Ainsdale Sand Dunes NNR, Merseyside - 20/08/2021

 Last Friday, we went to Ainsdale Sand Dunes NNR, a seaside reserve of Marram grass and sand dunes on the Sefton Coast near Southport. Instead of having to do this post while we are on holiday next week, in Herefordshire, I thought I would do it here.

Sand Pansy

Traveller's Joy

Blue Fleabane

 Ray's Knot Grass

Common Fleabane

Sea Mayweed

Frosted/Babington's/Spear-Leaved Orache

Prickly Saltwort

Sanderling birds

Sea Rocket

Sea Pearlwort

Sea Rocket- a real pollinator favourite with bees and Wall Brown butterflies

Sea Buckthorn

Water Mint

Water Mint

Common/Sticky Storksbill

Dewberry (below grass)

Sea Beet

Sea Aster

Sea Holly

Sea Holly

Large-flowered Evening Primrose

Wheat field margin, East Riding of Yorkshire - 13/08/2021

 On the walk back, after the unsuccessful trip for Marsh Pea, stumbling across one of my favourite plants, as the first time I have ever seen it really lifted my mood! This is the Large-Flowered Hemp-Nettle, a fast declining arable weed which is listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN, having lost 48% of it's sites in the UK in the last 50 years. this is due to pesticides, stopping it growing after a field has been ploughed, that is the only time it can germinate. The switching of Spring to Autumn Ploughing has greatly affected this plant too, it can't germinate in Autumn. Luckily, there was a lot around so at least a few acres of East Yorkshire farmland remains traditional. It probably is my favourite plant.

Pulfin Bog, East Riding of Yorkshire - 13/08/2021

 We went back over to the Eastern County of Yorkshire to look on a bog for Marsh Pea, a Nationally Scarce plant. No success, most of the bog was flooded by the River Hull but in the less flooded part we saw a couple of things.

ID?????

Skullcap

Sneezewort

Purple Loosestrife

Marsh Woundwort

White Water Lily (yes, they ARE native)

Kiplingcotes Chalk Pit, East Riding of Yorkshire - 06/08/2021

 Today we went out to my favourite area, the Yorkshire Wolds to see some rare plants on a chalk scree and chalk pit floor. A successful day in one of my favourite areas, near Market Weighton, Driffield and Beverley. The journey there was good but typical traffic on the M62 around Brighouse - the J32A and then after that was very quiet as usual all the way to Goole where we turned off the M62. On the way home, almost solid all the way from J32A to our junction to get home, at J22. Red Hemp Nettle and Basil Thyme are rather scarce and declining arable weeds. There were a few thunderstorms out and about too. To clarify, the reason this plant has been determined as Large Thyme up against it's close relative Wild Thyme is that the plant is clearly much stronger scented than the nearby Wild Thyme and the flower spikes are more elongated. The book states for seperation of the two species : flower spikes more elongated on Large Thyme, Large Thyme also far more strongly scented then Wild Thyme. the Wildlfie Trust does not state Large Thyme is present here but the BSBI database has records here so the plant is definitely Large Thyme.

Autumn Gentian

Yellow-wort

Weld

Scarlet Pimpernel

Field Forget-me-Not

Common Toadflax

Carline Thistle

The Nationally Scarce Red-Hemp Nettle

Basil Thyme

Large Thyme

Large Thyme

Large Thyme

The reserve

Pale Toadflax

Looking towards the Holderness Plain

Typical Wolds countryside

Priestcliffe Lees and Miller's Dale Car Park, Derbyshire - 05/08/2021

 I went to Priestcliffe Lees looking for Spring Sandwort. Again, unsuccessful unfortunately but I did see other nice things.

Common Milkwort

Mountain Pansy

Dark Mullein

Ivy Leaved Toadflax in the car park.