Burnet Moths love Cowbar Knapweed!
One of our most eye-catching moths is back. In the summer, there are plenty of six-spotted Burnet Moths on Cowbar, settling on common knapweed or thistles, their regular choice…
July 4th 2026 – National Meadows Day!
This is a day for celebrating the treasure of meadows all over the UK! Cowbar grassland was once agricultural land decades ago. Now it is a species-rich stretch of ‘semi-improved’…
Bee Orchids are back on Cowbar!
This June a fascinating and beautiful orchid has reappeared.
Skylarks are singing on Cowbar
I recall studying Shelley’s ‘To a Skylark’ as a teenager, i.e., at a time when football results mattered more to me than birdsong. I was surprised to discover recently that…
Cowbar Autumn Goldfinches
A cloud of Goldfinches feasting on seeds on Cowbar this August A group of goldfinches is called a 'charm'. This term comes from the Old English word 'c'irm' and refers…
The Big (Cowbar) Butterfly Count is back!
Butterfly Conservation’s Big Butterfly Count begins on July 15th and will run until August 10th. So far, over a million butterflies have been added to the count nationally. The Big…
#NOMOWMAY and Why we need Dandelions
NO MOW MAY has begun! One of the most beautiful flowers to benefit from this Plantlife initiative, now adopted by people and organisations across the UK, is the Dandelion. Its name…
GROUND NESTING BIRDS
Many ground-nesting birds are on the ‘red list’ of birds that need urgent action to stop them from dying out. On Cowbar, these Red List birds include lapwings, curlews, and…
The Cowbar Barn Owl
All through December, we have seen the barn owl out hunting over the Cowbar grassland in daylight. Although barn owls' eyes are specially adapted to function in low light conditions…