Enjoy the wild life, Rivermead style

We hope that all guests staying at Rivermead will make the most of the stunning scenery and see some of the wildlife that calls this beautiful corner of Cornwall home.

We have many regular wild visitors. Look out for the red deer, often seen crossing the top of the paddock behind Owl Lodge in the later afternoons and evenings, or running through the woods and across the river. Their hoof prints are easy to find in the woods and you’ll sometimes find tufts of fur. If you’re travelling from Bodmin, you can also sometimes see the deer in the fields near the river on the left side of the A38.

We have a flock of Canadian wild geese which visits from late March. They often make their nests on the island in the lake and you can sometimes see the eggs before they hatch, and later watch the small goslings following their parents for a swim. From February onwards, the edges of the lake are frequently black with tadpoles which then transform into tiny frogs which can often be found in the grass and flower beds. There are also lots of toads, newts, foxes, rabbits and squirrels. Spotted less frequently, but still about, are hedgehogs, badgers and otters. See if you can find the “spraint” the otters regularly leave along the river and around the lake to mark their territory (their poo which contains lots of small bones from the creatures they’ve eaten).

We have also recently found evidence that we have a beaver visiting Rivermead. We’ve called him Gnawbert. Watch out for small branches and tree trunks with evidence of sharp teeth having gnawed at them.

Rivermead is also home to ducks, herons, blue tits, nuthatches, tawny owls and finches, dippers and woodpeckers (both Green and Spotted), kingfishers, soaring buzzards and a variety of bats.

Not all of the wildlife is easy to find but it’s the most wonderful feeling when you do come across one of these beautiful wild creatures.