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Wildlife
at Shotwick Lake
Our lake is a
very special place for many reasons besides the obvious ones. I
have studied botany for a few years and more recently the value
of different habitats to wildlife.
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I can see the
arrival of more and more species and an increasing
diversity of plants and animals. |
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We have a
wealth of useful plants: burdock, as a drink, evening primrose
in herbal medicine. Willow to make baskets. Blackberries and
mushroom for food. Horsetails for pan scrubbers. (look it up!)
And those are just the ones that I know about.
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Trees
White, Grey and
goat Willows.
Silver Birch
English Oak
Holly And Hawthorn
Bushes
Wild rose - Dog
rose
Wild Bramble
Hazel
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Flowers
Campions,
Bladder and Red
Buttercups
Poppies
Scarlet
Pimpernel
Silver weed
Vetches
Birds eye
trefoil
Clovers Red and
White
Willow herbs,
- Great and
Rosebay
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Evening
Primrose
Speedwell
Burdock common
spotted
Toad flax
Daisy
Yarrow
Ragwort
Knapweed
Hawkweed
Orchids |
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Animals
Swans white and
Black (a native of Australia, I believe. I think the poor chap has escaped from captivity)
Coots
Canada geese
Swallows
Heron
Eels and Fish –
ignorant about those I’m afraid!
Various
butterflies.
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At other
seasons, mushrooms, toadstools, coltsfoot, For-get-me-nots,
pussy willows.
I know that I
must have missed lots of interest.
My point is
that there is a whole world to get to know when the wind doesn’t
blow.
Sylvia
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