I Love Arnside and Silverdale: 29th May 2020 - Snippets of Wealth - Adders Tongue Fern, Mountain Everlasting etc.

29th May 2020 - Holme Stinted Pastures and Holme Park Fell

Today I wanted to check out the recent find of Antennaria dioica - Mountain Everlasting on Holme Stints. Still about 20 in number but had progressed little since my last visit a couple of weeks ago.

Brilliant today for butterflies with 7xSmall Pearl Bordered Butterflies, 1xMale Common Blue, 2xSmall Heath, 1xWall Butterfly,1xdull Peacock Butterfly, 1xChimney Sweeper Moth

Also went high on the Fell looking in particular for Polystichum aculeatum (Hard Shield Fern) which I did find plenty, with the majority very cramped in such narrow grykes. Although vast amounts of Gymnocarpium robertianum - Limestone Fern and Dryopteris sub-montana - Rigid Buckler Ferns and Asplenium scolopendrium - Harts Tongue. Also of particular interest on way up checked out the Ophioglossum vulgatum Adders Tongue Fern and noticed the population was not just a metre or so as previously recorded but extended to a linear 12 yards x 1 yard wide which must have contained hundreds of the fine specimens (a couple of photos below).

I was finding Sanicula europaea - Sanicle actually down in the grykes, which is so unusual, also found Neottia ovata - Common Twayblade hiding amongst the heather, some remnants of Potentilla tabernaemontani - Spring Cinquefoil on the main track of the fell. Galium sterneri - Limestone Bedstraw really getting hold now and will only be days before the beautiful white flowers have opened up. Lots of Leucanthemum vulgare - Oxeye daisy on the fell.

A Cuckoo heard calling from somewhere over on Newbiggin Crags, also recorded a Yellowhammer singing on the fell.