What I do on Mondays!

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What I do on Mondays!
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Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15991

Posted: Tue Jun 17, 14 6:51 am Post subject:
They are beautiful aren't they. We have some in our 'lawn' and I always love to see them. Went for a wander in the woods yesterday and found we have some elder in flower and another dog rose. Thought we only had 2, so this makes another. Found some twayblade a week or so ago that I didn't know were there too. Have had the woods for about 11 years now, and things still pop up to surprise us.

buzzy

Joined: 04 Jan 2011
Posts: 3708
Location: In a small wood on the edge of the Huntingdonshire Wolds

Posted: Wed Jun 18, 14 11:18 pm Post subject:
Another one from last Monday evening; Common Broomrape - a parasite on the roots of a wide variety of plants. It has no chlorophyll, getting its nourishment from the plants it parasitises. There were lots of spikes in this particular field - dozens if not hundreds (we found it at the end of our walk and did not stay to count more accurately!). Henry

Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15991

Posted: Thu Jun 19, 14 6:57 am Post subject:

Interesting. I think I have seen that once or twice, but not often. Where we stay on holiday gets a type of broomrape, but I have never been able to fully identify it.

We had something come up in our lawn one year. I told husband, and he said it must be broomrape until he looked at it. Turned out to be pyramid orchid. There are a number in the verge on the opposite side of the road to us, so hope the strimmer monkeys don't get them.

buzzy

Joined: 04 Jan 2011
Posts: 3708
Location: In a small wood on the edge of the Huntingdonshire Wolds

Posted: Mon Jun 23, 14 11:59 pm Post subject:

This Monday we found, amongst other things, the Stingless or Fen Nettle, which as far as I can tell, by reading my books, and briefly looking on the interweb thingy, may be a separate species (Urtica galeopsifolia), a subspecies of the Common Nettle (Urtica dioica subspecies galeopsifolia) or just an extreme variant of the Common Nettle.

Sorry, didn't get a picture. Looks like an ordinary Nettle with narrow leaves (and no stinging hairs). Appears one might need to do chromosome analysis to get closer to what it really is, and that's not something I do every day.

Henry

Rob R

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 31902
Location: York

Posted: Tue Jun 24, 14 12:19 am Post subject:

buzzy wrote:

and that's not something I do every day.

Henry

Only on Tuesday's?

buzzy

Joined: 04 Jan 2011
Posts: 3708
Location: In a small wood on the edge of the Huntingdonshire Wolds

Posted: Thu Jul 03, 14 11:46 pm Post subject:

Rob R wrote:

buzzy wrote:

and that's not something I do every day.

Henry

Only on Tuesday's?

Nope. On Tuesdays I'm recovering from Monday!

Henry

buzzy

Joined: 04 Jan 2011
Posts: 3708
Location: In a small wood on the edge of the Huntingdonshire Wolds

Posted: Thu Jul 03, 14 11:53 pm Post subject:
From last Monday. Royal Fern growing in front of a big stand of Bracken. This is possibly the only wild Royal Fern in the county. Henry

Rob R

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 31902
Location: York

Posted: Fri Jul 04, 14 12:17 am Post subject:

buzzy wrote:

Rob R wrote:

buzzy wrote:

and that's not something I do every day.

Henry

Only on Tuesday's?

Nope. On Tuesdays I'm recovering from Monday!

Henry

Wild thing.

Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15991

Posted: Fri Jul 04, 14 7:59 am Post subject:

Not unnaturally, I have never seen that one. Really lovely fern. We have several in the woods, but not sure if all have been identified. We had someone who belonged to a fern group, whatever they are called, as a volunteer for a while. He identified several more than we thought we had. Our prize one is intermediate polypody, and we have two hearts tongues ferns. One is in the lee of a fallen tree root, and the other by the side of a catch for water along a track.

Your Monday walks sound really interesting Buzzy. Sadly, among the people I know, I am the 'expert' on plants, apart from one man who has graduated from normal plants to things like mosses and liverworts. Really annoys me when I find something in the woods I can't identify.

buzzy

Joined: 04 Jan 2011
Posts: 3708
Location: In a small wood on the edge of the Huntingdonshire Wolds

Posted: Tue Jul 08, 14 12:13 am Post subject:
From this Monday..... Marbled White. Always pleased to see these - one of my favourite butterflies. One of two lizards that we saw. This one is very green, and appears to have lost part of its tail, which is not unusual. Henry

buzzy

Joined: 04 Jan 2011
Posts: 3708
Location: In a small wood on the edge of the Huntingdonshire Wolds

Posted: Tue Jul 08, 14 12:20 am Post subject:
Also saw this introduced species, which has spread on this site from one plant, over the last few years. Crown Vetch Crown Vetch. A general view of some of the plants. Henry

Rob R

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 31902
Location: York

Posted: Tue Jul 08, 14 4:29 am Post subject:

Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15991

Posted: Tue Jul 08, 14 6:00 am Post subject:

Haven't seen any marbled whites yet Buzzy, but the silver washed fritillaries are flying well, and we have seen a couple of white admirals as well as the red ones. That crown vetch is lovely, pity it is probably not wanted.

We had been mowing an area of bracken, taking care that the flails were set high, and after we had finished husband say a big common lizard. Son went to look, and lizard climbed up the outside of his leg to use him as a lookout post. It stayed for ages, and we were unsure whether we should remove it as know some lizards are protected.

Your Monday walks sound very interesting. Wish we were closer as I would love to come.

buzzy

Joined: 04 Jan 2011
Posts: 3708
Location: In a small wood on the edge of the Huntingdonshire Wolds

Posted: Tue Jul 08, 14 11:39 pm Post subject:
An additional picture from Monday. Viper's Bugloss (foreground) and Weld (background). The VB was a lot bluer than the picture shows. Henry

Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15991

Posted: Wed Jul 09, 14 8:31 am Post subject:
It is quite intense blue with some purple in it. We get that and weld growing in our local country park. When Butser Ancient Farm was there, we used to get some of the weld for dyeing yellow. A good clear colour. Sounds like you have similar soil to us Buzzy.

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