Abbey Meadows

Abbey Meadows

Thursday 21 June 2012

Still adding new plants


Yellow Rattle (Rhinanthus minor)


Unidentified Vetch




Hybrid Orchid?


Bladder Campion (Silene vulgaris)

A good look around Stobswood the other day produced a couple of firsts for the area. Yellow rattle was growing on a wooded edge of the new road between Felton Lane and Widdrington village, no doubt planted as part of a damp meadow but hundreds of the white flowering Vetch was growing amongst this but I'm not sure what kind it is. Hopefully I will find out when the flowers are gone and I will look at the seed pods. The other addition was Duke of Argyll's Tea plant growing in the hedge near Felton Lane level crossings.
Another mystery was a strange orchid growing on the edge of the old tip. I was counting the Northern Marsh and Common Spotted Orchids as well as some of these hybrid plants when I came across this small orchid. Early Purple Orchid grows here in early Spring and it looked like the flowers were just about gone and the recent rains had hammered it a bit. The leaves were shiny and unspotted but it was fragrant and I was wondering if it may be a possible hybrid of Early Purple and Northern Marsh or just a deviant unspotted fading Early Purple.
Plenty of birds around but the only notables were Garden Warbler and Cuckoo. Large Skipper butterflies were abundant and well into double figures though it was the only species I saw.


4 comments:

Kingsdowner said...

Nice records there Nigel, but I'm sorry that I can't assist with the two unidentifieds.

Large skippers have just emerged down here and again are about the only butterflies about.

anniecase said...

Hi there! Any good suggestions for otter watching?

abbey meadows said...

Thanks for the comments
K-recent weather conditions have meant no sightings on any winged insects up here
A-Otters are on all of our rivers but I have only seen them on the coast but they are difficult to see, East Chevington North pool has had some recent sightings

anniecase said...

Many thanks. Coming up from South Wales next week. Will try my luck for otters in Chevington and Bothal!