This was the warmest day of the month at 31C with continuous sunshine. Nine walkers plus leaders Colin Dibb, Ricki Bull and Chris Bucke (first part of walk only) set off at 2pm and two walkers did the short walk only.
The parkland was extraordinarily dry and brown The young cattle were in the shade of a tree. European breeds of cattle are heat sensitive as their ancestors were woodland pasture animals. In big dairy units in hotter areas eg California. European breeds have to be given artificial shade in the form of large roofs on tall uprights.
Trees did not appear to be under water stress and the purple leaf colouration on the Norway maples was evident. The activities of the caterpillar of the leaf-mining moth was again seen on the horse chestnut leaves giving a brown and shrivelled appearance.
In the woodland, the raspberries were ripening and some were of the yellow type. Close to the tarmac exit road, the King Arthur’s Cake fungus, which only grows on ash logs, was producing black spores. Immediately opposite, on the grassy verge of the tarmac road, was a large Dryad’s Saddle fungus (with the alternative name of Pheasant’s Back) growing close to ground level but on a piece of wood as it is a bracket fungus. By the Douglas Fir, there were ripe fruits on the Red Currants.
At the foot of the steep descent to the valley, on the left, there was a colony of the pink Common Centaury contrasting with yellow Lady’s Bedstraw. There was just one (Pyrimidal) orchid left from the exciting displays of four orchid species earlier in June/July. The Wild Parsnips were somewhat stunted but most were beginning to show their distinctive yellow flowers.
Back on the higher ground, the Common Gromwell was already in seed and showing the beginnings of its ‘porcelain-like’ seed coat. The day flying Scarlet Tiger moth found the previous week was not seen. Walking back across the park, it was evident that the cattle were not prepared to eat the tough stems of Crested Dogstail grass in spite of the shortage of keep. The berries on the Black Mulberry were just showings signs of reddening.
Butterflies seen were Marbled White, Meadow Brown and Ringlet.
Colin Dibb