I Love Arnside and Silverdale: August 2020

Gentianella amarella - differences - Top left - Classic purple, Top right - Septentrionalis (Northern sub-species), Bottom left: 1/2 purple and 1/2 white, and bottom right: White but slightly washed.

Sunday 30th August 2020 (Holme Park Fell)

Count total so far: (2647 Autumn gentian)

Starting from the gateway leading from Holme Stinted Pastures, I proceeded the full length of the Holme Park Fell, checking out the main track and its verges all the way over, and including fair distances on two sub tracks leading off the main track.

I found good numbers throughout the track and sub-tracks, although I don't think I had just as many as what I did have in 2017, although it was still excellent numbers. From old photos and memory back in 2017 showed even larger and taller specimens than we have got this year, although this year we have got odd specimens up to 6". If anything I do think we have got far more of the "light form" this year and perhaps less of the classic "purple" specimens with a possible 75% (light form) and 25% (classic purple). Throughout the survey on this fell I have found very few in the way of true white sub species (just a couple) eg: Septentrionalis (Northern race) - check below

The total number recorded from the main track across Holme Park Fell, plus 3 other small tracks was 1487 plus 1034 counted yesterday on Holme Stinted Pastures bringing a total so far on the Holme Park side to: 2521. Also on the Farleton Fell and Newbiggin side a further: 126.

Also today I did notice the birds are starting to collect or getting restless, I had a tight party of 17 Linnets and another party of 6 Linnets, and Meadow Pipits starting to appear on the walls etc, odd Swallows could be local, also grouping of Starling parties (up to 20/30). Also really good butterfly morning with at least 7 Grayling, 3 Small Heath and several Small Tortoiseshells.

G. Amarella sub species "Septentrionalis" or Northern)

G. Amarella variety: Light form

G.Amarella - 'Classic'

These photos below were taken yesterday and show how this variety have come to show a 50/50 petal colour eg: half purple and half white.

This one shows the petal looking straight into the top

This one shows the split colour from the "Corolla lobe" side which shows just after splitting or opening, and you see the white now on show, which would not have been whilst the flower was closed, and you can also see the colour having bled through onto the inner side as well.

Here is a even better photo showing the split colour from both above and behind.

And now I am showing these red versions, I know this has something to do with photosynthesis, and one of the examples shows were the leaves and most of the plant have turned red whilst the flower at the head remains normal.

A red version but the flower comes through as norm.

This was todays survey area which has usually produced a few hundred autumn gentians, but last year was poor with maybe a dozen or so and this year only 100. I call the beautiful pavement behind the "slipped pavement" and also you can see the saddle

And now a visit to check out the rare hybrid called the Upland Enchanters Nightshade Circaea x intermedia. This is the only patch I have found on the whole of Hutton Roof and Farleton. The photos would have been better about one month ago before the caterpillars had started on the leaves.

Upland Enchanters Nightshade - Circaea x intermedia - a rare hybrid and the only example I have been able to find on Hutton Roof or Farleton Fell. They always say the even more rare Alpine version should be close too hand, but not found any trace yet.

I found this unusual bumble bee up on Farleton this morning and took a photo, I can recall seeing one with so much white in it.

(below)I have never seen heather standing to attention, well I actually measured this one and it was 14" tall.

And finally some of todays gentians

Saturday 29th August 2020

"Mi thinks Its always worth doing summat, than doing nowt"

So what about some survey work

Some of todays Field Gentians just starting to come through on Holme Stinted Pastures - 29th August 2020 (see below for more photos)

Than just go for a walk I decided to do part of my Autumn Gentian Survey on Holme Stinted Pastures. It was without doubt the best count in many a year, I checked all the old five quarry tracks on the Stints because that is were you find them. Most years even in good years you find 99% on the actual "Bank" and only odd individuals elsewhere, but this year they are on all the old tracks and linking areas.

