“The bleakness of Saddleworth Moor camouflages a richness of flora and fauna.
Its bogs and 9000-years-old peatland with fast-flowing streams and valleys sustains many plants and animals which will have perished as the fire swept across 2000 acres.
Wildlife experts believe the recovery could take years.
The timing of the blaze is catastrophic as fledglings emerge from nests in early summer.
Director of Conservation at the Wildlife Trust for Lancashire, Manchester and North Merseyside Tim Mitcham said: “The heat generated by the fires is devastating to the fragile upland moorland.
“Only the most mobile of animals escape and of course we are in peak breeding period for many – from curlew to ant.
“These animals are on the moors because they like the conditions they find there and ultimately depend upon the plants, many species depend upon specialist moorland plants like cotton-grass and heather.”
How my heart sings 