2nd May 2009
A pretty successful day today; seven new species added, with quite a few more still waiting for a definite ID
To start with, I needed to right an embarrassing mistake; en route to the New Forest on April 24th I'd photographed what I thought was a
Green-winged Orchid (
Orchis morio) at Martin Down, Wiltshire... but reviewing the photos yesterday, looking back at me was an un-stringable Early Purple Orchid
In my defence it's a plant I'd never seen in the flesh before, but even so - they aren't that hard to identify...
Thankfully North Somerset's quite a good area for "genuine" Green-wingeds; there's a large colony at the edge of Chew Valley Lake (the area known as "Parkland", just before Heron's Green Bay) and quite a few were out in flower - for some annoying reason, despite trying three times, the site doesn't seem to be letting me upload a photo, but I know I've got it right this time
Anyway... my next stop was Priddy Mineries, on the Mendips, where
Spring Sandwort (
Minuartia verna) gave itself up easily but I failed to find any sign of the Alpine Penny-cress that also supposedly grows nearby. Plus, I was also able to add
Western Gorse (
Ulex galli) &
Bell Heather (
Erica cinerea) to the list; neither were in flower, of course, but they all count
(
Spring Sandwort, Minuartia verna)
From there it was on to Great Elm, near Mells, where at the third time of asking I finally managed to track down
Bladdernut (
Staphylea pinnata) - right by the path, I must have walked past it every time previously!
Water Dock (
Rumex hydrolapathum) was also by the Mells Stream and also new, a
Wild Service Tree (
Sorbus torminalis) was probably planted, and there were several others that still need a name; a couple of cotoneasters, a currant bush and a mystery tree on which I've absolutely no idea...
(
Bladdernut, Staphylea pinnata)
(
Water Dock, Rumex hydrolapathum)