Plant hunt

Wych Elm flowers

Enteridium lycoperdon on Alder

Male Wheatear

Pill Millipede

Herb Paris leaves

Yellow star of Bethlehem

More springlike today, sunny but cool. I was at Ulgham with IRD walking the opencast and seeing lots of displaying Lapwing and Curlew. Numerous Skylarks and Meadow pipits and as we were approaching Robin Hood wood there were 4 Wheatears on the track ahead of us. 5 Buzzards soared overhead and in the wood there are large areas of ancient Hazel and Oak. The woodland floor is very boggy with carpets of Opposite leaved Golden Saxifrage and Moschatel. Beneath a sheet of metal were Pill Millipedes and the slime mould pictured above was found on the bark of Alder. On the way back via the river Lyne 6 Sand Martins were flying around the sandy banks where there are many holes. First butterflies of the year with Peacock and Small tortoiseshell.

Yesterday around the woodland of Morpeth the Yellow star of Bethlehem has come into flower almost a month later than usual and in Cottingwood the leaves of Herb Paris are visible among the Wild Garlic and Dog's mercury.

Thanks to anon for correcting the tree flowers above.