manxwt.org.uk

Out & About Winter 2009/2010

Winter has well and truly arrived, the days are short, and now we can really enjoy the chill winter season - wrap up warm and get out and about this winter!

Winter Walks

Why not make the most of the beautiful countryside our Island has to offer this winter? 

Enjoy a winter woodland walk at Cooildarry - it can be a really rewarding experience at this time of year. Find out more about Cooildarry here.

Eleven of the Trust’s reserves are open to the public, and they are all free of charge to visit.  Find out more about all the Trust's open reserves and find maps & direction to them here

Migrating Birds

The Isle of Man is the destination of choice for many birds during the winter.  Birds which spend their summer in the Arctic, such as Brent Geese, will head south to the relatively warmer conditions of a Manx winter.  So if you are at Derbyhaven and you see some small black and white geese (Brent Geese) feeding on the algae in the mudflats, imagine how far they have come to be here.  

Take a walk on the Ayres for winter visitors - look out to sea for sightings of Goldeneye and Divers and along the shore for Golden Plover.  If you are very lucky you might spot a pod of Bottlenose Dolphins around the coast.   Find out more about the Ayres reserve here.

Hen Harriers

Close Sartfield is a great place in the autumn (a warm coat and wellies are recommended!). There are few places in the world where you could you see ‘wild’ Red Necked Wallabies, Royal Ferns in autumnal colour and Hen Harriers coming in to roost.

 
Have a great winter of wildlife watching…  and don’t forget to wrap up warm!

Photos, above left: winter bird watching at the hide, Close Sartfield (photo: Shely Bryan)