Renée Grayer led a group of 23 members on a walk round Alder Moors in Woodley during which the striking visual appeal was the abundance of Opposite-leaved Golden-saxifrage Chrysosplenium opositifolium and Wood Anemones Anemone nemorosa. Only a few Bluebells Hyacinthoides non-scripta were open, but the Common Dog-violet Viola riviniana, the occasional Sweet Violet Viola odorata and Primroses Primula vulgaris added colour. Moschatel (Townhall Clock) Adoxa moschatellina was seen near the start of the walk together with Shining Crane’s-bill Geranium lucidum. The locality provided varied conditions: in the woods were found Wood Speedwell Veronica montana, Ivy-leaved Speedwell Veronica hederifolia, Dog’s Mercury Mercuralis perennis , Wood-sorrel Oxalis acetosella, Wood Avens Geum urbanum while the stream fringes harboured Hart’s-tongue Fern Asplenium scolopendrium and Soft Shield-fern Polystichum setiferum, Narrow-leaved Buckler Fern Dryopteris cristata, Water Figwort Scrophularia atropatana, Wavy Bittercress Cardamine flexuosa and Wild Angelica Angelica sylvestris. The Beggar’s Hill area offered more common species such as Bur Chervil Anthriscus caucalis and Cow Parsley Anthriscus sylvestris, Creeping-Jenny Lysimachia nummularia, Garlic Mustard Alliaria petiolate, Green Alkanet Pentaglottis sempervirens and Spear Thistle Cirsium vulgare. A dead Shrew Sorex araneus was examined with interest, unlike the dead Fox Vulpes vulpes (although a live one was also sighted). An active pair of Treecreepers Certhia familiaris enthralled the group and two Coot chicks Fulica atra on the lake next to Ashenbury Park offered a reminder of the arrival of spring. The full species list is tabulated below:
| RDNHS excursion to Alder Moors and Ashenbury Park led by Renée Grayer | (SU7773 & SU7774) (23 people attending) |
Fungi
| Phragmidium violaceum | Bramble rust. Urediospores and teliospores seen. |
Lichens
| Flavoparmelia caperata | On Oak |
| Lecanora chlarotera | |
| Lecidella elaeochroma | |
| Lepraria incana | Base of tree in hedge. Land’s End Lane |
| Parmelia sulcata | On Oak |
| Parmotrema perlatum | |
| Phaeophyscia orbicularis | On Field Maple |
| Physcia adscendens | On Ash |
| Physcia tenella | Fruiting on Oak |
| Ramalina farinacea | On Oak |
| Xanthoria parietina |
Mosses & Liverworts
| Hypnum cupressiforme | |
| Orthotrichum affine | On Field Maple |
| Polytrichastrum formosum | On bank near Scout Campsite |
| Pellia epiphylla | Low on banks of stream |
Vascular plants
| Acer campestre (Field Maple) | Ashenbury Park |
| Acer pseudoplatanus (Sycamore ) | |
| Adoxa moschatellina (Moschatel ) | Flowering |
| Alliaria petiolata (Garlic Mustard) | |
| Alnus glutinosa (Alder ) | |
| Anagallis nemorum (Yellow Pimpernel) | |
| Anemone nemorosa (Wood Anemone) | Flowering |
| Angelica sylvestris (Wild Angelica) | |
| Anthriscus caucalis (Bur Chervil) | |
| Anthriscus sylvestris (Cow Parsley) | |
| Arctium minus (Lesser Burdock) | |
| Arum maculatum (Lords-and-Ladies ) | |
| Asplenium scolopendrium (Hart’s-tongue Fern) | |
| Bellis perennis (Daisy ) | Flowering |
| Brachypodium sylvaticum (False-brome ) | |
| Bryonia dioica (White Bryony) | |
| Caltha palustris (Marsh-marigold ) | Flowering |
| Cardamine flexuosa (Wavy Bitter-cress) | Flowering |
| Carex pendula (Pendulous Sedge) | |
| Chelidonium majus (Greater Celandine) | |
