Abbey Meadows

Abbey Meadows

Monday 23 June 2008

Druridge bay meadows.







I read an article in a local newspaper that a doctor had discovered the most northerly record of Bee orchid at the metro centre at Gateshead. The only record in Swan's Flora of Northumberland is of a few plants at Wallsend rising sun country park. However, in the last ten years there have been records from industrial estates at Cramlington and the most northerly I know of is Druridge bay country park. The numbers here fluctuate from eighty to just three. A few years ago I came across a small colony in the dunes at East chevington and today I found some growing in the dunes at Hadston links. I counted over forty in the country park. A welcome addition to our local flora. The dunes and the meadows at Druridge are looking at their best with a huge variety of species and colour. This is down to good management and the hairy chaps above are testament to this almost infinite variety of wildlife as they play an integral part of the management of the meadows. There were six of them at the country park having a well earned rest. I also stumbled on a rare plant near the Chevington burn mouth; Sea bindweed, only known in two localities in the county. It was not fully in flower so I will return next week and hopefully post a pic on the blog. Plenty of pics I could have chosen but I thought the Western polypody and the Biting Stonecrop looked good.

3 comments:

John Young said...

Hi Abbey. I think highland cattle are just wonderful anything that woolly or furry rates high on the cuteness scale. There is a herd down south that helps manage the queendown warren site that sometimes appears in my posts. Reads as though you are doing better for bee orchids than down south.

Stewart said...

Hello Nigel, there is a great show of flowering stonecrop in our quarry at the minute. You beat me to the post!

Ipin said...

I'll pass on your comments about the management of the DBCP to the manager! Good stuff, I would love to see the NT graze the dune backs at the pools.