Fern check up and Lots of Mistle Thrushes etc (23rd August 2017)

Scollie - "Ramosum" gets better every year (Click over to enlarge)

Wednesday 23rd August 2017 - Dalton Crags, Ploverlands, Hutton Roof Common (1400hrs to 1800hrs)

Keeping check with some of our old faithfuls and the Ramosum (asplenium scolopendrium var: Ramosum) seems to get better with age.  I can't be sure without checking the past years photos but it does look from this photo to have gained more "split ends".

Whilst in the area of Ploverlands I wanted to check the area of were I had the Crispum a couple of years ago to see if anything was coming through again.  And also I could not find anymore Crispums I did find a lovely "undulatum" which was probably only a couple of metres away from the Crispum spot, so I was well pleased with this.  Obviously sori is represented on this specimen which brings it under the variety "undulatum". Here is a photo of it:

Undulatum found on Ploverlands 24th Aug 2017 - Click over to enlarge)

Obviously whilst on Hutton Roof it is always a great pleasure to check out the two specials namely Holly Fern 1 and Holly Fern 2.  I keep expecting a "hybrid" coming out of Holly 2 which shows the sister species "Aculeatum" coming from it's same rootstock.

Holly Fern No.1 (Click over to enlarge)

Holly Fern No.2 (Click over to enlarge)
This year also 3 fronds of Aculeatum mixed in the rootstock

Whilst in Dalton Crags the Mistle Thrush happened to be the bird of the day - they just kept coming and coming and I counted 82 birds in a roving flock - a record for sure!  also some Willow Warblers on the Common quiet with just their contact "hou whit" calls.