| Chrysosplenium oppositifolium (Opposite-leaved Golden-saxifrage) | Flowering |
| Cirsium arvense (Creeping Thistle) | |
| Cirsium vulgare (Spear Thistle) | |
| Corylus avellana (Hazel ) | |
| Crataegus monogyna (Hawthorn ) | |
| Dactylis glomerata (Cock’s-foot ) | |
| Dryopteris cristata (Narrow-leaved Buckler Fern) | |
| Euphorbia peplus (Petty Spurge) | Flowering |
| Ficaria verna (Lesser Celandine) | Flowering |
| Filipendula ulmaria (Meadowsweet) | |
| Fraxinus excelsior (Ash ) | Flowering |
| Galium aparine (Cleavers ) | |
| Geranium lucidum (Shining Crane’s-bill) | Tippings Lane |
| Geranium robertianum (Herb-Robert ) | |
| Geum urbanum (Wood Avens) | |
| Glechoma hederacea (Ground-ivy ) | Flowering |
| Heracleum sphondylium (Hogweed ) | |
| Holcus lanatus (Yorkshire-fog ) | |
| Hyacinthoides non-scripta (Bluebell ) | |
| Hypericum androsaemum (Tutsan) | |
| Ilex aquifolium (Holly ) | |
| Impatiens glandulifera (Indian Balsam) | Seedlings |
| Iris pseudacorus (Yellow Iris) | |
| Juncus effusus (Soft-rush ) | |
| Juncus inflexus (Hard Rush) | |
| Lamiastrum galeobdolon ssp. argentatum | |
| Lamium album (White Dead-nettle) | Flowering |
| Lamium purpureum (Red Dead-nettle) | Flowering |
| Lolium perenne (Perennial Rye-grass) | |
| Lonicera periclymenum (Honeysuckle ) | |
| Lunaria annua (Honesty ) | Flowering. Garden escape. |
| Luzula pilosa (Hairy Wood-rush) | Flowering |
| Lysimachia nummularia (Creeping-Jenny) | |
| Mentha aquatica (Water Mint) | |
| Mercurialis perennis (Dog’s Mercury) | Flowering |
| Myosotis sylvatica (Wood Forget-me-not) | Flowering |
| Oenanthe crocata (Hemlock Water-dropwort) | |
| Oxalis acetosella (Wood-sorrel ) | Flowering |
| Pentaglottis sempervirens (Green Alkanet) | |
| Plantago major (Greater Plantain) | |
| Poa annua (Annual Meadow-grass) | Flowering |
| Polypodium vulgare (Polypody) | |
| Polystichum setiferum (Soft Shield-fern) | |
| Primula vulgaris (Primrose ) | Flowering |
| Prunus avium (Wild Cherry) | Flowering |
| Prunus cerasifera (Cherry Plum) | |
| Prunus spinosa (Blackthorn ) | Flowering |
| Pteridium aquilinum (Bracken ) | |
| Quercus robur (English Oak) | |
| Ranunculus repens (Creeping Buttercup) | |
| Ribes rubrum (Red Currant) | Flowering |
| Rubus fruticosus agg. (Bramble) | |
| Rumex obtusifolius (Broad-leaved Dock) | |
| Sambucus nigra (Elder ) | |
| Scrophularia auriculata (Water Figwort) | |
| Stellaria holostea (Greater Stitchwort) | |
| Stellaria media (Chickweed) | Flowering |
| Taraxacum officinale agg. (Dandelion) | |
| Taxus baccata (Yew ) | |
| Ulex europaeus (Gorse ) | Flowering. Ashenbury Park. |
| Ulmus procera (English Elm) | |
| Urtica dioica (Common Nettle) | |
| Veronica hederifolia (Ivy-leaved Speedwell) | Flowering |
| Veronica montana (Wood Speedwell) | |
| Viola odorata (Sweet Violet) | Flowering. Garden escape. Land’s End Lane. |
| Viola reichenbachiana (Early Dog-violet) | Flowering |
| Viola riviniana (Common Dog-violet) | Flowering |
Insects
| Stigmella aurella | Leaf mine on Bramble caused by a moth larva. |
| Phytomyza ilicis | Leaf mine on Holly caused by a fly larva. |
Mammals
| Sorex araneus | Common Shrew. |
| Vulpes vulpes | Fox. |
Birds
| Anas platyrhynchos | Mallard |
| Anser anser | Greylag Goose |
| Ardea cinerea | Grey Heron |
| Branta canadensis | Canada Goose |
| Certhia familiaris | Tree Creeper. |
| Cygnus olor | Mute swan |
| Fringilla coelebs | Chaffinch |
| Fulica atra | Coot. |