Felton Lane

Field Madder (Sherardia arvensis)

Heath Milkwort (Polygala serpyllifolia)

Cycled around Stobswood and stopped off at Felton Lane to look around the woodland for any signs of Lesser Butterfly orchid and Dingy skipper butterfly but drew a blank with both species. The butterflies could still be around as there is plenty of food plants but it was cold and breezy today. I looked around the old scrub area where the orchids used to grow but it is almost impenetrable. It used to grow in the nearby woodland and despite looking in some sunny clearings I couldn't find any. There were lots of acid loving plants especially Heath Milkwort. The only butterflies I did see were Speckled woods. They were all resting on Broad Buckler ferns. 

I stopped beside the old railway sidings for something to eat and after a while I noticed I was sitting on a bed of Field Madder. This is quite a scarce plant in the county but it was spread over a large area of old railway ballast. This is a welcome addition to the local plant list. I added another last week when I came across Small flowered Cranesbill (Geranium pusillum) which may have originated with some aggregate which was used to make a road more accessible for rail maintenance vehicles near Felton Lane.