Following a week of unremitting cold and rain, the warm sunshine on the afternoon of Saturday 14 April, when Renée Grayer led a walk at Maiden Erlegh local nature reserve, was a welcome change. While the group were gathering at Instow Road, Brimstone, Comma and Small Tortoiseshell butterflies were seen and Peacock was soon added to the tally. A number of native species have been planted around the reserve, and specimens seen in the garden of the Interpretation Centre included the leaves of Shining Cranesbill and flowering Cuckooflower. The walk started out through Old Pond Copse, the strip of woodland in the valley of the stream which flows out below Maiden Erlegh Lake. The rich ground flora indicates that this is ancient woodland and flowers included Primrose, Common Dog-violet, Wood Anemone, Wood-sorrel and Wood Spurge. The first Bluebells were just coming into flower. Leaves of Wood Speedwell, Three-nerved Sandwort and Ramsons were also noted. The small yellow flowers of Opposite-leaved Golden-saxifrage were found in the wetter parts of the wood, together with Marsh-marigold. The leaves of Hemlock Water-dropwort, Fringecups and Wild Angelica were seen by the stream. In a pond in the valley bottom were several clumps of Summer Snowflake. It was suggested that these might be the wild Loddon Lily, but closer inspection of the stem edges revealed that they were smooth, as in the garden plant, rather than with the minute teeth of the wild plant. Chiffchaffs, Blackcaps, Nuthatches and a Green Woodpecker called and two Buzzards soared overhead. After walking through Old Pond Copse and Moor Copse, the route led back to Maiden Erlegh Lake and through Oak Wood on the south shore. Moorhen, Coot and Great Crested Grebe were amongst the sightings on the lake, while a Grey Heron perched in a tree above the water. A bank of sunny Blackthorn blossom at the end of the lake proved a magnet for butterflies, with several more Peacocks and Commas and a newly-emerged Holly Blue. Finally, in a nettle patch by the road, a tiny 24-spot Ladybird was seen on a sunny nettle leaf, with a much larger 7-spot Ladybird nearby for comparison.
Pictures by Rob Stallard and Jenny Greenham
| RDNHS trip to Maiden Erlegh Reserve on Saturday 14th April 2018 led by Renee Grayer | ||
| 16 people attending | ||
| English name | Scientific name | Comments |
| Plant species Instow Road: | ||
| Common Field-speedwell | Veronica persica | Flowering |
| Sticky Mouse-ear | Cerastium glomeratum | Flowering |
| Daisy | Bellis perennis | Flowering |
| Wild Teasel | Dipsacus fullonum | Leaves |
| Sun Spurge | Euphorbia helioscopia | Flowering |
| White Dead-nettle | Lamium album | Flowering |
| Cowslip | Primula veris | Planted; Flowering |
| Green Alkanet | Pentaglottis sempervirens | Flowering |
| Ground-ivy | Glechoma hederacea | Flowering |
| Annual Meadow-grass | Poa annua | Flowering |
| Plant species in garden of the Interpretation Centre: | ||
| Field Forget-me-not | Myosotis arvensis | Flowering |
| Cleavers | Galium aparine | Leaves |
| Cow Parsley | Anthriscus sylvestris | Leaves |
| Germander Speedwell | Veronica chamaedrys | Leaves |
| Chickweed | Stellaria media | Flowering |
| Blackthorn | Prunus spinosa | Flowering |
| Primrose | Primula vulgaris | Flowering |
| Dandelion | Taraxacum officinale agg. | Flowering |
| Garlick Mustard | Alliaria petiolata | Leaves |
| Cuckoo Flower | Cardamine pratensis | Flowering |
| Shining Crane’s-bill | Geranium lucidum | Flowering |
| Plant species Old Pond Copse and Moor Copse: | ||
| Sweet Violet | Viola odorata | White flowers |
| Lords-and-Ladies | Arum maculatum | Leaves |
| Dog’s Mercury | Mercurialis perennis | Flowering |
| Ivy-leaved Speedwell | Veronica hederifolia | Flowering |
| Wood Avens | Geum urbanum | Leaves |
| Wood Anemone | Anemone nemorosa | Flowering |
| Red Dead-nettle | Lamium purpureum | Flowering |
| Spear Thistle | Cirsium vulgare | Leaf rosette |
| Lesser Celandine | Ficaria verna | Flowering |
| Hazel | Corylus avellana | Male Catkins fallen off |
| Hornbeam | Carpinus betulus | Male Catkins flowering |
| Red Currant | Ribes rubrum | Leaves |
| Ramsons | Allium ursinum | Leaves |
| Wood-sorrel | Oxalis acetosella | Flowering |
| Bluebell | Hyacinthoides non-scripta | Just coming into flower |
| Fringe Cups | Tellima grandiflora | Leaves |
| Opposite-leaved Golden-saxifrage | Chrysosplenium oppositifolium | Flowering |
| Hemlock Water-dropwort | Oenanthe crocata | Leaves |
| Three-nerved Sandwort | Moehringia trinervia | Leaves |
| Wild Angelica | Angelica sylvestris | Leaves |
| Marsh-marigold | Caltha palustris | Flowering |
| Loddon Lily or Summer Snowflake | Leucojum aestivum ssp. pulchellum | Flowering; Garden subspecies |
| Yellow Iris | Iris pseudacorus | Leaves |
| Honeysuckle | Lonicera periclymenum | Leaves |
| Common Dog-violet | Viola riviniana | Flowering |
| Wood Spurge | Euphorbia amygdaloides | Flowering |
| Butterfly species: | ||
| Brimstone | Gonepteryx rhamni | |
| Comma | Polygonia c-album | |
| Peacock | Inachis io | |
| Small Tortoiseshell | Aglais urticae | |
| Holly Blue | Celastrina argiolus | |
| Species of birds: | ||
| Blackcap | Sylvia atricapilla | Singing |
| Chiffchaff | Phylloscopus collybita | Singing |
| Wren | Troglodytes troglodytes | Singing |
| Buzzard | Buteo buteo | Flying over |
| Song Thrush | Turdus philomelos | Singing |
| Red Kite | Milvus milvus | Flying over |
| Nuthatch | Sitta europaea | Calling |
| Green Woodpecker | Picus viridis | Calling |
| Jay | Garrulus glandarius | On a tree |
List by Renée Grayer