Flanders flowers

Don't miss the wildflower meadow if you're visiting Flanders Moss in the next few weeks.

It's a riot of colours ... with a seemingly never ending variety of beautiful natural patterns and shapes formed by the leaves and stems as well.

And if you look in the right places you'll probably see as much wildlife here right next to the car and cycle park as in Blair Drummond Safari Park.

When I visited yesterday I took half a dozen steps from the picnic area and entered a new and noisy world.


Suddenly the air was abuzz with the hum of tiny life.

Hundreds of insects were busily flying through the clumps of flowers looking for the next course of what seemed like a never-ending meal.

Looking more closely I saw honeybees, several sorts of bumble bee, myriads of hoverflies, as well as butterflies and damselflies.

At times they seemed to be actually queuing up for a turn to get onto favoured flower-heads. Every moment something new seemed to be happening.

I couldn't make up my mind whether the flowers or the insects were more colourful.

Now must be the best time of year to see this flower meadow which didn't even exist a few years ago.

You can find it next to the car and cycle park without having to go as far as the path and boardwalk.

This picture shows where to look. Happy hunting!