The Wildlife

Asturias is one of Europe’s wildest, and most diverse areas with mammal species ranging from the Cantabrian Brown Bear, and Iberian Wolf to Cantabrian Chamois and Wild Boar. Whilst birds such as the Bearded Vulture, Wallcreeper and Goshawk grace the skies. 

Wild Finca has recorded 113 species of bird (‘Oct 24) and over 40 species of mammal, including 16 bat species (‘Oct 24). Due to the mixture of habitats at Wild Finca we hope our species counts will continue to grow. 

Throughout the year we see a changing array of species, our bird populations are boosted in Spring when species such as Red-backed Shrikes and European Nightjars arrive from wintering in areas such as Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo. In Winter, bird migrants from northern Europe visit, such as Woodcock, Redwings and Meadow Pipits.

Roe Deer and Red Squirrels call the forest home. However, Roe Deer can be spotted grazing in the meadows in the early morning and dusk before returning to the sanctuary of the forest, whilst in Autumn, when hazelnuts and chestnuts are plentiful, it is common to find Red Squirrels away from the forest foraging and storing nuts in preparation for the winter. Hedgehogs are also plentiful, spotted snuffling around the fields on summer evenings. 

Our areas of grassland are lightly grazed in a rotational system which allows for a wider range of species. We also exclude our domestic livestock from certain areas throughout the year for flora, such as orchids, and other wildflowers to bloom and set seed. 

Research has shown fields with a more diverse structure of both tall and short vegetation, hold more than double the number of insects than in regularly short grazed fields. 

We have a growing number of reptiles, often spotted under our snake mats from Emerald Lizards, to the Seoane’s Viper.

And thanks to our ponds we have a booming amphibian population, Marbled Newts, Iberian Singing Frogs, Fire and Golden Striped Salamanders, as well as Midwife Toad just some of the stars. The Singing Frogs can be heard from Spring to Autumn squeaking away from the wetlands.

With a more holistic approach, and encouraging ‘messier’ land management we are seeing an increase in many species of invertebrate. In Summer we are seeing annual increases in Wasp Spiders, last year we counted 17 females in a 8 meter stretch! And as night falls our land becomes a land of fairies, as the glow of Glow Worms light up in the scrub and longer grass patches.