A Walk on the Wild Side with
a Kelburn Ranger

The grasslands, hedgerows and untreated meadows of Kelburn are alive with the squeaking of voles, shrews and insects.

Along the Countess Walk, the ‘zig-zag’ call of male grasshoppers can be almost hypnotic if you allow yourself the luxury of a doze in the long summer grass. Bumble bees are working from dawn to dusk on pollen-laden flowers, bumping and lurching from bloom to bloom as the pollen stored on their legs weighs them down.

High in the thermals above Kelburn Glen, the Buzzard is like no other bird here. It carries with it a constant aura of imminent drama, and as long as it remains in the air it possesses the extraordinary power to dominate the horizon.

Although many plants have already flowered, midsummer is still a good time to learn to distinguish different species because most will be mature enough to be ‘typical’ in their appearance, with both flowers and fruits or seed heads to help you identify them. Meadowseet, Red Campion and Valerian are in flower and mingle sweet smells and colours to delight the senses.