Flowers in South Beds at the moment

[Pete Collins]

This post is based on my latest Blog entry, but I thought it might be worth posting here too.

As some of you know, my hobby is going for long walks in the countryside. With the help of you kind folks on WAB, I’m gradually learning a bit more about the nature I come across on my walks, especially wildflowers.

Usually when I go for a walk, I photograph only wildflowers that I don’t recognise or maybe those that I’m seeing for the first time this year. Today I decided to do a long walk (10-11 miles) that I knew would be good for wildflowers, and to photograph or record all the different wildflowers that I came across.

Starting from my home in Kensworth (South Bedfordshire, on the edge of the Chiltern Hills), I walked down the lane to Church End (the old part of the village) - along here I saw: Nipplewort, Herb Robert, Russian Comfrey, Agrimony, Field Bindweed, Hedge Woundwort.

I then followed the lengthy path round the back of the huge chalk quarry to Dunstable Downs: Pyramidal Orchid, Common Spotted Orchid, Yellow-wort, Self-heal, White Bryony, Field Scabious, Dog Rose, Wood Avens, Poppy, St John's Wort, Rosebay Willowherb, Scarlet Pimpernel, Bladder Campion and Hedge Bindweed.

I walked along the Downs and descended the hill to Dunstable: Lady's Bedstraw, Meadow Cranesbill, Common Fumitory, Common Rock-rose and Wild Mignonette.

I then followed a green lane and a Bridleway to the hamlet of Sewell: Common Mallow, Large Bindweed, White Dead-nettle, Opium Poppy, Common Field Speedwell, Greater Knapweed, Field Pansy, White Campion, Musk Mallow, Purple Toadflax and Borage.

I passed a disused chalk quarry, and continued on a green lane towards Totternhoe where I passed a Nature Reserve in a disused quarry - Man Orchid, Common Twayblade and Sainfoin.

I continued, and stopped for lunch by a second reserve at Totternhoe Knolls: Woody Nightshade, Cuckoo-pint, Nettle-leaved Bellflower, Clustered Bellflower, Germander Speedwell, Yellow Rattle and Squinancywort.

I then walked through Totternhoe and along a lane (Common Toadflax) back to the Downs and returned home via Whipsnade (Enchanter's Nightshade, Yarrow) and Whipsnade Heath (Foxgloves, Dark Mullein).

I'm not claiming to have seen anything special, or an unusually high number of wildflowers, I just thought it would be interesting to show what’s about in ‘my patch’ of South Bedfordshire at the moment.

I've obviously just mentioned the first occurrence of each flower. The Man Orchid was the one I reported here a few weeks ago.

A couple of years ago, the only one of these flowers I'd have recognised was the Dog Rose! Knowing a little about wildflowers has added immensely to my enjoyment of walking. Thank you all for the help you continue to give me in learning about wildflowers.

Pete

[JennyS]

Hi Pete -sounds like a lovely walk!

[Jez]

Holy moly Pete, when are are you going to invite me down???

[Pete Collins]

Whoops! Slight correction - I think I might have recognised Poppy two years ago as well!

[leifus]

Wow I'd love to see man orchids!!!

[Pete Collins]

I missed a few flowers out in my earlier post: Silverweed, Goatsbeard and Dropwort.

Goatsbeard, Dropwort and Enchanter's Nightshade were new flowers to me. Several, such as Musk Mallow, I saw for the first time this year.

Here are a few photos from yesterday's walk:

Borage

Musk Mallow

Opium Poppy

Purple Toadflax

Common Fumitory

Meadow Cranesbill

[Pete Collins]

Originally Posted by leifus

Wow I'd love to see man orchids!!!

This is my photo of a Man Orchid, taken at the same site about four weeks ago. I've been back a few times since, and there were at least five in the same location. Totternhoe is a known site for them.

[Bub-les]

Excellent photos and list. You are fortunate to have such a diverse range of plants. Quite a few of those do not grow at all over here.
Knowing what you're looking at always helps my enjoyment of a walk too.
What's the next step? insects... fungi... ?
Barbara

[Pete Collins]

Originally Posted by Bub-les

Excellent photos and list. You are fortunate to have such a diverse range of plants. Quite a few of those do not grow at all over here.
Knowing what you're looking at always helps my enjoyment of a walk too.
What's the next step? insects... fungi... ?
Barbara

Hi Barbara,

Yes, I am pretty lucky living here. But it's a very chalky area, so while I've a good chance of seeing flowers that specialise in that type of environment there's a lot of plants that I'm never going to see locally. I'm sure you have plenty of flowers on the Isle of Man that I don't get in this part of England.

As for your question about insects and fungi, I do take photos of butterflies and moths that I see (lots of Ringlets, Marbled Whites and Meadow Browns yesterday, plus a Chimney Sweeper moth that was identified for me here on WAB). I recognise some of the common butterflies but don't really know the moths at all, though I would like to learn about them at some stage. As for fungi, NickCantle has tried to persuade me to look at those - and I have found some Chicken of the Woods recently! Again, I would like to learn about fungi sometime.

All these things certainly add to the pleasure of walking. The problem is time - I take so many photographs now, my walks are taking longer and longer. A distance I could cover in four hours is now taking nearer five! So perhaps I'll start to look at fungi on my walks in the autumn, when there are fewer flowers about.

Pete