A friendly stroll with wildlife

A friendly stroll with wildlife

Skylark by Dave Steel

On Day 10 of his 30 Day Wild mosslands adventure Dave Steel is joined by a friend to share his experience.

As the sun looked as if it would still be keeping its promise, we decided that a four-hour amble about Little Woolden Moss would give us plenty of opportunities to put the world to right and maybe (no certainly) gain a wildlife sighting or two along the way.

The reserve was looking resplendent in its summer cottongrass plumage as we sort of stopped /started our way along the southern pathway. Hurried we were not, as swift swept about the sky whilst meadow pipit either parachuted in delivering their song of late spring or were frantically grabbing insects for their young.

Pools hosted a ringed plover which was taking a pause on its migration in order to grab a few tasty insects. A couple of yellow and pied wagtail were also feasting on this bounty.

The barley crop was looking lush, if a little windswept, as we made our way along the Glaze. This progress was itself halted as we just had to admire the more colourful insects that flitted in and out of view - common blue and small copper butterflies noted alongside banded demoiselle dragonflies.

A Noah’s Ark farmstead with its wildlife-friendly owners hosted a mix of birds using the feeders which are refilled daily throughout the year. It’s a lovely sight in this too tidy age.

Our wander was then given a choral ending as we passed by fields over which skylark broadcast their heavenly song.