The sun was still shining as we headed up to the Bowes Room at the Stables on Tuesday evening. En- route we had sightings of a greater spotted woodpecker, a pheasant and a jay.
Amongst other things, Gibside is home to the common frog, the common toad, the common newt, the not so common great crested newt and the palmate newt.
After a cup of tea and a biscuit we were treated to a very informative talk given by the National Trust’s and Gibside’s own amphibian and reptile expert, John Grundy. This was followed by a hands-on practical session on amphibian identification and a walk out to the Octagon Pond to try out our newly acquired skills.
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| Fishing for newts |
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| What's this one then? |
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| Now where are they hiding? |
Hopefully, Gibside volunteers should now be able to tell them apart, when they can find them, that is.
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