The weather was cool and damp on Saturday 29th May when Chris Bucke led a field trip at Ashford Hill. The walk started down the valley of the Baughurst Brook, following the footpath from Brook Farm. The first field was very colourful, with tall yellow Meadow Buttercups above Red Clover. The little micro-moth Adela rufimitrella was found on a flower head of Lady’s Smock and Crested Dog’s-tail was identified.
The next field had a rich and varied flora, with species including Pepper-saxifrage, Meadow Thistle and Ragged Robin. A year ago at the end of May, these fields had been full of orchids. With the later season in 2010, many orchid leaves were seen, but only a single clump of Heath-spotted Orchids were in flower. Against the furthest hedge, Pignut and Wood Spurge were abundant.
The group retraced their steps, then crossed a perilous stile into the field next to the Ship Inn. The dampest ditch in the field had Tubular Water-dropwort, Marsh Marigolds and Marsh Stitchwort. Across the road in the National Nature Reserve, Narrow Buckler-fern, False Fox Sedge and Remote Sedge were identified in a particularly wet part. Higher up the hill, Dyer’s Greenweed was just coming into flower on top of the ant hills. Several plants of the uncommon Bitter-vetch were in flower. Other plants included Betony, Heath Speedwell, Lousewort, Marsh Valerian and Pignut. Common Blue and Small Copper butterflies were roosting on the vegetation and Mother Shipton moths were disturbed from the grass.
Pictures by David Cliffe and Jan Haseler
Ashford Hill
Saturday 29th May 2010, led by Chris Bucke
Field across Baughurst Brook from Brook Farm SU557625
Meadow Buttercup Ranunculus acris
Red Clover Trifolium pratense
Lesser Stitchwort Stellaria graminea
Cuckooflower Cardamine pratensis
Crested Dog’s-tail Cynosurus cristatus
Beaked Hawk’s-beard Crepis vesicaria
Second field on footpath SU557627
Hemlock Water-dropwort Oenanthe crocata
Lesser Spearwort Ranunculus flammula
Ragged-Robin Lychnis flos-cuculi
Meadow Vetchling Lathyrus pratensis
Bugle Ajuga reptans
Tormentil Potentilla erecta
Marsh Thistle Cirsium palustre
Pignut Conopodium majus
Silverweed Potentilla anserine
Meadow Thistle Cirsium dissectum
Pepper-saxifrage Silaum silaus
Hairy Sedge Carex hirta
Marsh-bedstraw Galium palustre
Heath Spotted-orchid Dactylorhiza maculate
Wood Spurge Euphorbia amygdaloides
Meadow Foxtail Alopecurus pratensis
Oval Sedge Carex ovalis
Field between Brook Farm and the Ship Inn SU558623
Tubular Water-dropwort Oenanthe fistulosa
Marsh Stitchwort Stellaria palustris (SU 55717 62407)
Marsh-marigold Caltha palustris
Winter-cress Barbarea vulgaris
Ashford Hill National Nature Reserve, western section SU559621
Bush Vetch Vicia sepium
Yellow-rattle Rhinanthus minor
Greater Tussock-sedge Carex paniculata
Narrow Buckler Fern Dryopteris carthusiana
False Fox Sedge Carex otrubae
Remote Sedge Carex remota
Ashford Hill National Nature Reserve, eastern section SU561622
Lady Fern Athyrium filix-femina
Large Bitter-cress Cardamine amara
Marsh Ragwort Senecio aquaticus
Pignut Conopodium majus
Mouse-ear-hawkweed Pilosella officinarum
Dyer’s Greenweed Genista tinctoria
Heath Speedwell Veronica officinalis
Bitter-vetch Lathyrus linifolius
Oval Sedge Carex ovalis
Hairy Sedge Carex hirta
Black Sedge Carex nigra
Pale Sedge Carex pallescens
Heath Bedstraw Galium saxatile
Betony Stachys officinalis
Lousewort Pedicularis sylvatica
Marsh Valerian Valeriana dioica
Heath Spotted-orchid Dactylorhiza maculata ssp ericetorum
Insects
Adela rufimitrella (on Lady’s Smock flowers)
Micropterix calthella (a micro moth) on Marsh-marigold flowers
Burnet Companion
Blood Vein
Silver Y
Mother Shipton
Orange-tip
Common Blue
Small Copper