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Aldermoors, Woodley – 13 April 2019

Renée Greyer led a walk at Aldermoors Local Nature Reserve and Ashenbury Park, Woodley on Saturday 13 April. It was a bright afternoon with intermittent sunshine but the air was cold. Common Whitlow-grass, Shining and Hedgerow Crane’s-bill and Sticky Mouse-ear were all found in the car park, while Dove’s-foot Crane’s-bill and Common Stork’s-bill were seen on an adjacent road-side verge. The route then led into the woodland of Aldermoors reserve, where there were sheets of Wood Anemones and the first Bluebell flowers. The only butterfly of the afternoon, a female Orange-tip, was seen here. Flowers of Moschatel, Ground-ivy, Wood Forget-me-not and Wood-sorrel were found beside the path. The bright yellow flowers of Opposite-leaved Golden-saxifrage lit up the ground in a damp gulley and more plants were seen on the banks of the stream which runs through the reserve. The calls of Nuthatch, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Great Tit, Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Song Thrush and Wren were heard. Continuing through the woodland, Primrose, Greater Stitchwort, Lesser Celandine and Common Dog-violet were added to the tally of spring flowers.  The next part of the walk was across the open grassland of Ashenbury Park, a restored landfill site. Rabbits were quite numerous. Round the edge of the park, the Blackthorn blossom was mostly over, the Field Maple blossom was fully out and the first Hawthorn blossom was just beginning to come out. One slope was covered by a sea of Hemlock. A Mistle Thrush was foraging on the grass in the far corner of the park. The return route led round the edge of a gravel pit, where a few Mallards and Coots and a Mute Swan were seen. Near the top end of the lake, there was a small patch of ancient woodland with Wood Spurge, Bluebells and Wood Anemones.

Pictures by Fiona Brown and Laurie Haseler

Plants seen:
Common NameScientific Name
Common Whitlow-grassErophila verna
Shining Crane’s-billGeranium lucidum
Hedgerow Crane’s-billGeranium pyrenaicum
Sticky Mouse-earCerastium glomeratum
Common Field-SpeedwellVeronica persica
Dove’s-foot Crane’s-billGeranium molle
Common VetchVicia sativa
Common Stork’s-billErodium cicutarium
Lords-and-LadiesArum maculatum
Wood AnemoneAnemone nemorosa
BluebellHyacinthoides non-scripta
Dog’s MercuryMercurialis perennis
Ivy-leaved SpeedwellVeronica hederifolia
Ground-ivyGlechoma hederacea
Lesser CelandineFicaria verna
Moschatel, Townhouse ClockAdoxa moschatellina
Wood-sorrelOxalis acetosella
Opposite-leaved Golden-saxifrageSaxifraga oppositifolia
PrimrosePrimula vulgaris
Common Dog-violetViola riviniana
Red CurrantRibes rubrum
Garlic MustardAlliaria petiolata
Wavy Bitter-cressCardamine flexuosa
Wood Forget-me-notMyosotis sylvatica
BrooklimeVeronica beccabunga
Greater StitchwortStellaria holostea
HemlockConium maculatum
Cut-leaved Crane’s-billGeranium dissectum
BlackthornPrunus spinosa
Field MapleAcer campestris
HawthornCrataegus monogyna
Wood SpurgeEuphorbia amygdaloides
Mammals:
RabbitOryctolagus caniculus
Birds:
BlackcapSylvia atricapilla
ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita
WrenTroglodytes troglodytes
Great TitParus major
NuthatchSitta europaea
Song ThrushTurdus philomelos
JayGarrulus glandarius
Mistle ThrushTurdus viscivorus
Red KiteMilvus milvus
Insects:
Orange-tipAnthocharis cardamines

List by Renée Greyer