Wildlife and Beyond With Kris

05/10/2026

30/08/2026

Last night was Bat Walk Training at ready for their upcoming Bat Walk Events.

The bats certainly put a show for us.

4 species identified, Common Pipistrelle, Soprano Pipistrelle, Noctule and Daubentons 🦇.

There are still limited tickets available, so head to WWT Washington website to get booked on so you don't miss out.

22/08/2026

I had the absolute privilege of joining Northumberland Bat Group carrying out bat box checks at Gosforth Park Nature Reserve today.

19 bats in total, 14 of which were all in the same box (1 adult male, the remaining females and juveniles).

It was an honour to be able to handle these little guys and see them up close. I am looking forward to completing my training as a bat carer soon.

**All checks carried out and supervised by bat handling licence holders **

13/08/2026

Join Links with Nature this autumn to learn about all things bat! 🦇

We will be holding 4 FREE bat walks across the Coalfield area of Sunderland this autumn, led by experienced ecologist and member of Durham Bat Group, Melissa ⭐️ All local community members are welcome to join - simply book your space using the link below 👇

🦇 Wednesday 30th September, 18:45 - Hetton Lyons
🦇 Wednesday 7th October, 18:30 - Hetton Park
🦇 Wednesday 21st October, 18:00 - Herrington Country Park
🦇 Wednesday 4th November, 16:30 - Red Burn

⭐️ www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1992930782619 ⭐️

For more engagement opportunities contact Mary-Anne, Engagement Officer: [email protected]🌿

Keep an eye out for upcoming events and project updates or register to volunteer (18+): https://tinyurl.com/LWNVolunteer 💚 Book onto events and find out more about Links with Nature 👉https://linktr.ee/linkswithnature

Links with Nature is made possible with The National Lottery Heritage Fund, with thanks to National Lottery players.

Coalfield Sunderland Community Let’s Talk HALO- Hetton Sunderland, UK Sunderland Volunteering Sunderland GP Alliance Hetton Lyons Country Park The Lakes Cafe at Hetton Lyons Country Park Friends of Hetton Lyons Country Park Friends of Herrington Country Park Herrington Country Park Rainton Meadows Nature Reserve Durham Bat Group

10/08/2026

"Blend in. Act natural. Honk in Canadian."

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07/08/2026

Life on the ledges at RSPB Bempton Cliffs 🪨🪶

​Spent time watching the Northern Gannet (Morus bassanus) colony—one of the UK’s most impressive wildlife spectacles. Working through the set, a few key moments stood out:

​The Family Portrait: A pair displaying next to their downy chick (guga) against the dark cliff shadows.

​The Detail: Sharp focus on the electric-blue eye ring and distinctive bill markings.

​The Patrol: Gliding low over the North Sea coast.

​The Display: Wing-stretching on the ledge.

​The Feed: An adult regurgitating food directly for the chick on the nest.

​Swipe through to see the progression!

​📍 RSPB Bempton Cliffs, East Yorkshire

​ RSPB RSPB England RSPB Bempton Cliffs

04/08/2026

Out at Elemore Park with Durham Wildlife Trust for a species survey day 🌿

​Elemore Park is a former golf course undergoing habitat restoration—transitioning into a mix of woodlands, scrub, ponds, and species-rich grasslands. It's fantastic to see how quickly biodiversity responds when given the space.

​A few highlights from the site today:

​🦗 Field Grasshopper (Chorthippus brunneus)

​🐝 Red-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus lapidarius) on hawkweed

​🐛 Cinnabar Moth Caterpillar (Tyria jacobaeae) feeding on ragwort

​🌹 Robin’s Pincushion Gall (Diplolepis rosae) formed by gall wasps on wild rose

​🕷️ Cucumber Green Spider (Araniella cucurbitina) nestled in pine needles

​Great day building up species identification skills and recording site data.

​📍 Elemore Park, County Durham | 📸 Durham Wildlife Trust Volunteering

​ Durham Wildlife Trust

27/07/2026

Just a beautiful, quiet stroll from Coniston water to Tarn Hows today. Amazing what you notice when you just slow down a little and take it all in:

​The view of the lake from up high, with the constant calling of Buzzards riding the thermals.

​Bell heather and Harebells popping with color.

​A tiny baby Common Toad making its way across the path.

​Common heather and yellow Tormentil flowers tucked into the grass.

​Getting completely lost against the scale of this absolute giant of a tree!

​Not sure what species this massive tree is, but standing next to it certainly made me feel tiny. A lovely way to clear the head.

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23/07/2026

Took a casual walk around Rainton Meadows Nature Reserve, and it was a great reminder of how much life you notice when you just slow down a notch and look closely at the path edges.

​No fancy setup needed, just taking a bit of time to check the grasses and thistle heads revealed a proper little ecosystem:

​A vibrant Cucumber Green Spider (Araniella cucurbitina) hanging out on a dried stem.

​A male Common Blue butterfly catching the sun on Bird's-foot Trefoil.

​A Nursery Web Spider guarding her silken egg tent in the tall grass.

​A stunning Common Blue Damselfly resting right on the gravel path.

​Meadow Brown and Peacock butterflies fueling up on thistle nectar.

​A lovely Painted Lady butterfly taking advantage of the summer blooms.

​Sometimes the best field practice comes from a casual stroll with no agenda other than seeing what’s active on the patch.

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