Heather is also known as ‘ling’ and is a common plant on heathland, moorland, and bogs. To do well it requires acidic or peat soils. It has delicate pink flowers that appear from August to October. Plants grow tightly packed together and can live for over 40 years

Walking on paths in the New Forest across Hatchet Moor several Wheatears were keeping just in front of us on the Heather.

These birds are female birds or juveniles. The male bird is a blue-grey above, with black wings and white below with an orange flush to the breast. It has a black cheek.