Hadrian's Wall and Housesteads Fort

During the cold winter months a lot of the animals will go into hibernation but there are still a few that roam around the wall, such as the deer and nearer to water the otters and ducks. When spring comes the Skylark is said to be the very voice of spring so listen out for its song and see if you can spot it along with the below usual suspects...

The Alauda arvensis, or the Skylark is a small brown bird, somewhat larger than a sparrow but smaller than a starling. When the bird is alarmed or alert the small crest on its head will be raised. They are hard to see on the ground but easier during flight with its distinctive song. Unfortunately it is now a Red List Species.

The Roe deer, a reddish brown in the summer and grey, pale brown or very occasionally black during the winter. They tend to be fairly solitary animals forming small groups in the winter and feeding on herbs, brambles, ivy, heather and coniferous tree shoots.

Often found in a local reservoir, gravel pit or lake, the tufted duck is medium-sized (smaller than a mallard), black on the head, neck, breast and back and white on the sides. It can easily be distinguished by a small crest and yellow eye, in flight it shows an obvious white stripe across the back of the wing.

The Tufted Duck tends to feast on molluscs, insects and various plants.

Known as dabbling ducks, the male teal have chestnut-coloured heads with broad green eye-patches, a spotted chest, grey flanks and a black-edged yellow tail.

Females are mottled brown but both show bright green wing patches (speculum) in flight.

Otters are semi-aquatic mammals, in the family mustelidae which includes weasels, polecats, badgers and wolverines. They mainly eat aquatic animals, mostly fish and shellfish but also other invertebrates, amphibians, birds and small mammals. It is little bubbles of air trapped in their fur that gives them a silvery appearance underwater.

When the temperature rises it signals the arrival for many animals. So you can expect to see a whole new range of species such as butterflies and dragonflies. Let us know what else you see during your visit.

The Large Heath butterfly, or the Coenonympha tullia, is a Species of Conservation Concern in Britain. The main stronghold is in Northumberland with 156 recorded sites. This is 74% of the total for England and Wales. The Large Heath lives in fairly sedentary colonies and rarely leaves its preferred bog habitat. The adult butterflies fly between June and early August.

Bright blue in colour, the common blue male is distinguished by the club-shaped black mark on the top of its body. They like gravel pits, lakes, ponds and acid waters.

Emergence occurs at any time during warm days from May onwards, with tenerals, the exoskeleton, still being found in August or September. Flight season lasts until early September.