{"id":2464,"date":"2014-04-18T03:41:54","date_gmt":"2014-04-18T08:41:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/rdnhs.org.uk\/blog\/?p=2464"},"modified":"2014-04-18T03:41:54","modified_gmt":"2014-04-18T08:41:54","slug":"maiden-erlegh-12-april-2014","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rdnhs.org.uk\/blog\/maiden-erlegh-12-april-2014\/","title":{"rendered":"Maiden Erlegh – 12 April 2014"},"content":{"rendered":"

On Saturday 12th April, Ren\u00e9e Grayer led a walk at Maiden Erlegh local nature reserve, starting from Instow Road. While she was outlining the history of the area, a Sparrowhawk flew overhead. A number of native wildflowers have been planted around the reserve, but it was thought that the Keeled-fruited Cornsalad, with tiny blue flowers, had arrived naturally in the flower bed at the entrance to the Interpretation Centre. 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 Bluebells, Primroses, Early and Common Dog-violets, Wood Speedwell, Three-nerved Sandwort, Wood Spurge, Wood Anemones and Wood-sorrel. The small yellow flowers of Opposite-leaved Golden-saxifrage were found in the wetter parts of the wood. Down by the stream were tall plants of Pendulous Sedge and bright green clumps of Hemlock Water-dropwort. A young Common Frog was found up on the slopes of the wood. It was noted that the central spadix had been completely eaten away on a significant proportion of the Lords-and-Ladies plants. There were yellowish flowers on the Field Maple trees. Chiffchaffs called and the rich song of a single Blackcap was heard. The group returned to the lake, then walked through Oak Wood, where the leaves were just coming out on a clump of Wild Service-trees. On one of the islands on the lake was the impressive carved sculpture entitled \u2018The Duck and the World\u2019.<\/p>\n