Lielowan Meadow

Wildlife

The major attraction of the reserve is the variety of plants (over 120 species) which include Sanguisorba minor, Pale Sedge, and although the Greater Butterfly Orchid has been recorded it has not been seen for some time. Collared Dove and Reed Bunting have nested in the summer and Snipe have visited the wetter areas.

Historical Perspective

The site was drained using fireclay pipes running from north to south into a large pipe which terminates at the southeast corner. And until around 1969, hay was cut annually.

However, the drains soon choked allowing the lime rich water to seep out of the bank and spread over the site to the lower south and east. Because of this the south facing bank and the northern edge near the road are well drained and relatively alkaline while the southern and eastern areas where the water collects are wet and acid.

The southeast corner has had to be fenced off to keep the sheep from getting bogged down in this part of the reserve.

The site became an SSSI on January 16th, l990. Prior to this sheep, cattle and even horses had been grazed on the site.

In October 1992 the site was gifted to the Scottish Wildlife Trust by British Coal and since then a regime of sheep grazing, restricted to Spring and Autumn, has been adopted.

Management

Since 1993 the site has been grazed with about 30 sheep in Spring and Autumn only, as it is too wet in the winter and the animals must be taken off from early June until September to allow the plants to seed. The Salad Burnett and Pale Sedge have been monitored annually to try to maintain a healthy population. Some strimming has been carried out to try to stop the spread of the Junctus.