August 8, 2026

A busy few months for Ouse Burn Way and NHSN

It has been another fantastic few months of activity across Ouse Burn Way, with the Northumberland and Newcastle Society (NHSN) delivering a packed programme of events, wildlife surveys and opportunities for people to connect with nature.

From April to June alone, 104 activities were organised, engaging 1,277 people. This brings the Ouse Burn Way running total to an incredible 433 activities and 4,487 people engaged.

Highlights included the first Big Bat BioBlitz, with eight simultaneous surveys taking place across the Ouse Burn Way catchment. The event recorded six bat species in a single night, including Daubenton’s, Natterer’s and Whiskered/Brandt’s bats.

Other activities included a BioBlitz at Freeman Hospital, pond dipping for Archie’s Nature Trail at Woolsington Parish Ponds and an introduction to nature photography at Gosforth Nature Reserve.

Wildlife discoveries have also continued to impress. It has been a great year for Bee Orchids, with new records at Havannah Nature Reserve and Newcastle Airport, while White-throated Dippers successfully raised chicks in the Ouse Burn at Jesmond Dene. The elusive Black Scymnus ladybird, measuring just 2mm, was also spotted at Havannah Nature Reserve.

Meanwhile, the new Whitecroft Wetland is already attracting a range of pioneering wetland species, including Lapwing, Green Sandpiper, Slender Groundhopper and Green Socks Peacock Beetle, as well as the flatworm Dugesia polychroa – a first for Northumberland.

The programme has included 56 Ouse Burn Way events and 52 wildlife surveys, ranging from bat walks, birding and butterfly surveys to pond dipping, botany sessions, moth trapping, wildlife recording and camera trap monitoring.

This autumn, NHSN’s popular Walking the Ouse Burn Way series returns, with seven guided walks following the burn from source to Tyne. Join one walk or follow the whole journey to discover the wildlife, history and habitats of the Ouse Burn.

The Ouse Burn Way offers events that encourage people of all ages to connect with nature. From exploring local wildlife to discovering the hidden gems in your community, these activities are a great way to experience the natural world in Newcastle and North Tyneside.

Discover NHSN Ouse Burn Way.