A Taste of the Peak District |
Accommodation, activities and attractions of the Peak District of the UK |
||
|
|
|
|
|
|
Home >> General Information >> The Dark Peak >> Flora and fauna |
|||
The Peak District was the first region in the UK to be designated as a National Park. Read a little more about the area known as the ’Dark Peak’ on this page.How to contact us.More information about National Parks in the UK.Click here for the official Peak District National Park web site. |
The Dark Peak is the most southerly habitat of the Mountain Hare with its white/brown winter coat. With less snow around it tends to be rather conspicuous against the brown of the peat and heather!The boggiest areas are marked by the bright green sphagnum moss, together with cottongrass and heathers. Look carefully and you may spot the distinctive (yellow) flowers of the bog asphodel or the more common sundew, an insectivorous plant. The conspicuous white tufts of cottongrass gives rise to the name ‘Featherbed Moss’, used to identify many areas of the Pennines.Drier areas support more woody plants including heather, bilberry and crowberry. As with much of the British countryside, the spectacular heather moorlands are not naturally like that - they are largely due to the ‘sport’ of red grouse shooting. Red grouse require young shoots of heather upon which to feed plus older plants in which to nest. The typical’patchwork quilt’ appearance satisfies the needs of the red grouse and is created by controlled burning of the countryside. The red grouse is easily startled and its whirring chuckling flight also startles walkers! One bird we came across whilst walking the path from Cutthroat Bridge to Whinstone Lee Tor was considerably braver (or perhaps more stupid) that the norm, defending its territory against the three people in our party! The red grouse is widespread throughout the moors but its relative the black grouse is a completely different kettle of fish. You will need to visit the very western edge of the Peak district to see the last few in the region. They are very elusive.Other birds of the Dark Peak include the ring ouzel, which to me seems to be on the increase. I have seen more over the last few years than in the past. They are still relatively rare but are a great sight to see, blackbird size with a distinctive white crescent on their chest. |
Location and maps ...Outdoor Leisure Map: The Dark Peak.Click here to find out where the Peak District National Park is and how to get to the Peak District.
In addition, you may see golden plover, the occasional curlew, especially as a passage migrant, dotterel and a few raven (nest above Hathersage at Millstone quarry). Birds of prey include the usual kestrel, occasional buzzard, hen harrier and goshawk, the latter now making an encouraging recovery since the use of DDT as a pesticide in the 1950s.This is just a very small taste of Peak District wildlife, visit the area and see it for yourself. If you are looking for somewhere to stay, please browse our accommodation section. |
|
|
|
||
|
|
|
||
