Red Squirrels | Birds | Butterflies | Cattle | Deer | Fish | Pine Marten
Wildlife
Watching wildlife is a wonderful way to connect with nature. Ennerdale is home to an impressive range of species — over 100 birds, plus deer, otter, butterflies and red squirrels.
Choose a category from the menu to discover where to see wildlife in the valley and how we care for these species.
Red Squirrels
Ennerdale’s mountains and woodlands create a stronghold for Red squirrels, with around 100–150 living in the valley. They are an iconic native species, but their future is threatened by the spread of the introduced Grey squirrel.
Reds are most often seen in the western woodlands. Stripped conifer cones are a good sign they’re nearby.
Each spring and autumn we monitor red squirrels and respond to grey squirrel sightings using trail cameras. Warmer winters are helping more greys survive, so this work is increasingly important. See our Squirrel Monitoring Summary for more details.
We work closely with the Ennerdale Community Red Squirrel Group and the Ennerdale & Kinniside Parish Council, who help protect the western buffer zone.
More about Red Squirrels
Birds
With a wide range of habitats from sub alpine to lakeshore, from grassland to forest the valley provides a home to over 100 bird species.
In the conifer forest: siskin, goldcrest, coal tit, sparrowhawk, song thrush, willow warbler and wren.
In the native oak woodlands: pied flycatcher, wood warbler, tree pipit, green woodpecker and nuthatch.
On the mountains: ring ouzel, whinchat, wheatear, raven, stonechat, meadow pipit and skylark.
Open habitats: swallow, house sparrow, chaffinch, snipe, greenfinch, redpoll, goldfinch, barn owl, buzzard,
We are creating opportunities for birds by reducing the dominance of conifers and restoring native woodland, heath land and bog habitats.
We have carried out extensive base line monitoring of birds which can be found on our monitoring page. Our latest monitoring report has shown a continuing trend of increasing abudance and species.
Butterflies
Butterflies can be seen across the valley. They are most active on warm calm days and can be seen between May and September.
Led by Butterfly Conservation and Natural England we have increased butterfly habitat and following reintroduction we now have an expanding population of Marsh Fritillary. From spring to late Summer you can see a range of butterflies including Red Admiral, Peacock, Mountain Ringlet, Meadow Brown, Pearl Bordered Fritillary, Marsh Fritillary.
Cattle and Pigs
Three herds of extensive‑grazing cattle and a small herd of pigs roam the valley east of the lake. Their natural soil disturbance helps create varied ground conditions and seedbeds. Unlike sheep, cattle graze selectively and unevenly, allowing more plants to flower and improving habitat diversity. Pigs turn over the soil creating seed beds which restore natural dynamisim to habitats.
Where cattle have grazed for over a decade, bird species richness has increased and bird numbers have doubled.
Our Galloways can be hard to spot — they may be in the forest, on the fells or sheltering in fields. The tenant farmer checks them weekly and provides hay during heavy snow. All cattle receive an annual health check and winter energy supplements when needed.
More about cattle grazing
Deer
Around 90 roe deer live within Wild Ennerdale, with occasional red deer passing through. They can be seen year‑round although rarely in the eastern third of the valley, early morning and evening offer the best chances. Look for hoof prints, droppings and flattened vegetation..
With no natural predators remaining in Britain, deer numbers need careful management to protect habitats. A Forestry England wildlife ranger culls around 20 deer a year, helping woodland and wet meadow habitats thrive and regenerate.
Fish
Healthy fish populations are key indicators of good water quality. Ennerdale’s rivers and lake support salmon, trout, brook lamprey, eel, stickleback and arctic charr.
Ennerdale Water holds England’s only migratory Arctic charr population.
Since the late 1990s, Wild Ennerdale partners and the Environment Agency have restored spawning habitats by improving river connectivity and gravel movement. These changes helped increase spawning charr from just a few individuals in the 1990's to hundreds today
In 2020, the Environment Agency confirmed the population had been brought back from the brink of extinction — a major success for the valley.
Good places to spot fish include bridges over rivers and streams. In autumn, look for raised gravel mounds (redds) where salmon or trout have laid their eggs.
More about fish
Pine Marten
The pine marten is a medium sized native animal that was thought to have been widespread throughout the UK in historic times. Over the last few hundred years its numbers have declined due to persecution and the loss of woodland cover.
Ennerdale does not currently have Pine Marten however Pine Martens are expanding from Scotland into Northern England. In 2024 and 2025 The South Cumbria Pine Marten Recovery Project released 29 Pine Marten. The hope is that these will breed and overtime establish a population in every large forest in Cumbria. Although not yet recorded in Ennerdale they have been seen on cameras in Wasdale just to the south and Dodd Wood to the east.
Pine Martens and Red Squirrels have historically shared the same habitats. Aberdeen University is leading on Pine Marten research and their evidence shows that Pine Martens can reduce Grey Squirrel populations sufficiently for Red squirrels to recover and thrive. Pine Marten seem to do this by creating a landscape of fear which reduces Grey Squirrel reproductive rates.
