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| Common Toadflax (GP) |
In stark contrast to last year,
it was a fine and sunny, if somewhat blustery, morning when Brian led 14
LymNats on a clockwise route from the car park in Ridgeway Lane. The walk began
with the formality of Woodside Gardens that were once known as Rookes Gardens after
their benefactor, Colonel Henry Douglas Rooke. The arboretum contains a number
of interesting specimen trees including Monkey Puzzle, Wellingtonia and Indian
Bean Tree.
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| Green-veined White (RS) |
Continuing into the
informal/natural grounds of Woodside Park butterflies were much in evidence,
the most notable being the migratory Painted Lady which appeared regularly
throughout the morning. Other sightings included Speckled Wood, Meadow Brown,
Gatekeeper, Red Admiral. Large White, Green-veined White, Common Blue (♂♀), Small Copper, Small Tortoiseshell and Small
Heath. According to Paul Brock’s book Insects
of the New Forest, a strange bug
was identified as a Dock Bug. Birds present were flocks of Goldfinch, House
Sparrow and Starling and, notable amongst the numerous wild flowers, there were
Common Knapweed, Common Fleabane, Great Willowherb, Common Bird's-foot Trefoil,
Agrimony, Trifid Bur-marigold and Field Bindweed.
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| Common Blue (RS) |
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| Red Admiral (GP) |
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| Sea Aster (RC) |
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| Trifid Bur-marigold (RC) |
The group then exited the SE
corner of the park and proceeded to Normandy Lagoon which was already fringed
with red drifts of the succulent, upward-pointing fingers of Common Glasswort.
Besides the ubiquitous Canada geese, other birds included small flocks of
Dunlin and Ringed Plover, Common Tern (inc. juvenile), Turnstone, Black-headed
Gull, Lapwing, Little Egret, juvenile Shelduck, Pied Wagtail, Redshank and
Oystercatcher. Offshore were Grey Plover, Curlew, Great Crested Grebe and a
raft of seven Eider. Returning along the edge of 8 Acre Pond were Rock Samphire
and Sea Aster, the latter being distinguished from the garden escape Michaelmas
Daisy by its fleshy leaves and proximity to water. A Common Buzzard was soaring
and calling high overhead.
Re-entering Woodside Park from
Poles Lane, the now largely silted-up pond provided much interest. Water Mint
was proving very attractive to numerous butterflies and there was a fine
display of Common Reedmace, interspersed with clumps of Gipsywort. The return
to the starting point was accompanied by Swallows hunting low over the
immaculate playing fields. Lymington's town motto - "By Sea and Forest
Enchanted" had proved most apposite. BM
And everyone photographed Painted Ladies!
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| © Glynis
Payne |
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| © Richard Smith |
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| © Chris Robinson |
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| © Richard Smith |
Photographs © Glynis
Payne, Richard Smith, Chris Robinson, Richard Coomber
