Who lives on the moor?
Grey Partridge
Grey partridge lay the most eggs of any UK bird sometimes having as many as 22 chicks. They will often lay a 'tester' clutch to make sure the eggs will not get predated before fully committing.
Black Grouse
Black grouse are known for their spectacular leks in the spring time consisting of males displaying and fighting for female attention.
Barn Owl
Barn owls are often seen hunting across the moorlands for their favourite food, voles. Barn owls can not 'hoot' but actually make a screeching sound.
Curlew
The curlew is often known as the siren call of the moorlands as you can always hear them! They travel inland in spring to nest on the uplands.
Lapwing
Lapwings are often spotted in the sky as they have an impressive flight pattern and call. They come to the uplands to have their young.
Snipe
Snipe when in flight create a 'drumming' sound, this is created by two extra feathers on their tails. They are usually quite illusive but keep an eye on the walls or any fence posts.
Little Owl
Usually hard to spot the little owl can often be seen sitting on stone walls. They are the smallest of the UK's owls.
Meadow Pipit
Pipits come to the uplands during nesting season and are often victims of the cuckoo bird laying in their nest, these small birds are a huge part of the food chain for many raptors.
Wheatear
Another summer visitor to the moors, these birds are often seen in good numbers one day then gone the next as they travel across the uplands.
Stonechat
The stonechat is a little smaller than a robin. It has a big head and short tail. It can frequently be seen sitting on the top of gorse bushes, flicking its wings and making a call like two small stones being hit together
Pied wagtail
These are common visitors to the moorlands, these birds are not fussy and feed one seeds, fruit, insects and even rubbish.
Merlin
An illusive bird of prey, you can often hear the male and female talking to each other on the uplands during nesting. The male will screech at his partner on the nest to alert her.
Pheasant
The common pheasant can be seen all over the uplands but usually prefer the lower land. Males are a lot more obvious than females, the females are simply brown.
Skylark
Slightly larger than a pipit and with a crest on its head. Males can be seen rising vertically from the grass, they hover effortlessly, singing from a great height, before parachuting back down to earth.
Short-eared owl
These owls live on the uplands all year round and hunt during the day so there is a good chance of seeing one. They mainly hunt for voles and mice.
Golden plover
These birds are often seen in large groups at the beginning of Spring. Some will stay and nest on the uplands while others migrate to places like Iceland.
Greyhen
The female black grouse, these are very skittish birds and are not often seen unless at a lek. They can also display with a fanned tail like the males.
Hen Harrier
Probably one of Britain's most popular birds, they often choose grouse moors to nest on as there are less predators and a good supply of food. The males are a light grey colour with black wing tips.
Oyster catcher
Probably the easiest bird to identify with its cold patterns, these birds also head to the uplands to raise their young.
Redshank
The redshank lives up to its name as it sports distinctive long, bright red legs! It feeds and breeds on the uplands.
Woodcock
the woodcock lives in woodlands and on heathlands where its mottled plumage provides it with excellent camouflage as it probes around the ground for earthworms and beetles to eat.
Little ringed plover
These tiny birds are often found neat water on the uplands and like to nest on areas covered in small rocks.
Common ringed plover
Larger than the little ringed plover these birds will also nest on rocky areas and be found near a water source so they can probe in the mud for food.
Black headed gulls
These gulls will travel to certain areas and form a breeding colony, they travel the uplands to hunt for food.
Great black backed gull
The largest gull in the world these birds hunt the uplands and can often be seen 'playing' with their food dropping it from great heights before eating it.
Marsh Harrier
This impressive bird of prey is the largest and broadest-winged of the harriers. It is likely to be spotted flying low over reedbeds and grassy areas.
Tawny owl
Since Tawny Owls are primarily a woodland species, but have adapted to live almost anywhere there are trees you may see them travelling the uplands.
What grows on the moor?
Sheep's sorrel
Sheep's sorrel is a common native perennial, found on heaths, grassland and roadsides. it turns from a brown colour to bright red in summer.
Fox gloves
Often found on the lower parts of the uplands, foxgloves grow in great densities.
Spear Thistle
A common plant of disturbed ground like roadside verges and field edges, the spear thistle has purple, fluffy flower heads that appear in summer.
Cottongrass
Common cotton-grass is familiar as the fluffy, white seed heads that dot our brown, boggy moorlands and heaths as if someone has thrown a giant bag of cotton wool balls across the landscape.
Lapwing
The large, golden flowers of Marsh-marigold look like the cups of kings, hence its other name: 'Kingcup'. It favours damp spots, like ponds, meadows, marshes and ditches
Cuckoo Flower
A sure sign that spring has arrived, the Cuckooflower blooms from April. Look out for its delicate, pale pink flowers in damp meadows and ditches, and on riverbanks.
Mushrooms
Different mushrooms can be round across the uplands especially in the damp boggy areas.
Soft rush
The stems are smooth cylinders that contain a continuous foam-like pith (once used as candle wick). The flowers, which erupt from the stem towards the top, may be quite loose or in a dense clump.
Wavy hair grass
The open, hair-like flower heads create a shimmering pinkish haze over the leaves and when in seed fade to a more buff colour.
Rosebay Willowherb
Flowers (July–September) have four petals that are a deep pink and form a tapering spike. The feathery seeds can be seen blowing across the land in their thousands on a windy day.
Gorse
Extremely spiny, evergreen shrub which can grow to 2m in height and may form dense stands.
Marsh Violet
Likes acid bogs, marshes and wet woodlands.
Common Mouse-ear
A small, hairy perennial that can sometimes form quite large mats.
Sweet Violet
A woodland-edge beauty of early spring in blue, purple or white, with a memorable scent for those who are prepared to grovel
Harebell
Powder-blue bells on the slightest of frameworks flickering in the summer breeze on heathy turf: the bluebell of Scotland