Day two of my mossy meanders was another first for me as I headed off to Heysham Moss, meeting up with North Lancashire Reserves Officer, Reuben Neville. Unfortunately, the weather had turned with the arrival of Storm Francis, but we got our waterproofs on and set off regardless.
Wild Walk Week - Mossy meanders: day two
Common heather at Heysham Moss - Jenny Bennion
My second mossy meander as part of Wild Walk Week took me to Heysham Moss, where I discovered a secret world of botanical wonders.
Jenny still smiling in the wind and rain at Heysham Moss
Reached through a maze of housing estates, Heysham Moss is one of our smaller remaining areas of peatland, but I found this gave it a magical and almost secret garden-like air. The moss itself is bordered by areas of wet grassland, scrub and wet woodland, which then give way to a solar farm, electricity substation and the aforementioned housing estates. But once I was out there in the middle of the moss I felt like I was in a different world.
Large heath butterfly by Alan Wright
Reed bunting by Dave Steel
As we explored the site we saw a number of botanical gems, including the rare white beaked sedge, and Reuben informed me that this site is a fantastic habitat for a large number of invertebrates including the large heath butterfly that was reintroduced to the site in 2016. Heysham Moss is also visited by a number of wonderful birds including reed bunting, grasshopper warbler, teal and snipe.
After a good three hours out exploring the moss, we were by this point absolutely wet through so decided to call it a day and head in the direction of a cup of tea and a well-earned biscuit. But I can’t wait to go back to Heysham Moss again and glory in the quiet seclusion of this, one of our regions’ best examples of a raised peat bog.
Don't miss the rest of my Wild Walk Week mossy meanders at Astley Moss, Highfield Moss and Winmarleigh Moss: