BBC Wildlife - UK (2020-09)

Bee: Alan Williams/Alamy; tick: Getty

20 BBC Wildlife

WILDSEPTEMBER

Bellheather

Thislow-growing,bushy

evergreenhasdarkgreen,

needle-likeleavesand

clustersofpurplish-pink,

bell-shapedflowers.It

carpetshugeareasof

manydrymoorlands,so

longasit isprotectedfrom

heavygrazing.Bellheather

favoursdry,well-drained

moors,withitsflowers

providinganexcellent

sourceofnectarforupland

beesfromJulyright

throughtoOctober.

Cowberry

Oftenabundantonwell-

drainedmoors,cowberry

isa straggling,evergreen

shrub.It hassmallto

medium-sized,ovaland

leathery,darkgreenleaves.

Insummer,it produces

smallclustersofpale,

bell-shapedflowers.The

berriesthatformare

initiallygreen,before

turninganattractivebright

redbywinter.Thoughthe

leavesarepoisonous, the

berriesareedible.

Reddeer

Britain’slargestland

mammal,thereddeer,

is a mightily impressive

creaturetobehold,as

depictedbySirEdwin

Landseerinhisfamous

paintingMonarchofthe

Glen. BySeptember,stags

willhaveshedmuchof

thevelvetcoveringtheir

antlersandasOctober

drawsnearwillalsohave

begunbellowingacross

themoorlandintheir

annualattempttocorrala

haremoffemalestogether

fortheautumnrut.

Redgrouse

Plumpandreddish-brown,

witha smallheadand

shorttail:therecanbe

nomistakingthespecies

uponwhichtheeconomy

ofmanymoorlandsis

built. As September is the

middleoftheshooting

season,anysmartgrouse

willknowtokeepitshead

down,butthemales’

crowing‘goback,back,

back’callshouldreveal

theirwhereabouts.

Merlin

Thisisoursmallestfalcon,

famousforitsdirect,

dashingflightasit chases

meadowpipits,skylarks

andchanchesacrossthe

moorland.Manywillmove

tolowlandsandcoasts

asautumnprogresses,

returninginspring.The

malecanbedistinguished

fromthelarger,brown

female,byhisblue-grey

back,whichcontrasts with

a rusty breast.

1 CoignafearnEstate, inthe

MonadhliathmountainsoftheScottish

Highlands,is privatelyownedyetrun

inanenvironmentallyfriendlyway.It’s

oneofthebestlocationstocatchupwith

increasinglyraremountainhares.

2 MarLodgeEstate, Aberdeenshire,

is a hugeestateownedandmanagedby

theNationalTrustforScotland,which

hashostedBBCTwo’sWinterwatch. Its

heathermoorlandis hometogrouse,

raptorsandbreedingwaders.

3 BlackaMooris thelargest

reservemanagedbytheSheffieldand

RotherhamWildlifeTrust.It formspart

oftheEasternPeakDistrictMoors and

hasa largeherdofreddeer.

4 GorsMaenLlwyd, borderingLlyn

Brenig,nearDenbigh,is managedbythe

NorthWalesWildlifeTrust.It offersan

opportunitytospotbothredandblack

grouse,inadditionto a range of other

moorlandbirds.

5 DunkeryBeaconis thehighestpoint

onExmoorandmanagedbytheNational

Trust.Aswellashostingmoorland

wildlife,it offersfineviewsoverDevon

and Somerset, across to Wales.

ODon’tgowithout...beingaware

ofthethreatfromticks.Lyme

diseaseisa smallbutever-

presentthreat,socover

upandkeeptopathsand

trackstoensureyoukeep

bites to a minimum.

onmanyestates.Thisencouragesthe

growthofyoung,freshheatherforboth

redgrouseandlivestock,whileleaving

areasofmatureheatherfornesting.

Thepracticeis particularlyobviousin

thesouthernuplandsofScotland,the

PenninesandtheNorthYorkMoors,

wherea scarringpatchworkofdifferent-

agedstandsofheather is a feature of

many hillsides.

ProponentsofwhattheScotscall

‘muirburn’wouldarguethat,without

burningandgrazing,thehabitat

wouldeventuallyreverttowoodland.

Butthecontributionofmoorlandsto

thelocking-upofcarbon,theriskof

releasingthiscarbonthroughburning,

andtheconservationoficonicspeciesis

nowmuchbetterunderstood.Sorather

thana continuedobsessionoverthesize

ofgrousebags,surelytheprimefocusof

discussionsoverthefutureofthismuch

loved,butcontentious,habitatshould

beitseminentsuitabilityforlarge-scale

rewildingprojects.

OTurnto page 50 forthelatestonthedebate

surroundingmoorland management and

mountain hares.

Moorlandhasalong

historyofhuman

intervention.Onlythe

mountainpeaksand

rock faces are truly wild.

CHOICE LOCATIONS

3

1

5

4

2

SPECIES TO LOOK OUT FOR

A nectar-seeking

cuckoobeefeasting

on bell heather.