I managed to count a total of 1034 Autumn Gentians, with the majority being the purple coloured but only just, there were absolutely lots of the white with purple tint, yet less than ten which I would have called true white or of the Septentrionalis (Northern type). Today was dull and most of the gentians stayed closed so I am eager for the next sunny day to get more photos, especially to see the diversities of the variety. I guess this year is one of those bumper AG years but in our case on Farleton side of Hutton Roof its only happening on the West facing, a different story on the East facing which are showing minimal plants.

Although half expected, It was still a very nice surprise to see my first Field Gentians of the year which I found at two of their last years sites. But at one site in particular I could see there may be far more than 20 waiting to come through, but just maybe 10 days too early. It was also interesting to note that in both cases (2 sites) the Field Gentians were only 2ft (60cm) away from their cousins the Autumn Gentians, so you can almost say they were growing side by side (see photo below).

Like I said they were closed but here below are a few photos from today.

Field Gentians first:

Here you see Field Gentian in the foreground with a Autumn Gentian about 60cm to the rear

Field Gentian at Holme Stints on 29th August 2020

Now a few of the Autumn Gentians from today

This shows the Autumn Gentians with variety and ever so changeable in close quarters

Eventually expected to show "Septentrionalis" flowers

Even these do have a dark stem and although I have never

seen them with a light coloured or green stem, but wonder

if maybe there are some which do have, it would be

so interesting to find out.....

Shows very Red features

Also whilst on my way to the Gentians I noticed this beautiful caterpillar gorging itself on the (bramble) blackberry leaves. Not sure but think it may be called the "Knot Grass Moth"

Odd Willow Warblers singing with contact calls within the Stints, odd Swallows overhead thought to be local. Also could not be sure but definately either Wheatear, Stonechat or Whinchat sat on the walls, but flitty and before I could get close enough moved on. It will be all systems go in two weeks with migration of the Mipits and finches heading out to the SE, so must try and get my survey work completed before then.

Friday, 14 August 2020

14th/15th/20th/24th August 2020 - A morning on the beautiful Gentians - Holme Stints and Holme Park Fell. Also showing Harebell variants

Dark Stemmed Hybrids (Epipactis schmalhauseneii - helleborine led)

Primula vulgaris and Primula veris (Primrose and Cowslip)

Willow Warbler (Phylloscopus trochilus) and Chiffchaff (Phylloscopus collybita)

Northern Greenland Wheatear (Oenanthe o. leucorrhoa)

Rb Fotoman Close Up photos

Fieldfare numbers of Wintering Birds almost non existent Sth Cumbria

2020 Visible Spring Bird Migration Counts at Burton In Kendal

Dryopteris sub-montana (Rigid Buckler Fern) on Hutton Roof, Cumbria

Polygonatum odoratum (Angular Solomons Seal) on Hutton Roof, Cumbria.

Starlings

A Beech Mast Year

Chaffinch - large numbers overwintering/high beech mast yields

Crossbills (chicks in late December etc)

Holly Ferns on Hutton Roof and how they are fairing

2019 a exceptional year for the berries

A very special Orchid - A branched Epipactis atrorubens

Redwing at roost (Birdy Brow-Kemple End)

Linnets - Extroadinary High numbers

2019 Visible Migration Bird Counts at Burton In Kendal

Monday 24th August 2020

More Autumn Gentians today. In fact there could well be up to a 1,000 or more on both Holme Stints and Holme Park Fell. I was trying to assess some of the different varieties especially the "White" forms eg: the Septentrionalis (the northern white form) and others.

Besides the more regular purple looking flowers, (1) we seem to have got the almost pure white form known as Septentrionalis, and these also show a green to cream on the corolla, (2) then we have another form which is a general white colour yet tinged with a slight purple wash to the white petals. And with these you also note a strong purple wash to sides of the corolla. (3) And finally I have found another variety over the last few days which does show a sort of mixed ratio specimen with 50% of the petal is white, whilst the other 50% of the petal is a very light purple giving a vertical dual colour effect, these too have a purple wash to their sides of the corolla.

