Snippets of Wealth - Tues 28th May 2019 - Newbiggin Crags and Farleton Fell - Mountain Everlasting/Angular Solomons Seal/

My first job today and what I have been waiting to do for the past week or so, was to check out the Antennaria dioica (Mountain Everlasting).  An absolutely stunning plant which has yet only recorded from two areas on the Hutton Roof complex.  This population is on the Farleton side of Hutton Roof.  I am showing lots of photos because you do get so much fabulous variation within this species of which the main variants are shown here. 

 Antennaria dioica (Mountain Everlasting)

Photo: Newbiggin Crags, Farleton, Hutton Roof on 28th May 2019

 Antennaria dioica (Mountain Everlasting)

Photo: Newbiggin Crags, Farleton, Hutton Roof on 28th May 2019

 Antennaria dioica (Mountain Everlasting)

Photo: Newbiggin Crags, Farleton, Hutton Roof on 28th May 2019

 Antennaria dioica (Mountain Everlasting)

Photo: Newbiggin Crags, Farleton, Hutton Roof on 28th May 2019

 Antennaria dioica (Mountain Everlasting)

Photo: Newbiggin Crags, Farleton, Hutton Roof on 28th May 2019

 Antennaria dioica (Mountain Everlasting)

Photo: Newbiggin Crags, Farleton, Hutton Roof on 28th May 2019

 Antennaria dioica (Mountain Everlasting)

Photo: Newbiggin Crags, Farleton, Hutton Roof on 28th May 2019

 Antennaria dioica (Mountain Everlasting)

Photo: Newbiggin Crags, Farleton, Hutton Roof on 28th May 2019

 Antennaria dioica (Mountain Everlasting)

Photo: Newbiggin Crags, Farleton, Hutton Roof on 28th May 2019

 Antennaria dioica (Mountain Everlasting)

Photo: Newbiggin Crags, Farleton, Hutton Roof on 28th May 2019

 Antennaria dioica (Mountain Everlasting)

Photo: Newbiggin Crags, Farleton, Hutton Roof on 28th May 2019

 Antennaria dioica (Mountain Everlasting)

Photo: Newbiggin Crags, Farleton, Hutton Roof on 28th May 2019

 Antennaria dioica (Mountain Everlasting)

Photo: Newbiggin Crags, Farleton, Hutton Roof on 28th May 2019

 Antennaria dioica (Mountain Everlasting)

Photo: Newbiggin Crags, Farleton, Hutton Roof on 28th May 2019

Antennaria dioica (Mountain Everlasting)

Photo: Newbiggin Crags, Farleton, Hutton Roof on 28th May 2019

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Galium sterneri (Limestone Bedstraw) (Click over to enlarge)

Photo: Newbiggin Crags, Farleton, Hutton Roof on 28th May 2019 

 Galium sterneri (Limestone Bedstraw) (Click over to enlarge)

Photo: Newbiggin Crags, Farleton, Hutton Roof on 28th May 2019 

 Galium sterneri (Limestone Bedstraw) (Click over to enlarge)

Photo: Newbiggin Crags, Farleton, Hutton Roof on 28th May 2019 

Galium sterneri (Limestone Bedstraw) (Click over to enlarge)

Photo: Newbiggin Crags, Farleton, Hutton Roof on 28th May 2019 

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 Polygonatum odoratum (Angular Solomon's Seal) Click over to enlarge

Photo: Newbiggin Crags, Farleton, Hutton Roof

 Polygonatum odoratum (Angular Solomon's Seal) Click over to enlarge

Photo: Newbiggin Crags, Farleton, Hutton Roof

Decided to check out some nearby Polygonatum odoratum (Angular Solomons Seal) which was showing at it's very best.  The population is about 2 metre.

 Minuartia Verna (Spring Sandwort) Click over to enlarge

Photo: Spring Sandwort, Newbiggin Crags, Farleton, Hutton Roof on 28th May 2019

 Asplenium scolopendrium (Hart's Tongue Fern) Click over to enlarge

A very unusual plant found deep down in a gryke

 Asplenium scolopendrium (Hart's Tongue Fern) Click over to enlarge

A very unusual plant found deep down in a gryke

Dryopteris sub-montana (Rigid Buckler Fern) Click over to enlarge
Photo: Newbiggin Crags, Farleton, Hutton Roof on 28th May 2019
Photo captures the two shades eg: both blue and green within the fronds

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Snippets of Wealth - Sat 25th May 2019 - Warton Crag ferns and also nice Odoratum photos

Polygonatum odoratum (Angular Solomon's Seal)

 Polygonatum odoratum - (Angular Solomon's Seal) Click over to enlarge
Photo: either Clawthorpe Fell or Lancelot Clark Storth (CWT) this time last year.
Photo: Thanks to Simon Harrap

Polygonatum odoratum - (Angular Solomon's Seal) Click over to enlarge
Photo: either Clawthorpe Fell or Lancelot Clark Storth (CWT) this time last year.
Photo: Thanks to Simon Harrap 

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Been out searching for some rare hybrid named Shivasiae, spent all all morning and more but no joy, although I did find some possible mantoniae (hybrid between the P. Interjectum and the P. vulgare ferns.

