Go
wild!  |
Parks and country estates are great places for wildlife
watching because of their wealth of different habitats. So
why not try a wide range of activities from moth trapping to falconry or deer
stalking. | | Owl
demonstration at Thorp Perrow's Falconry Centre |
Here's
three activities which you can participate in either out and about or, in the
case of moth trapping, at home:
* Deer
stalking
* Moth trapping
* Falconry
Deer
watching  A
great place to go deer stalking and featured on Nature's Calendar Summer series
is
Bushy Park.
There are 320 Red and Fallow
Deer on this historic estate. The deer can
be told apart easily by differences in their coats and size - Fallow Deer have
creamy-brown spotty coats and are slightly smaller than the russety-brown Red
Deer. Other locations for deer
stalking featured in the winter and spring series of the programme include:
*
Thetford Forest
*
Fountains Abbey, North Yorkshire
*
Morvern Peninsula, Scotland
*
Calke Abbey
Elsewhere in the British Isles, we can also recommended: *
The New Forest
* Galloway Forest Park, Scotland
* Ashton Court, Bristol
*
Isle of Rum
* Loch of Lowes, Scotland
* Ashdown
Forest, Sussex
* Lyme Park, Cheshire
Here
are our top tips for deer watching on country estates: *
Deer tracks are easily recognised by their prints - look for tracks in soft, muddy
areas. * It's also worth looking at trees to
see if you can spot any bite marks where deer have nibbled at low-growing leaves
and branches or any other marks which might have been made by antler rubbing. *
The height of this "browse line" will tell you which species has nibbled
there - remember that red deer are bigger than fallow. *
We've already outlined the differences between Red and Fallow Deer but did you
know you can tell them apart by their bottoms?
Red Deer have ginger hindquarters
while Fallows have white rears with a black stripe.
Moth
trapping  For
something you can do at home, why not take a tip from Nature's Calendar and try
moth trapping?
Our trip to Thorp Perrow showed the wide range of moths in
the British Isles, but it's easy to replicate this experience at home. You'll
be surprised at how many different moths you can find in and around the family
house - and here's how: * Moths are mainly
nocturnal creatures and sometimes can be difficult to find during the day. *
On a warm summer evening, wait until it goes dark and then hang a plain white
sheet up.
* Use a bright light like a torch to illuminate the sheet so
the moths will be attracted to it.
* Leave the room for a few minutes and
then look to see if any moths have gathered. *
Use a good identification guide to pick out which moth is which.
* You
could also try sugaring - painting a sugar solution onto a wall or tree - to see
if you can attract moths to your garden. *
To make the sugar solution, mix stout, molasses and brown sugar in a pan and simmer
for about half an hour. * Be careful where
you paint the solution and it may stain, and don't worry if you don't find any
moths straight away - leave for a couple of days and you may attract butterflies
as well. * And don't forget to give any moths
you find at home a helping hand back outside - but make sure to set them down
somewhere safe from predators.
Become
a falconer!  If
you're planning a longer trip away from home, why not try your hand at falconry?
The
Falconry Centre at Thorp Perrow in North Yorkshire offers a range of courses in
falconry throughout the year.
If you fancy getting involved
in falconry, it's important to attend an approved course to gain a full understanding
of how to work with these stunning birds. Thorp Perrow's birds of prey
centre offers courses to suit everyone from those with a passing interest in the
sport to people who are serious about becoming a falconer and buying a hawk or
falcon: The centre's one day taster course
provides a basic introduction including information about the birds, their needs,
equipment and training methods. There's also
a two day course designed to provide an insight into the art of falconry for those
with little or no prior knowledge. The course
includes experience in flying and handling hawks. Following
on from this, a three day course gives a more detailed insight into the flying
and management of birds of prey. And for those
who are really hooked, there's a five day course designed for novice falconers.
| 
