Wildlife

Wildlife & Ecology

Flora and fauna on UK trails, and how to walk without disturbing sensitive habitats.

What you might encounter on UK trails.

Flora

Heather
Calluna vulgaris
Blankets upland moors August–September in purple
Bilberry
Vaccinium myrtillus
Edible fruit June–August on acid moorland
Tormentil
Potentilla erecta
Small yellow flower, common on grassland and moor
Bog Asphodel
Narthecium ossifragum
Bright yellow spikes on wet bog, late summer
Wood Sorrel
Oxalis acetosella
Delicate white flowers in woodland and shaded gullies
Cotton Grass
Eriophorum angustifolium
White fluffy seed heads on boggy ground — beautiful but means wet feet

Fauna

Red Kite
Reintroduced successfully; now widespread in Wales and expanding across England.
Red Grouse
Ground-nesting March–July on northern and upland moors.
Mountain Hare
Turns white in winter. Found on Scottish and northern uplands.
Peregrine Falcon
Nests on crags and sea cliffs throughout the UK. Protected under Schedule 1.
Adder
Britain's only venomous snake. Common on heathland; not aggressive.
Red Squirrel
Surviving in Northumberland, the Lake District, and much of Scotland. Stronghold at Formby.
Golden Eagle
Around 500 pairs in Scotland. Soars over open moorland and mountain ridges.

Conservation

Much of the UK's finest walking country is designated SSSI, National Park, or open access land. Keep to established paths on moorland to protect ground-nesting birds between March and July. Keep dogs on leads near livestock and during nesting season. Upland bog and blanket peat are fragile — avoid stepping off the path onto dark peat beside tracks.