WILDLIFE
What a wealth of wildlife and beautiful, varied landscapes - right on your doorstep at Temple Newsam, and all
within the confines of a great city. One could just make a list here of all that you might see, but it's more
exciting and rewarding to be able to observe nature and the countryside first hand throughout the various seasons.
Animals, birds, insects and plants abound, but don't forget that it is the season that will mostly decide on what
you are able to see.
Perhaps some short notes, but not too many, of 'what' and 'where' will whet your appetite and entice you to sample
the various nature trails that have been set up.
Birds
All the common, obvious birds are always hanging around here, like the robin, the swallow, the
starling etc., but we also have sparrowhawks, jays and lots of others.
The extensive woodlands make Temple Newsam particularly rich in woodland birds. There are all three species of
woodpeckers: the green, the lesser spotted and greater spotted. The Shrogs is an excellent place for skylarks,
yellow hammers and willow warblers whilst the Gardens have kingfishers, mistle thrushes and rooks.
Fungi
The Estate is very rich in Fungi probably due to the varied ages and variety of the trees. The
main area to investigate is Avenue Woods on the eastern side. Here you will find a wide selection. There are edible
mushrooms such as the Wood Blewit, Honey Fungus or Oyster Mushroom and also poisonous varieties like the
Fly Agaric, Panther Cap or Destroying Angel.
On the southern edge, Bell Wood contains many examples of the BeefSteak Mushroom, whilst Spring Wood is
particularly rich in Milk-caps and Russulas.
Best of all is the centrally situated "exe" Wood, with its wide variety of edible fungi including Boletes, Ink
Caps and Brackets.
Bats
There are 4 species of Bat on the Estate. The best time to see them is at dusk, between April and September.
Here are some tips to see them. Bring a torch, warm clothing and a bat detector if possible. Start at the Farm and
walk down through the Gardens to the Middle Lake of the Lakeside Gardens. On the way you could see -
Pipistrelle These small bats fly around large trees being quick and highly manovrable.
Brown Long–eared These are the stealth planes of the bat world. They have large ears, which they use to creep
up on unsuspecting insects, picking their prey off leaves before they have chance to flee.
Noctule The swift of the bat world. This bat flies high above the treetops, in long straight lines.
Daubenton or Pond Bat Get your torch out and shine a light along the surface of the water on the middle lake.
These bats skim the water's surface picking up insects. You can often see 20 – 30 bats feeding.
External Link : Bat Conservation Trust
Other Mammals
A walk through Avenue Woods can show you a wealth of evidence of mammal activity even
though most of these creatures come out at night. Roe Deer, Fox, Wood Mice, Squirrels, Hares, Voles are but a few
to be found.
Tracks - Footprints can be seen beside wet areas like the ponds and streams.
Trails - Look for paths through brambles. Their height indicate the animal using it. The smallest (30cm) are
rabbit, 60cm for fox, 100 cm for deer and 200+cm for people!
Signs - There are many types. Feeding signs such as cherrystones, Hazelnuts or Acorns with a variety of holes nibbled
in them can show feeding activity. there are various droppings, their shape indicating their source. Hair
is also a good indicator. Following an animal path to a fence. Where there is barbed wire, or netting, search for evidence.. Hairs can be trapped where the
animal has squeezed underneath. Watch out though for fur from the wide variety of dogs about.
