The Seven Wonders of the Bay

The mosaic of habitats that ring Morecambe Bay are home to some of the most rare and diverse collection of species in England.

Due to it’s location and climate the Morecambe Bay area sees more diversity than most spots in England as it is the interface of northern and southern species - what I call Nature’s Frontier!

The habitats around the bay are the foundation for the survival of this variety of species and I like to think of them as the Seven Wonders

- Limestone grassland supports an array of wildflowers from common cowslips to rare orchids, which in turn provide a food source for a variety of butterfly species

- Semi-natural woodland is home to a range of woodland birds, deer and spectacular wild plants, large areas still managed by traditional coppicing methods

- Bogs and mosses are home to insect-eating plants, rare dragonflies and butterflies, and also a great nesting spot for our Cumbrian Ospreys

- Limestone pavement is a rare feature but there are still some unspoilt examples in the area that are significant for the orchids and other wild plants found only there

- Sand dunes link the opposite ends of the bay with some significant dynamic dune systems that change daily with the winds and tides but also support an incredible diversity of plants and are important roosting sites for many of the wading birds that feed in the bay

- Saltmarsh and mud-flats are the nutrient rich spots where the breeding and wintering wading birds feed, digging worms and molluscs from the mud

- Rivers are the link between the land and the sea creating corridors for breeding salmon and trout and exchange of nutrients into the bay

Want to know more? Book a NaturesGems tour!