Updated 16/08/2008
We have a wealth of wildlife on the station site as railway embankments are a rich environment for butterflies, mammals and birdlife. This page is being developed to show-case the variety of flora and fauna at KSE.
The station building is a regular nesting site for Starlings, Housemartins and Swallows which can make keeping the platform tidy a bit difficult during the nesting season.
The trees and hedges on the site are favoured by goldfinches, wagtails, wrens, song-thrush and blackbirds to name but a few and we are regularly visted by the Kirkby Stephen parrots that fly over from their home in the town.
We are currently working with the Cumbria Wildlife Trust who are advising on ways to optimise the various habitats to encourage wildlife onto the site. Red squirrels are found close to KSE in the area adjacent to the Northern Viaducts walk along the line towards Hartley Quarry.
Swallows have taken up residence in the Station Master's Office and they are busy flying in and out of the station catching flies for their young. The Station Master's Office is a busy place (we use it for storage of our equipment at present), but the Swallows seem oblivious to the through-put of volunteers and are very happy in their weather-proof nest. Outdoors, our wrens have fledged and are no longer perching on the mainline diesels.
A swallow on a roof support in the station A young wren on one of our Class 37 diesels
Why not visit the gardenbird website which has a wide range of bird tables, feeders and food plus books and tips on how to attract birds to your garden. Click on the link below
