I Love Arnside and Silverdale: Snippets of Wealth (Sat 4th May 2019) S.Sandwort/Holly Fern/Green Spleenwort/EPO/Milkwort/Brittle Bladder Fern)

Saturday 4 May 2019

Snippets of Wealth (Sat 4th May 2019) S.Sandwort/Holly Fern/Green Spleenwort/EPO/Milkwort/Brittle Bladder Fern)

Saturday 4th May 2019 - Dalton Crags, The Common, Burton Fell and Lancelot Clark Storth

I counted 14 Willow Warblers in song, also nice to hear 5 Garden Warblers, had 1 Greenland Wheatear in Dalton Crags (deforested) 2 Linnets, 3 Tree Pipits near Trig.

Minuartia verna (Spring Sandwort) Click over to enlarge
Photo: Hutton Roof Common on 4th May 2019

Checking out Minuartia verna Spring Sandwort on both the Common and also lots showing on Uberash roughs and Uberash Breast.

Great to check on the Polystichum lonchitis (Holly Ferns), whilst Holly Fern No.2 have now got four lonchitis croziers whilst at the same time we have in the same rootstock one aculeatum frond together with one crozier about to unravel (see photo below).

Polystichum lonchitis new croziers (3), plus a full new aculeatum frond plus a aculeatum crozier top right.
Photo: Hutton Roof on 4th May 2019

It was great to check out the Asplenium viride (Green Spleenwort) and note all the croziers and unravelling new fronds. I have wanted a photo of this for years and now managed it. Just a shame too much sun was getting into the shots.

Asplenium viride (Green Spleenwort) Click over to enlarge
Photo: Hutton Roof Common 4th May 2019
Shows unravelling of new fronds

Sanicula europaea (Sanicle) (Click over to enlarge)
Photo: Hutton Roof Common on 4th May 2019

Sanicula europaea (Sanicle) is looking good and well on its way which you can see on many of the tracks around Hutton Roof Common

Orchis mascula (Early Purple Orchid) Click over to enlarge
Photo: Burton Fell on 4th May 2019
(Note the ghostly faces showing on the sepals)

Orchis mascula (Early Purple Orchid) Click over to enlarge
Photo: Burton Fell on 4th May 2019

Checked out Burton Fell for the Early Purple Orchids and one or two nice ones, but still too Early for most, but after saying that quite a lot have already gone over! I checked for our light coloured ones (the white with stain) but both have decided to give it a miss this year. The one I remember being a stonker was a salmon coloured specimen and here it was again, so I need to check this one out in a few days. Note the "ghostly" faces on the (as yet) closed sepals

If there has to be a sickener, I went over into Lancelot to check the only "albino" orchis mascula Early Purple Orchid and sure enough just like last year the flowering plant had been destroyed yet again by (deer nibbling) looking at the remaining part of the stem.

Polygala vulgaris (Common Milkwort) (Click to enlarge_

Photo: Lancelot Clark Storth (CWT), Hutton Roof on 4th May 2019

Polygala vulgaris (Common Milkwort) (Click to enlarge_
Photo: Lancelot Clark Storth (CWT), Hutton Roof on 4th May 2019
Showing the leaf structure

The beautiful Polygala vulgaris (Milkwort) is shown above in a deep blue, but also on this same banking on Lancelot Clark Storth (East of the BAP Memorial Seat, you will be able to see it in a variety of colours including: white, pink, blue, purples. A fabulous collection and I will include even more later in the "Flora Blog"