metres (five feet).
* Look out for the Kites' rust-red plumage with white patches and black tips under their wings.
* The birds have a grey head and red chestnut on their backs and chests.
* Look out for the Red Kite's distinctive forked tail which can be compared with the Buzzard with its rounded, fan-shaped tail.
* Red Kites love to hover using thermals - a slightly windy day is ideal for seeing them floating on the air currents. Batman returnsSet on the shores of the Upper Lough Erne, Crom is one of Northern Ireland's most important conservation areas. It is also home to bats and is a great place to watch these nocturnal creatures. Look out for bat watching events throughout the summer months. Richmond Park's capital wildlife One of London's four Royal parks, Richmond is the largest open space in the capital, covering almost 1,000 hectares of natural habitats.
It's home to a huge variety of wildlife so here's some top tips on how to uncover its nature. Wildlife tips
* Lift up fallen logs to look for invertebrates - but make sure you put them back! * Dawn and dusk are good times to look for mammals such as rabbits, deer and bats. * A jam jar and a magnifying glass is useful for examining freshwater life - but make sure you put it back where you found it. |