A wonderful walk!

Eyam Moor Every year the Peak District Tourist Board organise a two week long walking festival in the Peak District and today was our first walk in the 2011 festival.   On a beautiful sunny day we walked from Hathersage, over the stepping stones over the river Derwent where we saw some newly hatched ducklings.  Then up onto Offerton Moor and Smelting Hill, with a wealth of spring flowers to see on the way, including at lower levels bluebells, wood anemones, celandine, and wild primroses.  As we got higher onto the moorland, the bilberries were in flower along with cowberries and of course gorse … Continue reading A wonderful walk!

Heather Burning

They have started burning the heather on the peakland moors.  It has been customary for centuries to burn small patches of heather during the early part of the year.  This started in the days when grouse shooting was important to the local economy.  To thrive, Red Grouse need a mixture of different heights of heather and low growing plants.  They nest in the older deep heather and feed on the new shoots of young heather.  As these birds never travel very far from their birth place, the buring of heather in small patches ensures that they always have the right mixture of … Continue reading Heather Burning

Ling Heather on the Moors

View Full Album August is a great month to see the Peak District moorlands in their full glory, covered in flowering ling heather.  Whole hillsides take on a purple appearance whilst closer inspection reveals tiny clusters of flowers.   It is also a good time for insects such as bees which are attracted by the heather.    We actually have three different types of heather in the Peak District:  Bell Heather, Cross Leaved Heather, and Ling Heather.  The first two are well worth seeking out, but it is the latter that is the most common which creates the beautiful purple … Continue reading Ling Heather on the Moors

The high moorlands in July

After several days of rain, the high moorlands in the Peak District are looking beautiful.  The peat bogs which has been drying out are now wet and spongy again.  Ling heather is just starting to come into flower, and bilberry bushes are starting to bear fruit.  We have seen an unusually large number of young red grouse this week on Stanage Edge, Bamford Moor, and on Kinder Scout.  We have also seen several Golden Plover, known as the ‘watchmen of the moors’.     Continue reading The high moorlands in July

Grouse about the snow

View Full Album While many people have been grousing about the snow which has lingered for many weeks in the Peak District, last Sunday we were up on Derwent Edge watching the grouse make their way about in the snow!  (Red Grouse to be precise)   There are estimated to be over 5,000 breading pairs of Red Grouse in the Peak District, so it is not unusual see see them on our moorland walks.  The males can be instantly recognised by their distinctive red ‘eyebrows’.    It really was a great day to be out walking, with brilliant sunshine, fantastic … Continue reading Grouse about the snow