Schmal 11 and Lemon Petalled Specimen 40 (28th June 2017)

A lovely straight "atrorubens" (Click over to enlarge)

Who on earth would want to scramble along on broken limestone in this rainy weather?  Well let's put it this way it was "gingerly" all the way, but as always worth it!

It was a question of checking out the orchids which are now well on the way.

First call of port was to check on Specimen 33 (Schmal 33) and its really opening up quickly now and so are the close by plants as well.  33 and most of its close neighbours are quite Lemon Petalled, but the sepals are quite dull pinkish/red.  One plant very close is of special interest and you can see from this photo it will be out soon.

A lovely little plant and stands out a mile - looks good
(Click over to enlarge)

Crossing over checking out the Helleborine variagated and thats doing well! but still looks very atrorubens in some ways, and the denticulation shows as atrorubens yet it will come through with helleborine flowers. Which ever way it's a star.  Also another varigated is coming through at just over one metre away but will not flower this year.

E.Helleborine var: variagated (Click over to enlarge)

Specimen 40 is out now with lots of other beauties all around, I did just about manage to get one reasonable photo but the winds did not help at all I have had to ditch some which could have been stunner! nem mind there is always tomorrow (I hope!)

Specimen 40 on 28th June 2017 (click over to enlarge)

Crossed over to get this lovely looking plant which is retaining the "proper" atrorubens look!

The two photos above are from a very strong standard
atrorubens which is holding plenty of colour.

Checking out one of my favourite little areas to see how our original Schmal 11 was going on and its a good size this year with plenty of yield.  I expect it to be OK for about the middle of next week.

 Original Schmal 11 (Click over to enlarge)

If you look to the back you will also see its offspring schmal 11a which is currently caged for its protection.

On way back through saw good population of Hypericum pulcrum to the edges of the limestone.

Nice butterflies and lots of fabulous orchids!

Dark Green Fritillary today on Hutton Roof (Click over to enlarge)

Monday 26th June 2017 - Hutton Roof 0930hrs to 1100hrs

Today was great for butterflies and had Small Heaths, lots of Ringlets, odd Small Pearl Bordered and a beautiful posing Dark Green Fritillary who just loved to be photographed!!  On my way up I had some Marsh Tits calling which was very nice, also the odd Chiffchaff and Willow Warbler.  On my way back down I also had a "Whitethroat" calling away. 


It was very bright and difficult for photography and still had that wind in the background making it difficult, but did manage to get a few shots. which I will put on here:

Spec No.33 (Schmal) on 26th June 2017 (Click over to enlarge)

This is a good strong plant which the bottom flowers are now showing Lemon-Petalled. Closeby we also have at least five more helleborines.  But one of these is "special" and about 10" extremely light green throughout.  Its probably 3 to 4 days from actuall flowering and I can't wait to see what it produces. For now here is a close up of the lemon-petalled on Spec 33.

Spec 33 on 26th June 2017 (Click over to enlarge)

These light epichile's and bosses are striking! Also you can see the yellow petal just forming.

Next is one of my old favourites.  In fact it is the first specimen I am aware of on Hutton Roof which confirmed the striking appearance of that "Lemon Petalled" back in 2014. I think we firstly classified this as a "Lutescens" but since I have gone for the "Lemon Petalled". It is stronger than ever at 18" tall and although I have not as yet counted the flowers, I would bet there will be somewhere about what we had last year eg: 21 flowers.   

The beautiful Spec 55 Lemon-Petalled now showing
Click over to enlarge - see next photo

This next photo is staying with 55 but showing a mid section of the plant and its striking flowers and lemon-petalling.

Specimen 55 - Lemon Petalled on 26th June 2017
(Click over to enlarge)

Specimen 55 today (Click over to enlarge)

A lovely trio of atrorubens - within days (Click over to enlarge)
Photo: 26th June 2017

I counted at least 9 plants of the Specimen 9 family and below is 9d and followed by 9a. You can see the likeness of green colouration and build on all of them and they all sit within a radius of approx 20ft diameter.  It stands out a mile to me from were they have come from, and just so you can agree or for that matter disagree here below them is a photo of "Mum" but please don't ask me which one!!.

