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| Greater Stitchwort |
16 members joined Angela on the hottest day of the year so far and the
warmest since 27 August last year. A few days without rain and the Forest had
dried out remarkably. We walked through Clumber Inclosure accompanied by a
fearless Roebuck, evidently used to people. Overhead a male Goshawk enjoyed the
thermals and a Buzzard flew from tree to tree. Woodland flowers included
Tutsan, (a native Hypericum whose
leaves are said to prevent bookworm if placed between the pages of books), Dog
Violet, Primrose, Lesser Celandine, Greater Stitchwort, Wood Spurge, Wood
Sorrel and Wood Anemone. Approaching Holm Hill the Birch catkins were dispensing
quantities of pollen, to the distress of hay fever sufferers. Willow Warblers
were calling among the Goat Willows by the stream and Bog Myrtle grew in the
damp area beside the stream. A shoal of Minnows inhabited the stream shallows and
Royal Fern Osmunda regalis was an
exciting find in a ditch. The Victorians collected this plant almost to
extinction in the Forest. Other bog plants seen included Lesser Spearwort, Bog
Pondweed Potamogeton polygonifolia,
starwort sp, Marsh-marigold, Creeping Willow and Water Crowfoot.
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| Green Tiger Beetles - mating pair |
Out on the heath Common Lizards were taking advantage of the sunshine to warm up and heathland birds, Stonechat, Meadow Pipit and Skylark were noted. Skylarks were probably nesting as the male flew up and sang. A pair of mating Green
Tiger Beetles Cicindela campestris provided coffee break entertainment and, among other insects, we saw Peacock and Brimstone butterflies.
Photographs © Chris Robinson