Dubwath Silver Meadows |

This is a very wet part of the reserve so the plants here are tolerant of having their roots in water. Yellow Flag Iris, Marsh Marigold and Marsh Cinquefoil are typical and thrive.

One of the most striking features of the Snipe Bog is the decorative panicles of Tufted Hair Grass, swaying above almost everything else, all year round. It reaches over 1.5m tall when flowering and prefers areas of poorly drained soils. The dark green foliage is very coarse, while the large spreading panicles of numerous small spikelets are light and feathery.
An uncommon plant, Great Burnet is a member of the rose family. It can survive for decades due to its extensive root system. The oval, crimson flower heads, which appear on long green stalks from June to September, look like lollipops.

A wonderful feature of this area is the abundance of less common species of birds. Reed Buntings perch on the swaying stems of the long grasses, proclaiming their territories in ringing calls. Snipe and Woodcock make their homes here, hiding their nests on the ground amongst the long grass. Summer visitors who take up residence in the willow trees include Chiffchaff, Grasshopper Warbler, Sedge Warbler and Willow Warbler. Watch out overhead for the Osprey flying past on its way to a favourite fishing spot or the Buzzard effortlessly gliding around on the thermals.
Roving Roe deer:
Early morning and dusk are the best time to spot these as they come out of the forest to graze on the bog plants. Roe buck establish their territories in April/May. Otters often swim from Bassenthwaite Lake up into the reserve. However, like many animals they will sometimes try to take a short cut across the A66! To prevent this the fencing on both sides of the road nearest the Lake has been otter-proofed (going deep underground to stop them burrowing under the fence). This makes the otters use the purpose built, and safe, water underpass.