Specimen 9d on 26th June 2017 (Click over to enlarge)

Parent Specimen 9 or Schmals 9 from 2014 (Click over to enlarge)
Unique colouring of these never seen before on Hutton Roof 

This is a older photo here from 2014 of which they have a "unique" colouring of which I have never seen any others similar on Hutton Roof prior to finding these.  Sadly they have not been with us since 2015. Although we caged them back in 2015 in hopes to protect them, something still managed to get at them (possibly slugs) and give them the snip and they have not re-appeared since that year. Or what I should say is that these plants have not directly appeared however it is quite obvious we are getting (up to 10 now at least!) offspring which I am sure must be from this particular plant because of that "unique" colouring and not only that they all fall within a geographical radius of some 20ft diameter of those originals.

And last for today (below) shows a "atrorubens" which has been predated with a slug.  You could easily be forgiven for thinking it is a deer because its a reasonably good horizontal snip but when you check it carefully you see its full of "slug slime" in the circled areas. 

(Click over to enlarge)
Slug predation on atrorubens on 26th June 2017

Atrorubens, Schmalhauseneii and Helliborine updates etc.

Saturday 24th June 2017 - Hutton Roof 1000hrs to 1600hrs

Crossed some really good "orchid" areas on all parts of Hutton Roof today and found my first of the year "Dark Red Helleborines" with at least 15 in flower or part flower - found some Angular Solomons Seal (new to me) at 1 metre, checked on our little population of Rare (for here) Northern Bedstraw, found some new Common Yellow Sedge, also found some new Flea Sedge, found some new Brittle Bladder Ferns, some fungi, lots of Wild Thyme everywhere, also for the book some "white Herb Robert", had first Lemon Petalled variant Atrorubens.

Birds were really quiet and because of the strong winds the only butterfly showing was one Red Admiral.  

Not sure at the moment what this one is I am having a "mental block" but that's nowt fresh these days. 

Not sure what this is? I think it might be Red Bartsia on the start

We do have just one little pocket of "Northern Bedstraw" on Hutton Roof which probably measures something like 6ft x 2ft across. And although it might be common the further North you go it is quite rare around our area, in fact ours is the most southerly population in Cumbria.  A title I think that may at one time have been held at Gait Barrows! perhaps until the 1980s....  Here is a photo I took today of the small population.

Northern Bedstraw today 24th June 2017

Northern Bedstraw (Click over to enlarge)

Checking out all our best orchid sites and we have now got about 15 atrorubens in flower.  For now this is one of our interesting specimens No.33 and is considered a Schmalhausenii No.33. The bottom two flowers have just opened up today and you can see where the epichile and bosses are almost white. 

Specimen 33 (Schmal) as photographed today 24th June 2017
 (Click over to enlarge)
You may noted it is lemon-petalled but even more interesting
is the almost white epichile and bosses

Specimen 34 (Schmal) as photographed today 24th June 2017
(Click over to enlarge)

This shows part of specimen 34 photographed today which is showing quite a lot of lemon petalled and also considered last year to be a possible Schmalhausenii.  The plant is within one metre of Schmal 33.  The plant also was monitored both in 2015 and 2016.

Schmal 1 photo today on 24th June 2017 (Click over to enlarge)

The two photos above are Schmalhausenii No.1 as seen today.  Note the bottom two flowers are both turned upwards showing off their epichile and bosses and other bits and pieces.  The plant had its main large basal leaf part predated and chopped a couple of weeks ago but since it has romped on. This plant has been monitored since 2012 and is to my knowledge at least 5 years old.  The plant failed in 2015 and just showed as a small runt indicating early day predation.  Also last year 2016 it came through OK but fell victim of a "deercut" and we were left with only the basal leaf which is low down (18" down in the gryke)

Schmal 15,16,16a - (Click over to enlarge)

This was the situation today, its quite obvious Mr. Hare has demolished our new plant No.16a, but why he has to do what he has to 16 beats me, its a regular trait were he gives it the snip and leaves it dangling without actually eating it!.  In fact below is the photo from 2015 when it was the turn of Schmal 15 to get the snip!

