Eyebright in a Dentdale Hay meadow Eyebright and yellow rattle are key plants of the flower-rich hay meadows of Dentdale. Hemi-parasitic, they work their magic secretly, tapping into grass roots to take up nutrients and water, weakening their host grasses to give traditional flowers of the hay meadow an opportunity to thrive. Eyebright and yellow rattle are annuals so their seed must set before the meadow is mown, in mid-July.
This morning, Farming Today casts further light on the importance of hay meadows and their traditional management. On either side of the River Dee there are meadows and we pass farmhouses and barns, a pastoral landscape. Rising in the distance, the moors and uplands where a hundred years ago curlew bred, a ground-nesting bird in dramatic decline. The curlew habit has changed and now the bird breeds increasingly in hay meadows, requiring some two months to incubate and rear its young. No topping or mowing during that time.
This morning, Farming Today casts further light on the importance of hay meadows and their traditional management. On either side of the River Dee there are meadows and we pass farmhouses and barns, a pastoral landscape. Rising in the distance, the moors and uplands where a hundred years ago curlew bred, a ground-nesting bird in dramatic decline. The curlew habit has changed and now the bird breeds increasingly in hay meadows, requiring some two months to incubate and rear its young. No topping or mowing during that time.
In late March this year, we witnessed this shift in curlew habit as we returned from High Cup Nick where we heard little of skylark or curlew. Until we were down on the road to Dufton, beside lowland pastures where a chorus of curlew accompanied us.
Traditional management best suits the flower-rich hay meadows of Dentdale. One cut annually, once the flowers have set seed and ground-nesting birds have reared their young. We came here on 23 June 2017, an overcast day when drizzle was welcome after a heat-wave. By the afternoon, the sun burnished the hay meadows in all their glory. Today, cloud is stubborn and there are showers. June has been wet. Not a day when images show the hay meadows at their best. Having revisited the Yorkshire Dales Millenium Trust website on hay meadow low-input management I'm puzzled to find a farmer out there mowing, leaving heaps of grass strewn with autumn hawkbit and buttercup. Yellow rattle is in flower and whilst the green calyx swells it will be a while before you can shake the plant and hear the rattle that tells the seed is set. The Trust works with farmers, aiming to link-up hay meadows to extend their reach, to create wild-life corridors. But as we walk we notice changes in the diversity of flora in meadows beside the river. To know which farms work closely in conjunction with the YDMT we need a guide.
Traditional management best suits the flower-rich hay meadows of Dentdale. One cut annually, once the flowers have set seed and ground-nesting birds have reared their young. We came here on 23 June 2017, an overcast day when drizzle was welcome after a heat-wave. By the afternoon, the sun burnished the hay meadows in all their glory. Today, cloud is stubborn and there are showers. June has been wet. Not a day when images show the hay meadows at their best. Having revisited the Yorkshire Dales Millenium Trust website on hay meadow low-input management I'm puzzled to find a farmer out there mowing, leaving heaps of grass strewn with autumn hawkbit and buttercup. Yellow rattle is in flower and whilst the green calyx swells it will be a while before you can shake the plant and hear the rattle that tells the seed is set. The Trust works with farmers, aiming to link-up hay meadows to extend their reach, to create wild-life corridors. But as we walk we notice changes in the diversity of flora in meadows beside the river. To know which farms work closely in conjunction with the YDMT we need a guide.
Along the wayside, beside the River Dee, red campion and foxglove are a motif of the day. Several of my companions were on Jill's walk in June two years ago and I enjoy hearing their reminiscences of what we saw that day and where. There are smart-looking farmhouses with lovely gardens and tubs of flowers and we wonder how many are working farms. It seems unlikely that a farming family would have the time to lavish so much loving care on a garden. Barns in Dentdale look well maintained, no doubt benefiting from the work of the Yorkshire Dales Millenium Trust.
All week, radio 4's Farming Today programme has been looking at agriculture and wild birds- today breeding waders like curlew, lapwing, redshank and snipe. The Yorkshire Dales National Park is mapping breeding waders, working with farmers to manage habitat in the hope of reversing the decline in their numbers, making stewardship agreements available where appropriate.
For more on Dentdale hay meadows, a brighter day with better images
Blog 23 June 2017
For more on Dentdale hay meadows, a brighter day with better images
Blog 23 June 2017
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