Lock-down Adventure No 8 - My Third Flora Survey

19th April 2020

I have been keeping an eye on the wild flowers around the field behind out garden and seeing how many species I could photograph when they are in flower. Expectations are not high as most of the route is around the margins of the field where drift of the herbicide sprays takes its toll.

The first survey was carried out on the 4th April when I photographed six species and the second survey was on the 11th April when I added a further 8 species of flower, so let's see how we get on today.

Just outside our gate I photographed these Daisies. Daisies have been out for some time now but I wanted to wait until they were at their best.

Just further along was another plant they I have been keeping an eye on as, although I spotted it on the last survey, it has only just come into flower and ready to have its photo taken. These are the hairy stems and flowers of Common Mouse-ear.

Into a woodland ride now and there was just a single specimen of Green Alkanet, although I suspect that others will appear over the next week. I could never understand why it was called Green Alkanet when the flowers are blue, but apparently it used to be used as a green dye.

Just in front of it with the flowers looking superficially similar was the prostrate Germander Speedwell.This speedwell can be separated from the Common Field Speedwell by the latter having a paler lower petal and the Germander Speedwell having the hairs on it stems in two lines, one each side of the stems.

Next to appear was a largely over-looked plant, the Goldilocks Buttercup. This is a woodland buttercup and differs from the common Creeping and Meadow Buttercups in that the flower heads are very untidy with some petals either distorted or missing.

Another favourite of woodland rides is the Bush Vetch, one of my favourite plants with its mauve and purple flowers.

Back along the Hawthorn and Blackthorn hedgerow the Hawthorn was now in full bloom, a few weeks behind the Blackthorn blossom.

But my favourite today was this beautiful example of Cuckoo Pint or Lords and Ladies. This is a very common plant at this time of year, but many of the plants don't produce a flower spike or one that is in deep shade or a poor specimen. But this one ticked all the boxes and was even back-lit to show it off at its best.

Well that wasn't bad, adding a further eight species to the list bringing the grand total to 22 species. I am looking forward to the fourth survey in a week or so.