On 14th May, Malcolm Storey led 12 members of the Society to visit Headley Gravel Pits, a Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust reserve. The target species for the day was Green-winged Orchid (Anacamptis morio). These were seen in profusion, but, following the hot weather of the last few weeks, it has to be admitted they were well past their best. A range of other plants of neutral to acid grassland including Changing Forget-me-not (Myosotis discolor) and cultivated Asparagus (presumably a garden throw-out) were seen and identified with much use of field-guides. A couple of patches of dry, bare sandy ground yielded Sand Spurrey (Spergularia rubra) and a few tiny cudweeds which probably won’t survive till maturity.
The weather was quite cold after recent weeks and only fleetingly sunny, but we saw a few butterflies including Grizzled Skipper, Orange-tip & Common Blue, and Lesser Treble-bar, a day-flying moth. Other insects included Red-and-black Froghopper (Cercopis vulnerata), the longhorn beetle (Stenurella melanura) and several craneflies (Tipula lunata).
Thanks to the Hampshire Trust for permission to visit the site.
Report by Malcolm Storey
Pictures by Malcolm Storey
| Plants recorded by Tony Mundell with RDNHS on meeting 14 May2011 |
| Taxon | Vernacular | Comment |
| Acer campestre | Field Maple | |
| Acer platanoides | Norway Maple | |
| Acer pseudoplatanus | Sycamore | |
| Achillea millefolium | Yarrow | |
| Agrimonia procera | Fragrant Agrimony | Surprisingly plentiful, e.g. SU5122 6271. |
| Aira praecox | Early Hair-grass | |
| Ajuga reptans | Bugle | |
| Alliaria petiolata | Garlic Mustard | |
| Anacamptis morio | Green-winged Orchid | Total of over 500 spikes estimated, scattered thinly over most of the open area with plants extending to following limits: SU5123 6270, SU5120 6268, SU5119 6267, SU5117 6265, SU5116 6265, SU5114 6266, SU5110 6268, SU5112 6271, SU5116 6271, SU5119 6270. |
| Anisantha sterilis | Barren Brome | |
| Anthoxanthum odoratum | Sweet Vernal-grass | |
| Anthriscus sylvestris | Cow Parsley | |
| Aphanes australis | Slender Parsley-piert | |
| Arctium minus | Lesser Burdock | |
| Arrhenatherum elatius | False Oat-Grass | |
| Artemisia vulgaris | Mugwort | |
| Arum maculatum | Lords-and-Ladies | |
| Asparagus officinalis | Asparagus | Multi-stemmed patch at SU5122 6270, 5ft high in full flower, presumably bird-sown from a garden. |
| Bellis perennis | Daisy | |
| Betula pendula | Silver Birch | |
| Betula pubescens | Downy Birch | |
| Calystegia sepium | Hedge Bindweed | |
| Cardamine hirsuta | Hairy Bitter-cress | |
| Cardamine pratensis | Cuckooflower | |
| Carex flacca | Glaucous Sedge | |
| Carex hirta | Hairy Sedge | |
| Carex ovalis | Oval Sedge | |
| Carex panicea | Carnation Sedge | |
| Castanea sativa | Sweet Chestnut | |
| Centaurea nigra | Common Knapweed | |
| Centaurea scabiosa | Greater Knapweed | |
| Cerastium fontanum | Common Mouse-ear | |
| Chamerion angustifolium | Rosebay Willowherb | |
| Chelidonium majus | Greater Celandine | |
| Circaea lutetiana | Enchanter’s-nightshade | |
| Cirsium arvense | Creeping Thistle | |
| Cirsium palustre | Marsh Thistle | |
| Conopodium majus | Pignut | |
| Cotoneaster rehderi | Bullate Cotoneaster | At SU5128 6266, presumably bird-sown from a garden. |
| Crataegus monogyna | Hawthorn | |
| Cytisus scoparius | Broom | |
| Dactylis glomerata | Cock’s-foot | |
| Dactylorhiza fuchsii | Common Spotted-orchid | |
| Digitalis purpurea | Foxglove | |
| Dryopteris dilatata | Broad Buckler-fern | |
| Dryopteris filix-mas | Male-fern | |
| Epilobium ciliatum | American Willowherb | |
| Epilobium hirsutum | Great Willowherb | |
| Epilobium montanum | Broad-leaved Willowherb | |
| Epipactis helleborine | Broad-leaved Helleborine | |
| Euonymus europaeus | Spindle | |
| Eupatorium cannabinum | Hemp-agrimony | |
| Fagus sylvatica | Beech | |
| Festuca rubra agg. | Red Fescue | |
| Filago minima | Small Cudweed | Four very tiny plants only a few millimeters high at SU5111 6272. Not likely to survive much longer here unless an area is scraped to expose more bare gravel. Nearest Hampshire site is over 20km away. |
| Fragaria vesca | Wild Strawberry | |
| Fraxinus excelsior | Ash | |
| Galium aparine | Cleavers | |
