Carnforth - Thursday August 26th 2010 & Rydal & Grasmere 25th August 2010.

A lovely sunny day and decided to have a hour or so look around Carnforth to see if any new species where about and was not disappointed!

Butterflies: plenty of Speckled Woods, one male Common Blue, one female Common Blue and one Meadow Brown.

Flora: New to my Carnf0rth list: Gypsywort, Bush Vetch, many Seeded Goosefoot, Bladder Campion, Prickly Sow Thistle, Redshank, Field Scabious, Fairy Flax, Red Cliver, Perforated St. John's Wort, Red Bartsia, Stinging Nettle, Great Willowherb, Rosebay Willowherb, Broad Leaved Willowherb, Ragwort, Silverweed, Pineapple Mayweed, Eyebright, Lesser Trefoil, Hedge Woundwort, Bramble, Hogweed and Common Fumitory.

Also pleased to see again: Birtdsfoot Trefoil, Weld, Yarrow, Harebell, Common Centuary, Teasel, Ox Eye Daisy, Ladys Mantle, Self Heal and Scarlet Pimpernel.


Lots of blogs to try and catch up on.... please keep checking.. Dont forget the best way to look at the photos is to click over them once to enlarge and when loaded, click over them again to supersize.

Photo: top left: Gypsywort, top right: Close up of fresh Teasel, and bottom centre: Green Insects on a Field Scabious Stem.

GRASMERE, RYDAL, RYDAL MOUNT, WHITEMOSS - yesterday Wednesday August 25th 2010.


Weather was dull and grey for most of the time, but was OK and did not rain throughout our great walk. We have done most of this walk now many times up to where the "Coffin Route" joins behind Wordsworth's house at Rydal Mount.

From the Banks of Grasmere, I found lots of "Michaelmas Daisy" a type from the Aster family, which had obviously got a stronghold on the West banks. I found new ones for me eg: Gipsywort, and one large flower of the "Touch Me Not Balsam" and further afield found "Small Balsam", which I also found later at the top rear entrance to Rydal Mount. Also on the banks of Grasmere there was Great Burnet in parts and plenty of Corn Mint in full flower, plus Betony, Meadowsweet and Purple Loostrife, Devil's Bit Scabious, Sneezewort, Goldenrod, spent flowers of Bog Asphodel, plus many of the more common species.

A new one for me was found just as we left Grasmere and walking by the Rothay, before entering the White Moss Crags area and there was lots of spent Bog Asphodel, but in between them there was several flowers of the "Grass of Parnassus" (see photo).

A Little further on whilst walking through the old decideous trees still at the sides of the Rothay, but by now in White Moss there was some lovely examples of Fly Agaric fungi (see photo).

Called in at Dora's Field now owned by the National Trust. It was a plot of land originally purchased by William Wordsworth for his daughter "Dora". Sadly Dora died before she had chance to build a home there (next to Rydal Mount and the Church). A large boulder stone to the north-west corner of "Dora's Field" bears a plaque which is inscribed with ‘Wordsworth’s Preservation Legacy’ - extended not only to trees but also to rocks.

"In these fair vales have many a tree
At Wordsworth’s suit been spared;
And from the builder’s hand this stone,
For some rude beauty of its own,
Was rescued by the Bard:
So let it rest; and time will come
When here the tender-hearted
May heave as gentle sigh for him,
As one of the departed.



Like I have already said we joined the "Coffin Route" by the rear of Rydal Mount and almost at the back door of Rydal Mount, there was a nice large clump of "Small Balsam". Onward and we made our way down to White Moss where I found "Tutsan" and also a nice small waterfall (see photo).



Photos: top left: Grass of Parnassus, top right: Large stone in Doras Field rescued from the builders at Rydal Mount and placed here by William Wordsworth.

Left central: Looking towards Rydal Caves from near White Moss. right central: A small waterfall at White Moss. bottom photo: Fly Agaric....

Yealand Hall Allottments, Haweswater, Moss Lane, Trowbarrow and return via Silverdale Road - Tuesday August 24th 2010.

A young buzzard was calling over Yealand Allottments (Storrs End). Had a nice fungi near to Haweswater in the grazed field, not sure what it is but include here two photos. Checked out the Helliborines on Trowbarrow incline. Also recorded a large Hogweed at the start of Trowbarrow incline. But just before this whilst still on Moss Lane I found chicory and maybe a hundred or so of spent, Field Garlic or maybe Crow Garlic, whichever, they are just so rare I couldnt believe it!! Going back along the Silverdale Road, there was plenty of "Mugwort" almost opposite where people check out the Egret roost.

Burton to Cinderbarrow via Tarn Lane on Sunday August 22nd 2010

Did the short walk and had over 32 species of wildflower along this short route, plus there was many more of the commoner species which I did not record. Had "Fathen" quite near the opening to the Motorway sliproad, and had a great clump of Bittersweet intermingled in the hedgerow at Cinderbarrow, about 50 yards from the A6 and near to the Cinderbarrow Model Railway entry.

Hutton Roof - Saturday August 21st 2010

Decided to have a walk over Hutton Roof past the Trig and down towards Park Wood.

Some 400 yards North East of the Trig found a large area of Quinancy-wort, near the limestone scree part.

Continued over North East to the back of Park Wood and checked out the spent Dark Red Helliborines and the Lesser Meadow Rue.

Thought I would check for more Lesser Meadow Rue, with this being such a rarity, but could not find anymore, just the one I had found earlier. Still some Scabious in flower. Lots of fungi, but not yet identified.

On way back found some Sneezewort.

Had a single note call "whit" from the Willow Warbler which was in Park Wood, also had a young Raven continuously calling as it crossed over Hutton Roof.