It’s easy to forget the rewarding diversity of wildlife the British Isles offer – if you are patient, quiet and warmly dressed! Here, Kate Green suggests some splendid creatures to look out for on tour
Illustrations by Fiona Osbaldstone
Fast fact
The British Isles are home to an astounding variety of animals, including over 4000 species of beetles
1 Dolphins off the west Cornish coast
The heartwarming sight of smiley-faced dolphins bounding through the waves is not confined to Cornwall, but locals in the know are to be found spotting them through telescopes from the cliffs at Porthgwarra, south of Land’s End.
Here, the seas can teem with bottlenose or common dolphins (which may live in pods of up to 100 animals).
The more solitary harbour porpoise, dubbed the ‘puffing pig’ for its snuffling breathing sound, may be glimpsed rolling around closer to shore off much of the South-West’s coastline.
Stay at Lands End Camping & Glamping landsendcamp.co.uk
2 Turnstones in the Taw/Torridge estuary
The expansive tidal estuary on the north Devon coast, into which the Taw and Torridge rivers flow, is a birdwatcher’s nirvana and a smorgasbord for the waders that potter charmingly about their business.
The pleasingly shaped turnstone, whose call is that of a contestant in a longest ‘r’-rolling competition, is mesmerising as it methodically nudges aside pebbles and stones to find food. Its white belly and orange legs are a constant, but in summer, its black winter plumage gives way to patches of vibrant chestnut.
Stay at Westacott Farm Camping westacottfarm.co.uk
3 Red deer on Exmoor
The healthy red deer herd (of some 3000 animals, counted by the locals over a weekend in February each year) is Exmoor’s pride and joy – the stag’s head is the emblem of the region’s flag, the national park and countless small businesses – and the observant among us are guaranteed to spot deer when driving, cycling or walking across the moor. Searching the combes for antlers shed in spring, the antler competition at Exford Show and ‘bolving’ contests in autumn (imitating the rutting stag’s bloodcurdling call) are local traditions. The herd’s health is no accident, however: although they are vulnerable to poaching, these animals are carefully monitored and managed.
Stay at Westermill Farm westermill.com
4 Beavers on the River Otter
Last summer, the beavers on the River Otter in east Devon got Government permission to stay – a slight irony, considering the animals have been there for some 15 years – and their continued presence, in a five-year trial, is thanks to the acquiescence
