Nature Walk in the Curraghs: wallabies, orchids, and Manx herblore
A nature walk in the curraghs on the Isle of Man. This swampy nature reserve is home to native orchids, birdlife, and a population of wild wallabies.
I’ll bet you didn’t know there were wild Wallabies living on the Isle of Man. Though not native, these relatives of kangaroos have been living in Ballaugh for about fifty years. The story goes that sometime in the 1960s a breeding pair escaped from the island’s only wildlife park. From that single pair, there are now estimated to be around a hundred wallabies in the marshy land known as the Curragh. Though terribly inbred, and suffering from poor sight, as a result, the animals are flourishing and can be spotted singly or in family groups in the area’s nature reserves.
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Even though I’ve been on the Isle of Man for well over three years I’d somehow never gotten around to seeing them. So when John ‘Dog’ Callister offered to take me and two friends on a walk around the Curragh last week I jumped at the invitation. John Dog spent many years working both on his own and for Manx National Heritage building public paths and structures for the Close Sartfields and Ballaugh Curraghs nature reserves.
He knows all about the Wallabies and has even caught a couple of blind ones to take to the vet. With no native predators or poisonous snakes to injure them, the Wallabies seem to be doing okay on their own despite their challenges. The only real danger they have is from dogs and vehicles.
John Dog also gave us a tour of Sartfield Nature Reserve and we were introduced to scores of native wildflowers in both their English and Manx names. John Dog is considered an expert on Manx names for wildflowers and in some cases has helped create names where proper ones weren’t known.
I knew a few before such as ‘Tramman’ for Elder, and ‘Cushag’ for Ragwort but was also introduced to ‘Sleggan Slieau’ for Foxglove and ‘Ullaagagh’ for Honeysuckle. For a complete list, please have a look for John Dog’s book which is available in some of the Manx National Heritage gift shops.
The plantings were all fairly dense but every now and again John Dog would point out an old hedge or boundary wall in the undergrowth. You’d think they’d been there for eons by the way they were covered in plants so it was hard to believe that the park had been nothing more than treeless agricultural fields up to the 1960s.
Oh Wallabies Oh No, we have them in Waimate New Zealand someone brought them over from Australia years ago, now we are over run and are a pest decimating so much land. Cute they are , but they will take over . I am Manx would hate to see the land of my birth destroyed , take care
What a shame the wallabies are going blind,a lovely walk and so much to see. Thanks for sharing it with us.
You're very welcome :) It was a wonderful walk and I'd recommend it to anyone who's spending time on the island!
An interesting day – such a pity about the inbreeding of the wallabies.
Yes it is. John Dog said he'd tried to nudge the wildlife park to toss a couple more over the fence but no luck thus far ;)
I never expected the isle of man to have landscape like that and wallabies to boot! Really neat, more rain here.
It's been really warm here Sunnybrook…I think both you and I have swapped climates this summer.
Very informative post and beautiful pictures!
Thanks Alain :)
beautiful walk
It was :)
I would have loved to be on that walk with you Tanya – I'm a big fan of nature reserves particularly for wildflower spotting – but wallabies, well I'll be blowed – as they say. Do they ever cull them like deer or just let the numbers build up? John Dog certainly looks the part anyway – I bet he's really interesting to talk to.
They don't cull them as far as I know but I've heard that a number of them have been hit on the road…probably due to them not seeing cars coming!
Indeed – I didn't know there are wallabies on the Isle of Man :) I thought they only live in Australia.
Very interesting post!
Greetings!
It's pretty wild isn't it? We were really close to one in particular who starting to bound away just like a kangaroo after a few minutes. It doesn't really hit you that they're Wallabies (and not VERY big rabbits) until you see them move!