Well the Ivinghoe Beacon meeting took place!
I was panicking this morning when I saw that it was raining here (I live about 7 miles from the Beacon) and phoned a couple of people to warn them that it wasn't looking good, but they were still keen to come and I'm so glad they did. In the end, we had a couple of showers but generally the weather gods were kind to us.
I'd arranged to pick Tiggrx up from Tring station about an hour and a quarter before the meeting started at 10.30am, and we then had 30-40 minutes to look round Pitstone Hill. We didn't really see anything that we didn't see later at Ivinghoe Beacon though. Hedge Witch and her partner were in the Beacon car park already when Tiggrx and I got there about 10.20am, and FungiJus arrived soon after (I was disappointed to find his nickname is not pronounced Fungi Juice!).
The five of us set off down the path from the car park to the Beacon.
We saw several Ringlets and Large Skippers (I think!), a Gatekeeper and a Marbled White. Flowers included Hedge Woundwort, Agrimony, Herb Robert, Wild Basil (a new one I'd just learned from Tiggrx!), Lady's Bedstraw, Hedge Bedstraw, Woody Nightshade and Enchanter's-Nightshade.
When we reached the open grassland below the Beacon, we saw Greater and Common Knapweed, Spiny Restharrow (we think!), Sainfoin, Yellow Rattle, Kidney Vetch, Birdsfoot Trefoil, Clustered Bellflower, Squinancywort and Selfheal. I was getting worried that the Pyramidal Orchids I'd promised had disappeared, but I eventually spotted one. I also found a rather worn Fragrant Orchid, which I was pleased about as I thought they might be over.
We climbed the small hillock next to the road, then explored a steep ditch or gulley (presumably part of the earthworks of the iron-age hillfort that was once here). This was where the Common Spotted Orchids are to be found, and they were still here in numbers, a little past their best but some still in fine condition. Here we had what for me was the find of the day - Tiggrx stopped to photo an Eyebright, and discovered he was standing next to a Frog Orchid! It was the first he'd seen in Buckinghamshire, and a complete first for the rest of us. Not only that, but it was inches away from a Bee Orchid!
We carried on up and down the gulley and the surrounding hillside - I got a brief glimpse of a Dark Green Fritilary, but had no chance of a photo. Somewhere round here I think Tiggrx saw a Common Twayblade but the rest of us missed it. As we followed the main chalky track up to the top of the Beacon I spotted the annual wall-rocket that I found here last year.
At the top of the Beacon I did my tourist guide impression, pointing out the various places of interest that could be seen (well, they were of interest to me, anyway!
) FungiJus could just about make out where he worked! We then walke a little way towards Galley Hill, and then turned right along a track that led back to the road.
It was now just after noon, I think. FungiJus had to leave then, but the other four of us crossed the road and made our way towards Steps Hill and Incombe Hole (a steep valley cutting into the hillside). Tiggrx pointed out Musk Thistle (another new one for me), we spotted our only Red Admiral of the day, and as we came back to the road we saw our first Meadow Cranesbill. ACross the road, as we walked the few yards back to the car park we saw some rather faded Sannicle amongst the beech trees.
The four of us then decided we'd go on to the nearby College Lake, a Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust reserve. When we got there we found they were having on Open Day, with all sorts of walks and events arranged. But we chose to just do our own walk round the reserve.
Tiggrx was soon pointing out some more wildflowers that were new to me, including Small Toadflax and Dragon's teeth. We also saw Purple Loosestrife and Scarlet Pimpernel. We looked round the meadows planted with cornfield flowers, such as Corncockle and Field-Cowwheat, then stopped at a picnic table for lunch.
We continued along the trail round the reserve (a former chalk quarry) soon spotting Viper's Bugloss. There were lots of damselflies, but they were all Common Blues as far as we could tell. We saw loads more Pyramidal Orchids and a few worn Common Spotted Orchids, and Tiggrx pointed out White Helleborine (flowers faded) and Green-flowered Helleborine (unsurprisingly another first for me). He also spotted Blue Fleabane, Ploughman's-Spikenard and the leaves of Stinking Hellebore.
It was very good to meet some fellow WABbers in the flesh for the first time (you guys really DO exist in the real world, I thought you were just floating in cyberspace!
). So thanks very much to Tiggrx, FungiJus, Hedge Witch and partner for coming along, I hope they enjoyed it as much as I did.
I think Hedge Witch has a photo that will reassure eeyore that the cairn and map his Ridgeway people put on top of the Beacon is still there! Apparently Tiggrx has walked the whole of the Ridgeway!
I'm sure I've missed out loads of flowers and things that we saw (such as Harebell and several little froglets!), but hopefully the others will fill in the missing pieces. I'll post up some photos later.