The sun was shining after school so I decided to put in a little effort today and head to Hartington Meadows. It's a short walk to the meadow and it a lovely spot to spend a sunny evening. This site is owned by Derbyshire Wildlife Trust and this is their description...
Hartington Meadows is bursting with the colour of wildflowers through the summer. The grassland is managed as part of a working farm, and is cut for hay in mid-July - this encourages meadow flowers such as hay rattle and meadow vetchling. Different flowers grow on the rock outcrops - among them are clustered bellflower and dropwort. The rough grassland also provides breeding sites for skylark and ground-nesting birds. Various orchids and other limestone flowers thrive in and around the disused limestone quarry, while its faces provide breeding sites for cliff-nesting birds such as kestrel and jackdaw.
It was breezy so some photographs are quite blurry.
I went through the gate and up the bank on the left, where the fragrant orchids grow, amongst other flowers.
Who doesn't love quaking grass?!
There was a family of ravens flying around and calling nearby.
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| dropwort |
I made my way back down the bank, which wasn't as easy as going up with my painful feet!
Following a path back towards the car, I spotted a little moth which I've identified as a common yellow conch, Agapeta hamana.
I also made a little detour to a stony patch where frog orchids grow, amongst many other flowers. I couldn't find the frog orchids this time.
Almost there now, just a short way along the Tissington Trail back to the car.
I spotted a little pupa dangling from a leaf. I've no idea what it is though.
What did you do on Day 27?
Last year on Day 27 I visited Peak Wildlife Park and then went looking for grasshoppers
That's a really lovely meadow - somewhere I'd love to visit. X
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