Category: Fritillary Watch

Natural England re-opened North Meadow this morning after installing the path marker posts yesterday. The ground is still very soft and vulnerable to soil compaction damage so please keep to these marked paths.

The fritillaries are in flower and this year’s display will probably peak in the next week or so. Many of the flowering plants are a little distance from the paths so please resist the temptation to approach them. They look good through binoculars so bring them with you if you have some. There are many non-flowering vegetative plants which resemble blades of grass and are hard to see. They are easily damaged if you leave the marked paths.

North Meadow has an audio guide which provides lots of information about the site to make your visit more rewarding. It is accessed using QR codes using your mobile phone.

If you bring your dog, please keep it on the marked paths using a short lead. Dogs can also trample the fritillaries and as well as disturbing the many birds which are now nesting on or close to the ground in the meadow, reeds and hedgerows.

Look out for the cuckoo flowers which are among some of the fritillaries. There is a large patch of cow slips at the top of the meadow.  If arriving at the main entrance the best displays of fritillaries are on the right-hand side of the meadow on the blue route. Do look both sides of the path and the displays become more prolific towards the top of the meadow.

The Fritillary Tea Room will be open next weekend Sat 18th/Sun 19th April for light refreshments in aid of Cricklade Bloomers

The following weekend Sat 25th/Sun 26th April Cricklade Court Leet are holding a North Meadow Information Weekend in the Thames Hall located at the end of Cricklade High Street next to the River Thames bridge. This will be a good opportunity to find out about the fascinating wildlife which lives on North Meadow. You may be surprised to learn it has 2500 recorded species some as yet unidentified. You can see what we have found on our North Meadow Species database.  Hot and Cold drinks and homemade cakes will be available with proceeds supporting Cricklade Court Leet Charity.

Enjoy your visit to North Meadow!

Natural England have extended the closure of North Meadow until 23rd April.

Although the flood waters have receded the ground remains very soft and vulnerable to irreversible soil compaction from trampling. The paths are not yet marked risking damage to the emerging fritillaries.

Please do not visit North Meadow until it is re-opened to protect this rare and internationally important National Nature Reserve from damage.

Natural England are frequently reviewing the situation and may re-open the site before 23rd April if ground conditions allow. Please check back here for further updates.

North Meadow is closed until 9th April to protect the soft ground from irreversible compactaction damage. The flood waters are receeding and the meadow will start to dry weather permiting and hopefully in time to see the fritillaries in April. Check back here for further updates.

The right of way across North Meadow is not affected by the closure notice but it is under water at present see picture above. To avoid trampling damage to the National Nature Reserve it is best not to use this route until the ground conditions improve.

The Fritillaries have finished flowering for this year and the meadow has turned lush and green. The Meadowsweet and Great Burnet are growing fast now and the haze of Cuckoo Flowers visible last week has disappeared.

The meadow is full of birds over 100 species have been recorded on the meadow . This morning I heard or saw Black Headed Gull, Blackbird, Blackcap, Blue tit, Cetti’s warbler, Chiffchaff, Great Tit, Magpie, Marsh Harrier, Reed warbler, Sedge Warbler, Skylark, Wren, Yellow Legged Gull in less than an hour whilst setting up some invertebrate monitoring.

Very noticeable this week are  Common Blue Damselflies which have just appeared in large numbers.

The meadow buttercups are just starting to flower and the meadow may soon turn yellow as more come into flower.

When you visit please stay on the marked paths and keep your dog on a short lead to avoid damaging this internationally important wildlife site and disturbing the ground nesting birds.

Many are unaware, but the law says that you must keep your dog on a lead no longer than 2 metres between 1^st March and 31^st July, when on any open access land to protect ground-nesting birds.

Enjoy your visit and look out for the audio trail posts. If you want to find out more about the meadow you can use your mobile phone to click on the QR codes to listen a meadow guide talking about the meadow flora, fauna, history and farming. There is a map of the trail in the main meadow entrance.

The snakes head fritillaries are now past their peak but still lots to see. The number of flowering fritillaries is less this year following the wet April/May conditions of the last 2 years. Many of the flowers have now been pollinated by bees, the most frequent visitors are the red tailed bumblee queens.

Look out for the Cuckoo flowers. The meadow is now covered in a white haze tinged with pink from the unusually large coverage of Cuckoo flowers   (Cardamine pratensis) also known as Lady’s smock. The yellow Marsh Marigolds (Caltha palustris) are clearly visible in the drainage ditches.

Listen for the sound of the Skylark’s as they perform their mating displays and territorial song. The nesting season is long and between April and late July, pairs will build three or even four different nests in attempts to raise several broods. Skylarks are unable to sustain populations without three or so breeding attempts.

