Wildlife

Spring has sprung

Spring sees the arrival of the stunning pied flycatcher from western Africa. They’re often found in Crow Wood, along with other woodland birds such as redstart, chiffchaff and cuckoo.

Boxing Bucks

Spring is a crucial time in the calendars of the red and fallow deer. After a long, gruelling winter, they will begin to regain their strength and improve their condition. It’s around this time that the stags and bucks cast their antlers, and almost immediately begin growing a new set. In the meantime, it’s not uncommon to see them standing on their hind legs and “boxing”.

The hinds and does that bred successfully during last autumn’s rut will give birth in late spring, so will be seeking out the best areas of grazing to build up their reserves.

Conservation Grazing

Rare breed cattle will be brought back to some areas of Lyme Park over the spring and summer months. Cater’s Slack, Park Moor, Cluse Hey and Turf House Meadow see the return of Herefords, White Parks, and highland cattle. The conservation grazing that these animals provide is essential to keep down coarse grasses such as purple moor grass, which improves biodiversity for a host of other species.

Bluebells

Nothing heralds the arrival of spring like bluebells. The best place to spot them is West Park Drive. An ongoing battle with Rhododendron is restoring native woodland, enabling bluebells to flourish.

Wild Lyme...

 © National Trust Images/James Dobson

© National Trust Images/James Dobson

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