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Part of the RCT Living Landscape Project

Parc Pont-y-Clun

A small but incredibly biodiverse hay meadow, Parc Pont-y-Clun attracts common blue butterflies, meadow grasshoppers and goldfinches that feast on common bird’s-foot trefoil, quaking grass, and black knapweed.

 

Parc-Pont-y-Clun
Quaking-Grass2
Quaking Grass - © Lyn Evans

Habitat

Enjoy the wonderful wildflowers of the mini hay meadows and verges of Pontyclun. This network of green spaces has replaced mown grass with natural wildflowers through a simple management change. These grasslands are left to flower and seed all summer, and in the early autumn the hay is cut and removed.

When to Visit

Come anytime between April and September to see the grassland full of wildflowers and alive with invertebrates.

Biodiversity

This mini meadow at Pontyclun Park has a fantastic diversity of grasses and wildflowers. Look out for the trembling flower heads of quaking grass, the flowering spikes of common spotted orchid, white and yellow oxeye daisy, purple black knapweed and the lilac of field scabious. The small yellow flowers of common bird’s-foot trefoil are the food plant of common blue butterflies. It’s also known as ‘eggs and bacon’ and ‘Granny’s toenails’!

The height of summer brings red-tailed bumblebees and striking red and black six-spot burnet moths buzzing through the flowers, small copper butterflies sunning themselves on grass heads, and noisy meadow and field grasshoppers. Pied wagtails will chase tiny flies and, when the knapweed and scabious have flowered, goldfinches feed on the seed heads.

We Live Here... Can You Spot Us?

Field-Scabious

Field Scabious - © Sue Westwood 

Common-Blue

Common Blue - © Holly Tudball

Pied-Wagtail

Pied Wagtail - © Wayne Withers

Oxeye-Daisy

Oxeye Daisy - © Bethan Dalton

Common-Birds-Foot-Trefoil

Common Bird's-Foot Trefoil - © Bethan Dalton

Small-Copper2

Small Copper - © Holly Tudball

Meadow-Grasshopper

Meadow Grasshopper - © Bethan Dalton

Red-Tailed-Bumblebee

Red-Tailed Bumblebee - © Liam Olds