If you want to find out more about the meadow you can listen to the audio trail see the QR code marker post left. There is a map of the trail in the main meadow entrance.  If you enter at a different point just use your mobile phone to read any of the QR codes so you can listen to a meadow guide talking about the meadow flora, fauna, history and farming.

When you visit please stay on the marked paths and keep your dog on a short lead to avoid damaging this internationally important wildlife site and disturbing the ground nesting birds.

Many are unaware, but the law says that you must keep your dog on a lead no longer than 2 metres between 1^st March and 31^st July, when on any open access land to protect ground-nesting birds.

Enjoy your visit and perhaps call in for a cup of tea at the Fritillary Tea Room run by Cricklade Bloomers at the end of Cricklade High Street.

The warm weather has brought many more snakes head fritillaries (Fritillaria meleagris) into flower. We are not at peak flowering which will occur over the next few days. Numbers are down on the best years but considering the very wet conditions in March/April of the last two years the fritillaries have recovered very well.

This weekend will be a good time to visit and if you do, bring your binoculars if you have some. They give a good view of the fritillaries across the meadow.

When you arrive have a look at the information board at the entrance (see above) which gives an overview of the meadow biodiversity and management.

If you want to find out more about the meadow you can listen to the audio trail, see the QR code marker post on the left. There is a map of the trail on the information board.  If you enter at a different point just use your mobile phone to read any of the QR codes so you can listen to a meadow guide talking about the meadow flora, fauna, history and farming.

The Cuckooflower (Cardamine pratensis) also commonly known as Lady’s smock are now flowering across the meadow.  North meadow has 8% white fritillaries the rest being purple. Waterhay meadow towards Ashton Keynes has almost all white fritillaries and very few purple. No one seems to know why and both colours are regarded as the same species.

When you visit please stay on the marked paths and keep your dog on a short lead to avoid damaging this internationally important wildlife site and disturbing the ground nesting birds.

Many are unaware, but the law says that you must keep your dog on a lead no longer than 2 metres between 1^st March and 31^st July, when on any open access land to protect ground-nesting birds.

Check back here for the latest update on when the fritillaries will reach peak flowering.

The warm weather has brought more fritillaries into flower. The meadow is now looking very dry and in need of a little rain. The flowering peak is probably about two weeks away but if you want to come this weekend there are lots of fritillaries to see.

Look out for Marsh Marigolds (Caltha palustris) in the drainage ditches. There are small numbers of Cuckooflower (Cardamine pratensis) also commonly known as Lady’s smock scattered through the meadow. If you venture to the top of the meadow there is a good display of Cowslips (Primula veris).

Skylark’s have started nesting in the short grass listen for their mating displays and territorial song. The nesting season is long and between April and late July, pairs will build three or even four different nests in attempts to raise several broods. Skylarks are unable to sustain populations without three or so breeding attempts.

If you want to find out more about the meadow you can listen to the audio trail see the QR code marker post above. There is a map of the trail in the main meadow entrance.  If you enter at a different point just use your mobile phone to read any of the QR codes so you can listen to a meadow guide talking about the meadow flora, fauna, history and farming.

When you visit please stay on the marked paths and keep your dog on a short lead to avoid damaging this internationally important wildlife site and disturbing the ground nesting birds.

Many are unaware, but the law says that you must keep your dog on a lead no longer than 2 metres between 1^st March and 31^st July, when on any open access land to protect ground-nesting birds.

Check back here for the latest update on when the fritillaries will reach peak flowering.

Just returned from the meadow. The fritillaries have started flowering but in small numbers most are not yet in flower. The white flowers stand out well at present and they can be seen from  the path on the right hand side as you enter from the main gate.

The skylarks can be heard singing as they pair up and build their nests in the grass. Bring your binoculars if you have them as they give a great view of the fritillaries.

Ground conditions are good after the dry weather in March. When you visit please stay on the marked paths and keep your dog on a short lead to avoid damaging this internationally important wildlife site and disturbing the ground nesting birds.

Many are unaware, but the law says that you must keep your dog on a lead no longer than 2 metres between 1^st March and 31^st July, when on any open access land to protect ground-nesting birds.

To see the fritillaries at their best, plan your visit for mid-April and check back here for the latest update on when the fritillaries will reach peak flowering.

Natural England re-opened the meadow on Wednesday. It has been closed to visitors to prevent compaction damage to the soil while ground conditions were soft. The fritillaries look like grass at present and are easily trampled as they are very hard to see. They will not be in flower for another 2 to 3 weeks so it is too early to see them this weekend.

If you do visit please stay on the marked paths and keep your dog on a short lead to avoid damaging this internationally important wildlife site.

Many are unaware, but the law says that you must keep your dog on a lead no longer than 2 metres between 1^st March and 31^st July, when on any open access land to protect ground-nesting birds.

To see the fritillaries at their best, plan your visit for mid-April and check back here for the latest update on when the fritillaries will reach peak flowering.