Schmal 15,16 back in 2015 (Click over to enlarge)
fell prey to the Brown Hare and received the "Harecut"

Now then I found a plant that looks like it will be a cracker when it comes out. Its quite close to our Schmals 15 and 16 and I am sure by the build it is a "offspring" from them like many more around there.  Just look at the flower yield on this - theres got to be around 40 on this one!

I am not sure I think we have this one on record already (click over to enlarge)

This one was a new plant for me a lovely looking thing as I was crossing over the fell.  In fact there are several around this tree which do look interesting and I will shortly spend some time there and get more information and photos but for now here is this one.  Straight forward atrorubens!! well I think so.....

A lovely atrorubens with standard coloured flowers
(Click over to enlarge)

The Roe Deer have just started their predation with several of the atrorubens falling victim together with one of our better "Helleborines" which you can see in the photo.  The general picture so far is pretty good with predation on the low side (at least for now!)

Roe Deer predation on Atroruben groups (Click to enlarge)
24th June 2017

One of our better Helleborines falls victim of Roe Deer
(Click over to enlarge)
25th June 2017.

Another atrorubens from today (Click over to enlarge)

This plant is really forward with most of its flowers open, but it is within the minority, because most will be opening over the next ten days or so.

Another Atrorubens which has just started to open up
(Click over to enlarge)

Dark Green Fritts and Large Skipps and other bits! (22nd June 2017)

Dark Green Fritillary taken today in Dalton (Click over to enlarge)

Thursday 22nd June 2017 - Dalton Crags - 1500hrs to 1630hrs

My intentions today were purely to go and check out the new possible Scollie "Crispum" fern in Dalton Crags.  A quick check on the "Marginatum" on the way up through the Crags and eventually arriving at the place were we have the new young Crispum! but on arrival it was one of those days when you get a nice shock, let me explain.  Whilst setting up to take photographs (as windy as it was), I quickly became aware that a brand new baby Crispum had appeared as if from nowhere, and what a little beauty this looks like it might turn out to be.  Just look at the wavy edge it already producing - I just can't wait to see this in maturity.  For now we do have this photo - like I say it was very windy for taking photos. I know for a fact that our fern men Alec and Julian will love this one!

Our new Crispum, and yet another new crispum frond (Click over to enlarge)

Not far away I also wanted to check out our rare "Montanum's" (Pale St. John's Wort) and yes they are coming along nicely, but another pleasant surprise was to see one already in flower.  I did manage to capture the plant but only the flower and top part because the wind was blowing it about like a swinging pendulum!

Hypericum Montanum (Pale St. John's Wort) today - (Click over to enlarge)

I decided to come back over "Hypericum Way" and check out some of our Hirsutums, Pulchrums and Tetraterum.  But straight away as I was coming down the "Way" it was butterflies, butterflies and even more butterflies.  Beginning with Red Admirals, then obvious recent hatches of the beautiful "Ringlets", then Large Skippers and Meadow Browns and then just before reaching the bottom two very flitty Dark Green Fritilleries. Continuing on a little way and back to the Plain Quarry areas I was having lots of Speckled Woods,  Small Heaths, Common Blues, more Ringlets and a beautiful Dark Green Fritillary which allowed me to get a good photograph (see above)

Red Admiral on Hypericum Way today (Click over to enlarge)

Large Skipper on Hypericum Way today (Click over to enlarge)

Another Large Skipper on Hypericum Way today (Click over to enlarge)

I had been recording our beautiful "Maiden Pink" for several years when a couple of years ago they just stopped coming through.  So it was a great pleasure to see them today coming through again this year. There did used to be two more small populations close by but to press these are still missing.