Snippets of Wealth - Thursday 23rd May 2019 - Burton Fell and Lancelot Clark Storth (CWT) Adders Tongue/Hard Fern/

 Blechnum spicant (Hard Fern) Click over to enlarge

Photo: Burton Fell, Hutton Roof on 23rd May 2019

Showing Crozier just starting to unravel

We don't get a lot of this particular fern on the Hutton Roof side because it favours acid soils (not limestone), but here and there (up to 4 previous records I have so far) we do get small pockets were you get a build up of soils, thus supporting the species.

If you go on the opposite side of Dalton to the Keer Valley, this species is very common on the large sloping banks to the small River Keer.

Blechnum spicant (Hard Fern) Click over to enlarge

Photo: Burton Fell, Hutton Roof on 23rd May 2019

Showing Crozier just starting to unravel

I like this photo above in particular because it shows the varying stages of the croziers and their unravelling process

You have heard the story about the buses! none and then they all turn up at once. Well maybe for me that's the case with the most beautiful Adders Tongue fern, because for years I have tried to find this on Hutton Roof without success, yet now I have had two separate populations on Hutton Roof in about two weeks!  OK being honest with this find today I did get a little help from a friend who guided me in the right direction and thankfully I found it, maybe a population of a couple of hundred ferns, but sadly at the moment no spikes on any of them (as yet)

 Ophioglossum vulgatum (Adder's-tongue) Click over to enlarge
Photo: Burton Fell, Hutton Roof on 23rd May 2019
A few hundred in the population, but too early and no spikes showing

Ophioglossum vulgatum (Adder's-tongue) Click over to enlarge
Photo: Burton Fell, Hutton Roof on 23rd May 2019

A few hundred in the population, but too early and no spikes showing

Galium odoratum - Woodruff (Click over to enlarge)
Photo: Slape Lane, Burton In Kendal

Good to see the first Melampyrum pratense - (Common cow-wheat) are showing and also the Galium sterneri (Limestone Bedstraw) is starting to come through, but the Carex ornithopodia (Birds Foot Sedge) are very quiet, only found one or two out of the normal hundreds by now! I would generally get the peak by about the third week in May.

 Carex ornithopodia (Birds Foot Sedge) Click over to enlarge
Photo: Lancelot Clark Storth, Hutton Roof (CWT) on 23rd May 2019

  Carex ornithopodia (Birds Foot Sedge) Click over to enlarge
Photo: Lancelot Clark Storth, Hutton Roof (CWT) on 23rd May 2019

 Carex ornithopodia (Birds Foot Sedge) Click over to enlarge
Photo: Lancelot Clark Storth, Hutton Roof (CWT) on 23rd May 2019

Snippets of Wealth - Wed 22nd May 2019 - Warton Crag - Butterflies/Wild Strawberries

Today was very enjoyable having taken part in the butterfly walk kindly led by the most knowledgeable Chris Winnick.

Birds included Chiffchaffs, Willow Warblers, Garden Warblers, Blackcaps.

Butterflies and Moths included: 

7 Small Heath, 2 Dingy Skipper, 1 Green Hairstreak, 2 Cinnabar Moth, 1 Holly Blue, 6 Small Pearl Bordered Fritillary, 1 Pearl Boarded Fritillary, 1 Large Skipper(photo), lots of Brimstones, 1 Green Veined White, 1 Wall Brown, 2 Pyrausta purpuralis.

Also it was great to see the Wild Strawberries were out, but only in one small localised spot (see photos)

Fragaria vesca (Wild Strawberry) (Click over to enlarge)
Photo: Warton Crag 22nd May 2019

Also Cut-leaved Cranesbill, Dovesfoot Cranesbill, Horseshoe Vetch, Spring Sandwort, Hairy Rockcress, Spring Cinquefoil, Rock Rose (completely covering the Crag - a wonderful sight), Salad Burnet, Wild Strawberry, and scores of others.

Large Skipper
Photo: Warton Crag on 22nd May 2019

Snippets of Wealth - Tues 21st May 2019 - Clawthorpe Fell - Angular Solomon's Seal/

Robert Ashworth (Kendal) has kindly offered his 
Hutton Roof nature records

21st May 2019

Birds 

Cuckoo - calling male briefly at the top of Dalton Crags (top - deforested) before being ‘forced to leave’ by local tree pipits.

