I Love Arnside and Silverdale: Wed Sept 9th 2020 - Checking out Field Gentians on Holme Stinted Pastures. - Sat Sept 5th 2020 - Checking out more Autumn Gentians on Holme Park Fell - Thurs Sept 3rd 2020 - checking out Field Gentians on Holme Stinted Pastures, and more surveying of Autumn Gentians on Holme Park Fell.

Today I spent checking out the Field Gentian on Holme Stinted Pastures, it was sunny at times, but a cold wind which did not help in opening up the gentians. I think I can safely say we will only get around 30 in total this year (compared to 300 plus last year). Its the other way around this year and the year of the Autumn Gentian. Besides Gentians I witnessed a very long black beetle which is called the Devils Coach Horse (Olypus olens) see photo. I have tried to arrange photos with some of them showing the distances between the Field Gentian and the Autumn Gentian which is of a very short distance.

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Saturday September 5th 2020 - Checking out more areas on Holme Park Fell for Autumn Gentians

Approached the steep incline just past the old lime kiln on the main track leading along the quarry edge side from Holme Stints. I thought it would be good but not really although I did find some. Start at SD53873 79212 (464ft) to SD5391579386 (539ft) in 3 little sections along this route I had 54 most of which were spent, all others white and no purples found. Found another really good population on Fell escarpment which lies approx 150 yards NW of main track and here I had 67 which were very close to one another and varying purple/white. This now brings the total up to press of 3044 Autumn Gentians

Looking towards the NW

Looking to the NW and the estuary at Levens

Looking back on the incline I had just surveyed, Warton Crag high point on the horizon

On Holme Park Fell

Slipper Rock - Holme Park Fell 1913

Thursday September 3rd 2020 - Checking out Field Gentians on Holme Stinted Pastures, then find new old tracks and surveying Autumn Gentian on Holme Park Fell, and taking photos of "Slipper Rock" with 1913 comparison.

Far too windy to get good photos but did manage bits and pieces. My job today was to check out the Field Gentian and they are doing very well, quite a lot now being found slap bang next to Autumn Gentians (nearest within 8" and 14"). Over 20 plants recorded so far. I reckon it could be good in about 10 days for the Field Gentian. Nice to see them coming through now on "The Bank".

I chose a very old quarry track to investigate on the Holme Park Fell, and sure enough it proved fruitful with a further 276 Autumn Gentians over an area of about 400 yards x 20ft wide. There were mixed purple and white, probably more white, although there were lots there that were well spent. I got the impression these must have been out a lot earlier than the majority.

I finished off with a quick photo of Slipper Rock which I could compare against the original photo taken back in 1913 (only 107 years ago)

Besides Gentians and Slipper Rocks, I noted 3 parties of Linnets of 50,12 and 8 and also a party of 25 Goldfinch, heard some Bullfinch and a few Chaffinch. They all seemed happy feeding up within Holme Stints and the Fell.

Field Gentian on Holme Stinted Pastures (Farleton side of Hutton Roof)

Shows how close Field Gentian is from Autumn Gentian only 8"

Shows how close Field Gentian is from Autumn Gentian only 14"

The fabulous pavements of Holme Park Fell (Farleton) today

Slipper Rock - Holme Park Fell 2020

107 years later than the next photo

Slipper Rock - Holme Park Fell 1913

107 years earlier than the above photo

Tuesday September 1st 2020 - Hutton Roof Common (Ploverlands)

I checked out the regular spots for the Autumn Gentian on Ploverlands and it was very poor, eg: only 3 plants (1 classic purple and 2 of the white form). In the past I would have had around 30 from the same area.

Decided to go over and check out the Holly Ferns, but just as I was leaving one pavement down the steep banking I was lucky to find a few Sneezewort (achillea ptarmica) - always reminds me of "ptarmigan" the grouse type bird. It must be 5 years since I last found some Sneezewort on Hutton Roof, it just seems to turn up out of the blue. Here is a couple of photos, the leaves remind me so much of Betony.

Sneezewort

Both Holly Fern 1 and Holly Fern 2 are both doing well, but they are like small versions of themselves, this year. On my way back home I bumped into Alec and told him about the size of the Hollies and he remarked he was not surprised and showed me a specimen outside of the house and this also was stunted compared to its norm! I wonder if its the same old story, not enough water and too much heat at the wrong times, makes you wonder.

So here we have Holly Fern 2 which as always come up with a couple of fronds belonging to the "Aculeatum". Its the same every year, but the Aculeatum tends to move about sometimes the fronds may be on the left and sometimes on the right. Its strange to see both Aculeatum and Lonchitis coming out of the same root stock.

Holly Fern 2 had 10 fronds (the norm) this year which the average frond measured approx 8" x 1 1/2" wide.