Maiden Pink in Dalton Crags 23rd June 2017 (Click over to enlarge)

To finish off whilst on the car park I noticed four large populations of "black mature peacock butterfly larvae" bunched up and devouring "nettles" and "bindweeds".

Peacock butterfly Larva feeding up on areas around Dalton Crags today (Click over to enlarge)

And another photo of Peacock butterfly larva (Click over to enlarge)

Dinghy Skippers, Meadow Browns and lots and lots of Orchids (19th June 2017)

Looking over to Warton Crag and the Bay (click over to enlarge)

Monday 19th June 2017 - Hutton Roof 0900hrs to 1100hrs

A new Chiffchaff to book.  Manage to get a good bite from a "Cleg" fly, he did not come again!  I saw a beautiful "light lemon coloured hawker dragonfly", lovely colouring but too flitty to get a photo - seemed to be enjoying the tops of the bracken. A regular Garden Warbler was singing away having moved his territory some 100 yards further East. Found another Common Spotted Orchid (not that Common on Hutton Roof less than 50). Again another day with Small Heaths everywhere.  Had my first Meadow Brown's today (x2) also had one of the larger bronze fritillaries (1st of the year) but its still a little early for Dark Green but spot on for High Brown so I am left wondering......had a Dinghy Skipper and also marked two places off with Common Blues (males). Lots of Fairy Flux flowers showing. The nationally rare (but locally common) Limestone Bedstraw is opened up everywhere you go. In fact it is so common you will struggle to find any Heath Bedstraw! 

Also I have Robert Ashworth (Kendal) report from: 14th June 2017:
Cuckoo - at least one bird still present, no calling and more elusive. Crossbill - One calling as it flew north over Burton Fell. Recorded a new fly orchid and also a Common Spotted. Increase in Small Pearl Bordered Fritillaries. (Thanks Robert)

Checked on Specimen 70 (Schmal 70) which is coming through very well and as usual a very light green.  This year also it has come through with a new specimen at the side of it which for now is labelled 70a and which so far does look very much like a positive offspring of 70 which you can see in the following photograph.

Specimen 70 and the new 70a (Schmal 70) - Click over to enlarge

Here below is a photograph of how Specimen 70 looked last year. It is a striking plant which first of all hits you by the very light green throughout.  Also as you can see from the following photo it shows lovely red/magenta flowers which contrast so well with the green.

Specimen 70 (Schmal 70) LAST YEAR 13th July 2016   (Click over to enlarge)

Specimen 70 (Schmal 70) LAST YEAR 13th July 2016   (Click over to enlarge)

Such a beautiful plant which in my opinion does have similarities to Schmal 8 (2014) and also Schmal 11 and 12 (2014).  see old photos below. The position of Specimen 70 from the other plants (8,11 and 12) is approx 200 yards to their direct West. 

Specimen 8 (Schmal) from 7th July 2014)

Specimen 11 (Schmal) from 7th July 2014)

Also decided to check out Specimen 14 (Schmal No.14) which sadly has been predated by Mr. Hare.  He is up to his old tricks again and although we love him dearly I just wish he would eat what he chomps!  If you look closely on the photo you will see a little minced pile of the flowerhead which he has made.  Also shown below this photo is a photo of how Schmal 14 looked on the 12th July 2016

Spec 14 (Schmal No.14) Click over to enlarge

and here below I have put a photo on of how Schmal No.14 was last year on 12th July 2016. I noticed that around this plant are another two nice atrorubens, but obviously they must not have been so tempting.  If you look at this photo also you can see that this plant may well have qualified for the "Lemon Petalled" status.

Spec 14 (Schmal No.14) in better days - 12th July 2016 (Click over to enlarge)

I was really pleased to see that var: Westmorlandii is alive and well and just starting its growth....

And here is showing 9a which is doing well.  In fact all that family seem to be doing well 9,9b,11,12 etc etc. 

Nice development on 9a taken on 19th June 2017