In bloom
Every year in late June, the ancient haymeadows of Northumberland National Park begin to bloom. Such upland hay meadows are rare, and the park boasts some of the best in Europe. The meadows, with hundreds of flowers ranging from lavender-blue wood cranesbill to white umbels of pignut, are located in the Upper Coquet Valley, in the North Tyne Valley and at Greenlee Lough National Nature Reserve north of Hadrian’s Wall.
The intense variety – commonly over 25 species per square metre – creates an ideal habitat for hundreds of insects, bees and butterflies that nourish a wide range of birds including meadow pipits and skylarks, swallows and martins, wheatears and the rare ring ouzel.
To find out more about the park, visit www.northumberlandnationalpark.org.uk
- This entry was posted on: Monday, June 29th, 2009 at 8:59 am
- Filed under: Latest News, News
- Tags: flora, national parks, Wildlife
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