| Geum urbanum | Wood Avens | |
| Glechoma hederacea | Ground-ivy | |
| Hedera helix | Common Ivy | |
| Heracleum sphondylium | Hogweed | |
| Hesperis matronalis | Dame’s-violet | |
| Hieracium agg. | Hawkweed | |
| Hyacinthoides hispanica | Spanish Bluebell | A single plant at SU5139 6269 just inside the wood but close to the road with leaves 3.0cm wide and all flowers held upright, seems to match this rather than the far commoner hybrid. |
| Hyacinthoides non-scripta | Bluebell | |
| Hyacinthoides x massartiana | Hybrid Bluebell (H. non-scripta x hispanica) | |
| Hypericum perforatum | Perforate St John’s-wort | |
| Hypochaeris radicata | Cat’s-ear | |
| Ilex aquifolium | Holly | |
| Iris foetidissima | Stinking Iris | |
| Juncus conglomeratus | Compact Rush | |
| Juncus effusus | Soft-rush | |
| Juncus inflexus | Hard Rush | |
| Juncus tenuis | Slender Rush | |
| Lapsana communis | Nipplewort | |
| Leucanthemum vulgare | Oxeye Daisy | |
| Ligustrum vulgare | Wild Privet | |
| Linaria vulgaris | Common Toadflax | |
| Lonicera periclymenum | Honeysuckle | |
| Lotus corniculatus | Common Bird’s-foot-trefoil | |
| Lotus pedunculatus | Greater Bird’s-foot-trefoil | |
| Luzula multiflora | Heath Wood-rush | |
| Luzula pilosa | Hairy Wood-rush | |
| Malus domestica | Apple | |
| Melissa officinalis | Balm | |
| Mentha aquatica | Water Mint | |
| Moehringia trinervia | Three-nerved Sandwort | |
| Myosotis arvensis | Field Forget-me-not | |
| Myosotis discolor | Changing Forget-me-not | |
| Narcissus agg. | Cultivated Daffodil | |
| Oxalis acetosella | Wood-sorrel | |
| Phyllitis scolopendrium | Hart’s-tongue | |
| Pilosella officinarum | Mouse-ear-hawkweed | |
| Pinus sylvestris | Scots Pine | |
| Plantago lanceolata | Ribwort Plantain | |
| Plantago major | Greater Plantain | |
| Poa annua | Annual Meadow-grass | |
| Poa pratensis | Smooth Meadow-grass | |
| Poa trivialis | Rough Meadow-grass | |
| Polygala vulgaris | Common Milkwort | |
| Polygonatum multiflorum | Solomon’s-seal | At SU5134 6271. |
| Polygonum aviculare | Knotgrass | |
| Potentilla reptans | Creeping Cinquefoil | |
| Primula veris | Cowslip | |
| Prunella vulgaris | Selfheal | |
| Prunus cerasifera | Cherry Plum | Small tree at SU51176272. |
| Prunus spinosa | Blackthorn | |
| Pteridium aquilinum | Bracken | |
| Pulicaria dysenterica | Common Fleabane | |
| Quercus cerris | Turkey Oak | |
| Quercus robur | Pedunculate Oak | |
| Ranunculus acris | Meadow Buttercup | |
| Ranunculus repens | Creeping Buttercup | |
| Rosa canina | Dog-rose | |
| Rubus fruticosus agg. | Bramble | |
| Rubus idaeus | Raspberry | |
| Rumex acetosa | Common Sorrel | |
| Rumex acetosella | Sheep’s Sorrel | |
| Rumex crispus | Curled Dock | |
| Rumex obtusifolius | Broad-leaved Dock | |
| Rumex sanguineus | Wood Dock | |
| Sagina procumbens | Procumbent Pearlwort | |
| Salix caprea | Goat Willow | |
| Salix cinerea subsp. oleifolia | Rusty Willow | |
| Sambucus nigra | Elder | |
| Senecio jacobaea | Common Ragwort | |
| Senecio vulgaris | Groundsel | |
| Silene dioica | Red Campion | |
| Sonchus asper | Prickly Sow-thistle | |
| Sonchus oleraceus | Smooth Sow-thistle | |
| Sorbus aucuparia | Rowan | |
| Spergularia rubra | Sand Spurrey | A few small plants at SU5117 6270. |
| Stachys sylvatica | Hedge Woundwort | |
| Stellaria graminea | Lesser Stitchwort | |
| Stellaria holostea | Greater Stitchwort | |
| Stellaria media | Common Chickweed | |
| Succisa pratensis | Devil’s-bit Scabious | |
| Tamus communis | Black Bryony | |
| Taraxacum agg. | Dandelion | |
| Taxus baccata | Yew | |
| Teucrium scorodonia | Wood Sage | |
| Trifolium dubium | Lesser Trefoil | |
| Trifolium micranthum | Slender Trefoil | |
| Trifolium pratense | Red Clover | |
| Trifolium repens | White Clover | |
| Ulex europaeus | Gorse | |
| Urtica dioica | Common Nettle | |
| Veronica montana | Wood Speedwell | |
| Veronica officinalis | Heath Speedwell | |
| Veronica scutellata var. scutellata | In damp area at SU 5119 6270, glabrous form. | |
| Veronica serpyllifolia | Thyme-leaved Speedwell | |
| Viburnum opulus | Guelder-rose | |
| Vicia sativa subsp. nigra | Narrow-leaved Vetch | |
| Vicia sativa subsp. segetalis | Common Vetch | |
| Viola riviniana | Common Dog-violet | |
| Vulpia bromoides | Squirreltail Fescue |