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Warburg – 26 April 2015

On a cool cloudy Sunday Chris Ash (in lieu of Michael Keith-Lucas) led a walk around part of the Warburg Nature Reserve. The group (of 20) started by walking through the woods and up the hill to see the ancient pollarded Beech Trees. At the top of this path a small triangular meadow amongst the trees was well populated with Adder’s-tongue Fern Ophioglossum vulgatum showing their spoor stalks and a few scattered Twayblades Neottia ovata. From the meadow we progressed into the woods to two exclosures where there were three Mezereon Daphne mezereum plants with some flowers remaining, but most already turning to seed pods. Back on the path leading down to the car park we found a large area of Herb Paris Paris quadrifolia in full flower and then just below it the first showing of five or six Early-purple Orchids Orchis mascula (all other Orchids seen, presented only as basal leaves). From there we followed the Nature Walk trail along the grassy ride dotted with Cowslips Primula veris. An area of the path which three days previously was humming with solitary bees emerging from their burrows was now apparently unpopulated (probably due to the heavy overnight rain and low morning temperatures). In the next field we again found many Cowslips, Common Dog-violets Viola riviniana and Twayblades with Bugle Ajuga reptans showing quite strong growth. Returning to the car park via the lower roadway we managed to catch a Green Longhorn Moth Adela reaumurella. Nearer the car park there was a large area of Green Hellebore Helleborus viridis and further on, in the hedgerow, a Goldilocks Buttercup Ranunculus auricomus apparently growing in the same position as Ken White remembered from 45 years ago!

 

Flora

Ajuga reptans Bugle
Allium ursinum Ramsons
Anemone nemorosa Wood Anemone
Daphne laureolis Spurge Laurel
Daphne mezereum Mezereon
Epilobium hirsutum Giant Willowherb
Euphorbia amygdaloides Wood Spurge
Fragaria vesca Wild Strawberry
Helleborus viridis Green Hellebore
Hyacinthoides non-scripta Bluebell
Mercurialis perennis Dog’s Mercury
Neottia ovata Twayblade
Ophioglossum vulgatum Adder’s-tongue Fern
Orchis mascula Early Purple Orchid
Origanum vulgare Wild Marjoram
Paris quadrifolia Herb-Paris
Primula veris Cowslip
Primula vulgaris Primrose
Ranunculus auricomus Goldilocks Buttercup
Scrophularia nodosa Figwort
Veronica serpyllifolia Thyme-leaved Speedwell
Viola riviniana Dog-violet

 

Moths

Adela reaumurella Green Longhorn Moth

 

Birds (Ken and Sarah White)

Buteo buteo Buzzard
Columba oenas Stock Dove
Columba palumbus Wood Pigeon
Erithacus rubecula Robin
Fringilla coelebs Chaffinch
Garrulus glandarius Jay
Milvus milvus Red Kite
Parus caeruleus Blue Tit
Parus major Great Tit
Phylloscopus collybita Chiffchaff
Phylloscopus trochilus Willow Warbler
Picus viridus Green Woodpecker
Prunella modularis Dunnock
Pyrrhula pyrrhula Bullfinch
Regulus regulus Goldcrest
Sitta europaea Nuthatch
Sylvia atricapilla Blackcap
Troglodytes troglodytes Wren
Turdus merula Blackbird
Turdus philomelos Song Thrush
Turdus viscivorus Mistle Thrush