Butterflies/moths 

Small heath

Dingy skipper

Wall brown

Purple and gold moth (probably ostrinalis)

**

Clawthorpe Fell late pm to check out the Polygonatum odoratum (Angular Solomon's Seal)

First of all I did a quick check on the Carex ornithopodia (Birds Foot Sedge) which seems very slow this year in comparison to past years and I usually have it down for about the third week in May.  Another check another day.

Moving on and checking out the Polygonatum odoratum (Angular Solomon's Seal) and right on cue a couple of the four populations on this fell are at their best right now, and all bearing lovely drooping singular white flowers like you would expect. Population No.4 has probably got the most in flower yield and seems happy in it's tight grike habitat.  Probably this plant is one of the most photogenic we have on this fell. All four populations on this fell show the 'normal' smaller typical odoratum leaf (mainly dolphin nosed shape) which seems to be unique to this member of the polygonatum family. The photos show also a much lighter shade of blue/green on the underside of the leaf in comparison to the topside.  Also in these photos I have managed to capture the dual colour you get on the topside of the leaf which is occasionally noticed with a sheen of blue shadowing over the green. 

Polygonatum odoratum - (Angular Solomon's Seal) Click over to enlarge
Photo: Clawthorpe Fell No.4 population on 21st May 2019

shows the blue sheen over the green 
(not always noticed immediately, the light conditions have to be just right eg: end of the day)

Polygonatum odoratum - (Angular Solomon's Seal) Click over to enlarge
Photo: Clawthorpe Fell No.4 population on 21st May 2019

shows the light underside of the leaf which shows with comparison to the upperside. 
again preferable you need the late part of the day

Polygonatum odoratum - (Angular Solomon's Seal) Click over to enlarge
Photo: Clawthorpe Fell No.4 population on 21st May 2019


This photo shows a good range of the typical variant leaf shapes you can expect but probably the most recognised
 and familiar associated shape with the 'odoratum' 
is the 'dolphin' head shape (see top left in this photo) with a blunt snout and sloping with disproportionate sides 

Polygonatum odoratum - (Angular Solomon's Seal) Click over to enlarge
Photo: Clawthorpe Fell No.4 population on 21st May 2019

Polygonatum odoratum - (Angular Solomon's Seal) Click over to enlarge
Photo: Clawthorpe Fell No.1 population on 21st May 2019

Hieracium agg (Hawkweed) on Clawthorpe Fell
Photo: Clawthorpe Fell on 21st May 2019

Sedum album (White Stonecrop) on Clawthorpe Fell (Click over to enlarge
This area shown is about twice the size of the population in total
Photo: Clawthorpe Fell 21st May 2019

Sedum album (White Stonecrop) on Clawthorpe Fell (Click over to enlarge
Note: The small minute hairs or bristles down the sides of the leaves
Photo: Clawthorpe Fell 21st May 2019

Besides having the Sedum album (White Stonecrop) we also have the Sedum acre (yellow Biting Stonecrop) on Clawthorpe Fell

Snippets of Wealth - Mon 20th May 2019 - Dalton Crags and The Common - Green Spleenwort/Holly Fern/Spring Sandwort/Mouse E Hawkweed/Aculeatum/Ang Sol Seal

Plantago lanceolata (Ribwort Plantain) - Click over to enlarge

Photo: Plain Quarry Car Park, Dalton on 20th May 2019

Pilosella officinarum (Mouse Eared Hawkweed) Click over to enlarge

Photo: Dalton Crags on 20th May 2019

 Polystichum aculeatum (Hard Shield fern) click over to enlarge
Photo: Hutton Roof Common on 20th May 2019
Shows the uncurling of the pinnae

 Asplenium viride (Green Spleenwort) Click over to enlarge
Hutton Roof Common on 20th May 2019

 Asplenium viride (Green Spleenwort) Click over to enlarge
Hutton Roof Common on 20th May 2019 

Polygonatum odoratum (Angular Solomons Seal) click over to enlarge
Rare photo showing the unravelling of flowers from a leaf cocoon
Photo: Hutton Roof Common on 20th May 2019

Polystichum lonchitis (Holly Fern) No 1 with croziers click over to enlarge
Photo: Hutton Roof Common on 20th May 2019

 Polystichum lonchitis (Holly Fern) No 2 with croziers click over to enlarge
Photo: Hutton Roof Common on 20th May 2019

 Minuartia verna (Spring Sandwort) Click over to enlarge
Photo: Hutton Roof Common on 20th May 2019