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Maiden Erlegh – 12 April 2014

On Saturday 12th April, Renée Grayer led a walk at Maiden Erlegh local nature reserve, starting from Instow Road. While she was outlining the history of the area, a Sparrowhawk flew overhead. A number of native wildflowers have been planted around the reserve, but it was thought that the Keeled-fruited Cornsalad, with tiny blue flowers, had arrived naturally in the flower bed at the entrance to the Interpretation Centre. The walk started out through Old Pond Copse, the strip of woodland in the valley of the stream which flows out below Maiden Erlegh Lake. The rich ground flora indicates that this is ancient woodland and flowers included Bluebells, Primroses, Early and Common Dog-violets, Wood Speedwell, Three-nerved Sandwort, Wood Spurge, Wood Anemones and Wood-sorrel. The small yellow flowers of Opposite-leaved Golden-saxifrage were found in the wetter parts of the wood. Down by the stream were tall plants of Pendulous Sedge and bright green clumps of Hemlock Water-dropwort. A young Common Frog was found up on the slopes of the wood. It was noted that the central spadix had been completely eaten away on a significant proportion of the Lords-and-Ladies plants. There were yellowish flowers on the Field Maple trees. Chiffchaffs called and the rich song of a single Blackcap was heard. The group returned to the lake, then walked through Oak Wood, where the leaves were just coming out on a clump of Wild Service-trees. On one of the islands on the lake was the impressive carved sculpture entitled ‘The Duck and the World’.

Picures by Chris Ash, Rob Stallard and Laurie Haseler

RDNHS excursion to Maiden Erlegh Nature Reserve led by Renée Grayer 

(SU7570 & SU7571) (18 people attending)

Plant species:

Keeled-fruited Cornsalad Valerianella carinata
Cow Parsley Anthriscus sylvestris
Red Dead-nettle Lamium purpureum
White Dead-nettle Lamium album
Daisy Bellis perennis
Red Campion Silene dioica
Dandelion Taraxacum officinale
Wood Anemone Anemone nemorosa
Bluebell Hyacinthoides non-scripta
Ivy Hedera helix
Wild Cherry Prunus avium
Grey Willow Salix cinerea
Honesty Lunaria annua
Wood Speedwell Veronica montana
Bramble Rubus fruticosus
Cleavers Galium aparine
Hawthorn Crataegus monogyna
Dog’s Mercury Mercurialis perennis
Hogweed Heracleum sphondylium (leaves)
Lords-and-Ladies Arum maculatum
Yew Taxus baccata
Holly Ilex aquifolium
Hazel Corylus avellana
Elder Sambucus nigra
Wild Privet Ligustrum vulgare
Ramsons Allium ursinum
Wood Avens Geum urbanum
Primrose Primula vulgaris
Common Figwort Scrophularia nodosa (leaves)
Opposite-leaved Golden-saxifrage Chrysospenium oppositifolium
Creeping-Jenny Lysimachia nummularia (leaves)
Wood-sorrel Oxalis acetosella
Wood Spurge Euphorbia amygdaloides
Red Currant Ribes rubrum
Three-nerved Sandwort Moehringia trinervia
Pedunculate Oak Quercus robur
Field Maple Acer campestre
Green Alkanet Pentaglottis sempervirens
Fringe-cups Tellima grandiflora
Pendulous Sedge Carex pendula
Yellow Iris Iris pseudacorus (leaves)
Honeysuckle Lonicera periclymenum (leaves)
Herb-Robert Geranium robertianum
Hemlock Water-dropwort Oenanthe crocata (leaves)
Marsh-marigold Caltha palustris
Early Dog-violet Viola reichenbachiana
Common Dog-violet Viola riviniana
Sycamore Acer pseudoplatanoides
Hornbeam Carpinus betulus
Ash Fraxinus excelsior
Garlic Mustard Alliaria petiolata
Ivy-leaved Speedwell Veronica hederifolia
Blackthorn Prunus spinosa
Rowan Sorbus aucuparia
Meadowsweet Filipendula ulmaria (leaves)
Enchanter’s-nightshade Circaea lutetiana (leaves)

 

Birds

Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita
Blackcap Sylvia atricapilla
Green Woodpecker Picus viridus
Great Tit Parus major
Wren Troglodytes troglodytes
Blackbird Turdus merula
Robin Erithacus rubecula
Mallard Anas platyrhynchos
Canada Goose Branta canadensis
Egyptian Goose Alopochen aegyptiacus
Coot Fulica atra

 

Amphibians

Common Frog Rana temporaria

 

Butterflies and other Insects (seen on 11-4-14)

Orange Tip Anthocharis cardamines
Brimstone Gonepteryx rhamni
Peacock Inachis io
Speckled Wood Pararge aegeria
Bee-fly Bombylius major

List by Renée Grayer