Whixall Moss - Dragonflies, Butterflies & Birds (Day Trip)

Summary

Fenns and Whixall Moss NNR, managed by Natural England & Natural Resources Wales, is the third largest lowland raised bog in Great Britain. The huge wide open space provides home to many rare and scarce species such as White-faced Darter dragonfly, the Large Heath butterfly (the most southerly location in England and our only bog specialist butterfly), the Raft Spider, our largest spider, breeding Curlews, a gathering place for Hobbies prior to breeding, along with rare and unusual bog plants.

The aim of the walk will be to look for some of the iconic species of the Moss at this time of the year, and to learn about the now rare habitat of a lowland raised bog and its current restoration. After exploring one area of the Moss where many of the iconic species can be found, we move to another section, to visit Sinker’s Fields, perhaps Shropshire’s premier site for wetland birds and the newly constructed viewing platform which gives views over the whole Moss. 

Some species such as Curlews, other nesting birds, Raft Spiders and the bog plants can be seen throughout the period of all the walks. White-faced Darter dragonflies emerge by early May, and can be on the wing until the beginning of July. Hobbies, arrive at the end of April and can be seen until September. However, the large gathering can only be seen in the first 2-3 weeks of May. Large Heath butterflies don’t emerge until the last few days of May, and their numbers don’t build up until the first to the second week of June. From June onwards there will also be the option of visiting nearby Prees Heath Common Reserve, the last site for Silver-studded Blue butterflies in the Midlands.

Meet local naturalist Stephen Barlow at 9am. The walks will be short, probably not be further than 1 mile from the car parks at any time. The ground is flat, but depending on the weather it can be wet. Whilst walking boots or shoes are okay, it is preferable to wear Wellington boots. If you're keen on your insect photography, we suggest bringing your camera along.

• Explore one of the UK’s largest remaining lowland raised bogs
• Invertebrate species include White faced Darter, Large Heath butterfly and Raft Spider
• Large feeding aggregations of Hobby (May departures only)
• Curlew, Skylark, Marsh Harrier and Cuckoo possible
• A range of unique and unusual bog flora
• Learn about raised bog restoration, guided by an expert naturalist