Wildlife at Stowe

Commonly found fighting on the banks of the octagon lake, the bodies of water in the gardens are popular with a wide range of birds. The islands provide peaceful oasis where the birds can lay their eggs without interruptions from humans

Herons are often seen hunting in the gardens. They have long legs for wading in water and they are very adept at being motionless for long periods in order to catch their prey.

Amongst our most elusive is a family of Otters who live close to the Oxford bridge near the Boycott Pavilions. We've created an Otter holt to encourage their return and whilst they tend to stay hidden, tell tail signs such as spraint to mark their territory has been spotted. Various camera traps in the area have also captured their activities.

Our Tenant farmers use the land in much the same way as in the Cobham era. Sheep and cows control the grass growth, provide food and help recreate the historic views. The Longhorn Cattle, which can be spotted in the parkland, were also kept by the third Duke in the mid-1800s who won several prizes for his show herd.

A common site around the wooded areas, especially in the Elysian Fields where they scour through the grass for nuts to get them through winter. As cute as they look, they can also cause problems, stripping the bark off young trees and killing them. We encourage them in the gardens but also monitor their numbers.

Another shy animal, we've seen evidence of a nest found in leaf litter underneath one of the fallen tree trunks. The grass snake is also aquatic and is usually found near ponds, lakes and ditches so Stowe is ideally suited to their needs. The snake is a good swimmer and can stay submerged for over half an hour. They feed on frogs, toads and young birds. They are often spotted making their way through the rivers in the Elysian Fields.

Hundreds of wild deer roam the parkland. They tend to be most active at dawn and dusk, generally hiding during the day in hedges. They are native to china and introduced to the UK in the early 20th century. Various ‘escapees’ have now populate the British countryside. They can live up to 19 years.

There's a whole other team of animals who join the night shift. Badgers, hedgehogs and more call the gardens home, sleeping during the day and venturing out at night. Find out about some of the techniques we use to find out who they are.

A woodpecker can usually be heard before they are seen. They have a distinctive, fast clack…clack….clack….clack…sound. They're either looking for insects on tree-bark or, searching for ants’ nests on the ground. The green woodpecker is the largest of the three woodpeckers that breed in the UK. It is quite stocky in appearance with a long, strong beak. Green woodpeckers are easily identified as they are a greeny-grey colour with a bright green rump and red head.

Barn Owl’s nest in and around the buildings at Stowe and can often be seen at dusk when they are leaving their roost to hunt. They hunt over rough grassland across the Parkland where they can find mice and voles. They have acute hearing to detect small mammals and sensitive vision and their low flight is almost silent. They have long legs and toes to reach their prey in thick vegetation.

In the summer, the gardens come alive with a variety of plants, which inevitably attract butterflies. There are 59 different varieties of butterflies across the UK and a large number can be spotted at Stowe during the summer months.......----- PDF?