{"id":829,"date":"2010-06-09T15:26:40","date_gmt":"2010-06-09T20:26:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/rdnhs.org.uk\/blog\/?p=829"},"modified":"2010-06-09T15:26:40","modified_gmt":"2010-06-09T20:26:40","slug":"ashford-hill-29th-may-2010","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rdnhs.org.uk\/blog\/ashford-hill-29th-may-2010\/","title":{"rendered":"Ashford Hill – 29th May 2010"},"content":{"rendered":"

The weather was cool and damp on Saturday 29th<\/sup> May when Chris Bucke led a field trip at Ashford Hill. The walk started down the valley of the Baughurst Brook, following the footpath from Brook Farm. The first field was very colourful, with tall yellow Meadow Buttercups above Red Clover. The little micro-moth Adela rufimitrella was found on a flower head of Lady’s Smock and Crested Dog’s-tail was identified.<\/p>\n

The next field had a rich and varied flora, with species including Pepper-saxifrage, Meadow Thistle and Ragged Robin. A year ago at the end of May, these fields had been full of orchids. With the later season in 2010, many orchid leaves were seen, but only a single clump of Heath-spotted Orchids were in flower. Against the furthest hedge, Pignut and Wood Spurge were abundant.<\/p>\n

The group retraced their steps, then crossed a perilous stile into the field next to the Ship Inn. The dampest ditch in the field had Tubular Water-dropwort, Marsh Marigolds and Marsh Stitchwort. Across the road in the National Nature Reserve, Narrow Buckler-fern, False Fox Sedge and Remote Sedge were identified in a particularly wet part. Higher up the hill, Dyer’s Greenweed was just coming into flower on top of the ant hills. Several plants of the uncommon Bitter-vetch were in flower. Other plants included Betony, Heath Speedwell, Lousewort, Marsh Valerian and Pignut. Common Blue and Small Copper butterflies were roosting on the vegetation and Mother Shipton moths were disturbed from the grass.<\/p>\n