Members travelled further afield on Saturday 11 June for a walk led by Roger Kemp at Grangelands, Pulpit Hill and Cadsden Wood, near Princes Risborough. The field trip was held jointly with the Bucks Invertebrate Group and National Trust Warden Jerry Page was a welcome addition to the party. The walk started across the unimproved chalk grasslands of Grangelands, where sightings included a strangely deformed Bee Orchid, Fragrant Orchids (including some unusual white specimens), Yellow-wort, Horseshoe Vetch and abundant Pyramidal Orchids. Butterfly sightings included Green Hairstreak, Common Blue, Small Heath and Brimstone. Large Roman Snails were common on the site. Walking eastwards along the Ridgeway, the group reached a viewpoint across the valley towards Chequers, with a distant view towards a hillside of native Box bushes. Next stop was the Iron Age hill fort at Pulpit Hill, with Bird’s-nest Orchids growing in the steep beech woods nearby.
After a picnic lunch, Roger found 5 tiny Musk Orchids on chalk grassland. The group then walked across to Cadsden Wood, where White Helleborine and more Bird’s-nest Orchids were found. In the valley bottom was an open glade with abundant Wild Candytuft, Common Rockrose and a few plants of Hairy Rock-cress.
Pictures by Laurie and Jan Haseler
RDNHS excursion to Cadsden Wood and Pulpit Hill, on Sat 11 June 2011
led by Roger Kemp
Plant species observed:
| Agrimonia eupatoria | Agrimony |
| Ajuga reptans | Bugle |
| Alliaria petiolata | Garlic Mustard |
| Anagallis arvensis | Scarlet Pimpernel |
| Anacamptis pyramydalis | Pyramidal Orchid |
| Arabis hirsuta | Hairy Rock-cress |
| Arctium lappa | Greater Burdock |
| Arenaria serpyllifolia | Thyme-leaved Sandwort |
| Atropa belladonna | Deadly Nightshade |
| Blackstonia perfoliata | Yellow-wort |
| Brachypodium sylvaticum | False Brome |
| Briza media | Quaking-grass |
| Bryonia dioica | White Bryony |
| Buxus sempervirens | Box |
| Campanula glomerata | Clustered Bellflower |
| Carduus nutans | Musk Thistle |
| Carlina vulgaris | Carline Thistle (last year’s fruits) |
| Centaurea nigra | Common Knapweed |
| Centaurea scabiosa | Greater Knapweed |
| Cephalanthera damasonium | White Helleborine |
| Chamerion angustifolium | Rosebay Willowherb |
| Circaea lutetiana | Enchanter’s-nightshade (in bud) |
| Cirsium acaule | Stemless Thistle (leaves) |
| Cirsium vulgare | Spear Thistle |
| Clematis vitalba | Traveller’s-joy (leaves) |
| Clinopodium vulgare | Wild Basil |
| Cornus sanguinea | Dogwood |
| Dactylorhiza fuchsii | Common Spotted-orchid |
| Dactylus glomerata | Cock’s-foot |
| Daphne laureola | Spurge-laurel (leaves) |
| Epipactis leptochila? | Narrow-lipped Helleborine |
| Euphorbia amygdaloides | Wood Spurge |
| Euphrasia officinalis | Eyebright |
| Fragaria vesca | Wild Strawberry |
| Fumaria densiflora | Dense-flowered Fumitory |
| Fumaria officinalis | Common Fumitory |
| Galium aparine | Cleavers |
| Galium odoratum | Woodruff (in fruit) |
| Galium verum | Lady’s Bedstraw |
| Geranium robertianum | Herb-Robert |
| Geum urbanum | Wood Avens |
| Glechoma hederacea | Ground Ivy |
| Gymnadenia conopsea | Fragrant Orchid |
| Helianthemum nummularium | Common Rockrose |
| Herminium monorchis | Musk Orchid |
| Hesperis matronalis | Dame’s-violet |
| Hieracium pilosella | Mouse-ear Hawkweed |
| Hippocrepis comosa | Horseshoe Vetch |
| Hypericum hirsutum | Hairy St John’s-wort |
| Hypericum perforatum | Perforate St John’s-wort (in bud) |
| Iberis amara | Wild Candytuft |
| Leontodon hispidus | Rough Hawkbit |
| Leucanthemum vulgare | Oxeye Daisy |
| Ligustrum vulgare | Wild Privet |
| Linum catharticum | Fairy Flax |
| Listera ovata | Twayblade |
| Lotus corniculatus | Common Bird’s-foot-trefoil |
| Medicago lupulina | Black Medick |
| Mercurialis perennis | Dog’s Mercury |
| Myosotis arvensis | Field Forget-me-not |
| Neonottia nidus-avis | Bird’s-nest Orchid |
| Odontites verna | Red Bartsia |
| Ophrys apifera | Bee Orchid |
| Origanum vulgare | Marjoram (in bud) |
| Oxalis acetosella | Wood-sorrel (leaves) |
| Papaver rhoeas | Common Poppy |
| Pentaglottis sempervirens | Green Alkanet |
| Polygala vulgaris | Common Milkwort |
| Potentilla anserina | Silverweed |
| Potentilla reptans | Creeping Cinquefoil |
| Primula veris | Cowslip (in fruit) |
| Primula vulgaris | Primrose (leaves) |
| Prunella vulgaris | Selfheal |
| Ranunculus acris | Meadow Buttercup |
| Ranunculus repens | Creeping Buttercup |
| Reseda lutea | Wild Mignonette |
| Sambucus nigra | Elder |
| Sanguisorba minor | Salad Burnet |
| Sanicula europaea | Sanicle |
| Scrophularia nodosa | Common Figwort |
| Senecio jacobaea | Common Ragwort |
| Silene dioica | Red Campion |
| Silene latifolia | White Campion |
| Silene latifolia x S. dioica | Hybrid White and Red Campion |
| Silene vulgaris | Bladder Campion |
| Smyrnium olusatrum | Alexanders |
| Solanum dulcamara | Bittersweet |
| Stachys sylvatica | Hedge Woundwort |
| Tamus communis | Black Bryony (leaves) |
| Thymus polytrichus | Wild Thyme |
| Trifolium campestre | Hop Trefoil |
| Valeriana officinalis | Common Valerian |
| Valerianella dentata | Narrow-fruited Cornsalad |
| Verbascum thapsus | Great Mullein |
| Veronica arvensis | Wall Speedwell |
| Veronica chamaedrys | Germander Speedwell |
| Veronica persica | Common Field-speedwell |
Lepidoptera and other Insects:
| Ochlodes venata | Large Skipper |
| Pyrgus malvae | Grizzled Skipper |
| Gonepteryx rhamni | Brimstone |
| Pieris brassicae | Large White |
| Callophrys rubi | Green Hairstreak |
| Aricia agestis | Brown Argus |
| Polyommatus icarus | Common Blue |
| Pararge aegeria | Speckled Wood |
| Coenonympha pamphilus | Small Heath |
| Maniola jurtina | Meadow Brown |
| Aplocera efformata | Lesser Treble-bar |
| Shargacucullia verbasci | Mullein Moth |
| Pyrausta aurata | Mint Moth |
| Oedemera nobilis | Pantalon Beetle |
| Dolycoris baccarum | Hairy Shieldbug |
Robin’s pincushion: gall on wild rose bushes caused by the gall wasp Diplolepis rosae
Birds:
| Milvus milvus | Red Kite |
| Phylloscopus collybita | Chiffchaff |
| Sylvia atricapilla | Blackcap |
| Turdus philomelos | Song Thrush |
List prepared by Renée Grayer