This 50/50 dual colour effect is so unusual and I have made up a small collage of photos taken from just one plant, although there is also at least one further plant in the near vicinity.

and here below are 2 photos from the other dual coloured petalled plant that I found not too far away (30 yards) from the one above:

And finally below are the rest of the photos from todays outing.

Will turn out Septentrionalis

Thursday 20th August 2020

More Autumn Gentians on Holme Stinted Pastures and Holme Park Fell

Check out more Autumn Gentians today and wanted to get GPS for records. Although the sun was out this morning there was too much wind and preventing a lot of the Gentians from opening up properly, but there were odd ones which were OK for a photo and here they are below.

It's certainly going to be a special years for these, they seem to be coming up really well, but only on the west facing populations, and to a far lesser extent on east facing.

Difficult to be sure but so far I think it is probably 50/50 on classic purple coloured amarella and septentrionalis, with odd specimens of the 50/50 white/purple petalled specimens.

the Holme Stints "bank" is without doubt one of the better places and certainly I can say there will be in far excess of one hundred plants or more, but if you leave the Stints and head up on the main track through Holme Park Fell, the are all on the edges and the centre of the track and here I guess we will end up talking in 500 plus.

The same area along the Fell is also covered with Spring Sandwort with thousands of specimens still on show. Also found yet another small population (under one metre) of White Harebells, but far too windy for photographs.

I am still seeing Grayling butterflies plus a Meadow Brown and Common Blues.

Autumn Gentian (Gentianella amarilla)

Photo: 20th August 2020

Autumn Gentian (Gentianella amarilla)

Photo: 20th August 2020

Autumn Gentian subs: Septentrionalis

Photo: Holme Stinted Pastures on 20th August 2020

Autumn Gentian subs: Septentrionalis

Photo: Holme Stinted Pastures on 20th August 2020

Saturday 15th August 2020

This shows the variance we have in Harebells on

Farleton, were just on the approach there are

1000s.....

This morning I decided to check out the Autumn Gentian sites on the Farleton side and found it really disappointing with only about 25 found in an area where I normally would have a few hundred.

So after such a superb morning yesterday I just took it that it would be automatically be replicated on this other side (the East side or Farleton Knott side), because you are only talking in a little distance between both sites - maybe 1/2 mile away, but obviously that is not the case, now whether this may have something to do with water access I really don't know, and that would not add up to how things have been on previous occasions.

Gentians are the strangest things going! they just do not like sticking to regularity or uniformity or thats how I have found them.

A beautiful Autumn Gentian showing a mix

between both purple and white

Beautiful sunny morning, ideal to check out the grand array of presented varietal Autumn Gentians(Gentianella amarella).
I knew I had not dreamt it! but about three years ago I do clearly remember seeing Autumn Gentians displayed on this banking leading up through Holme Stinted Pastures, but last year was different in that I did see Gentians on this same banking but they were not Autumn Gentians but turned out to be Field Gentian (Gentianella campestris). Now today the banking is full again but with Autumn Gentians, both the regular purple looking and also the white version known as
"Septentrionalis" and even others that don't match up with a purple or a white, a sort of in between of the both.

So looking back on last years records the Field Gentian came through a little later, a fortnight or so further on. I wonder if we will get them again this year, I do not see why not! but we could well have said the same thing about the Autumn Gentian which seemed to be absent last year. Now then say they both come through together on the small piece of banking, will that mean that it may be worth searching for a hybrid! is there such a thing between these two species?

I later went up on the nearby Holme Park Fell because I know in good Autumn Gentian years I should find the whole track across the fell lined with Gentians, I was not to be dissapointed, perhaps smaller numbers than some previous years, but still plenty and far better specimens this year, although several were already out, I cant wait for another week or two and there should be hundreds out (if not a thousand or more), some will be reaching 6-8" and full of flowers. Even today I managed to find both purple and white versions next to one another. Here are a few photos to show: