On Saturday 27th June, Malcolm Storey led a field trip to Ashridge Woods near Beedon, by kind permission of the George Palmer Trust. The walk started from a lay-by near the A34, just to the north of Beedon and then went eastwards along a track through arable fields. Large numbers of Narrow-bordered 5-Spot Burnet moths were seen on the knapweed flowers in the field margins. Alsike Clover, Musk Mallow and Hedgerow Cranesbill were all found in the corner of one of the fields. Annual plants identified in another field included Dwarf Spurge, Small Toadflax, Round-leaved Fluellen and Scarlet Pimpernel. The path then went through a grassy area where Marbled White butterflies, Pyramidal Orchids and Upright Hedge-parsley were seen. Spiked Star-of-Bethlehem was growing in good numbers in Ashridge Wood, although it was thought that the clearing was rather overgrown, compared with former visits. Large numbers of Peacock caterpillars were feeding on webs on the nettles and it was good to see a Small Tortoiseshell butterfly. Narrow-leaved Everlasting-pea was another speciality of the wood. Fox-and-cubs and Wild Pansy were spotted on the walk back to the cars.
Plants
Soft Brome Bromus hordeaceus
Black-bindweed Fallopia convolvulus
Perforate St John’s-wort Hypericum perforatum
Hairy St John’s-wort Hypericum hirsutum
Musk-mallow Malva moschata
Wild Pansy Viola tricolor
Wild Mignonette Reseda lutea
Scarlet Pimpernel Anagallis arvensis
Harsh Downy-rose Rosa tormentosa
Dewberry Rubus caesius
Agrimony Agrimonia eupatoria
Common Restharrow Ononis repens
Alsike Clover Trifolium hybridum
Narrow-leaved Everlasting-pea Lathyrus sylvestris
Dwarf Spurge Euphorbia exigua
Hedgerow Crane’s-bill Geranium pyrenaicum
Upright Hedge-parsley Torilis japonica
Rough Chervil Chaerophyllum temulum
Hemlock Conium maculatum
Fool’s Parsley Aethusa cynapium
Wild Parsnip Pastinaca sativa
Common Centaury Centaurium erythraea
Field Forget-me-not Myosotis arvensis
Small Toadflax Chaenorhinum minus
Round-leaved Fluellen Kickxia spuria
Red Bartsia Odontites vernus
Common Broomrape Orobanche minor
Hedge Bedstraw Gallium mollugo
Nodding Thistle Carduus nutans
Goat’s-beard Tragopogon pratensis
Fox-and-cubs Pilosella aurantiaca
Spiked Star-of-Bethlehem Ornithogalum pyrenaicum
Pyramidal Orchid Anacamptis pyramidalis
Lichens
Lecanora chlarotera
Lecidella elaeochromma
Parmotrema perlatum (of note, as only at low-pollution sites)
Physcia aipola (specimen with distinctly pruinose apothecia)
Physcia tenella
Punctelia subrudecta
Xanthoria parietina
All of these were on branches of ash trees (Fraxinus excelsior) within the wood.
Insects
7-spot Ladybird
Harlequin Ladybird
Large Skipper
Common Blue
Painted Lady
Small Tortoiseshell
Peacock caterpillars
Comma
Marbled White
Meadow Brown
Ringlet
A web of Spindle Ermine caterpillars
Crambus lathionellus
Chrysoteuchia culmella
Udea olivalis
Narrow-bordered 5-Spot Burnet
Yellow Shell
Cinnabar
Large Yellow Underwing
Common Wainscot
Straw Dot
Snout
Birds
Whitethroat