Beach Walk Update 22.6.2007 V

I forgot to mention that a very striking feature of the beach walk Sue & I did on Friday Evening was a green ribbon of what appeared to be newly-colonised embryonic dune. We have just looked it up and it wasn't Good King Henry as I speculated at the time but Common Orache (Atriplex patula) which Sue suggested when we got home (curses - Ed.).

There is an strip of shingle to either side of the Orache. As you can see below it is growing directly out of the shingle.

The leaves were triangular to lanceolate with two basal lobes pointing downward (The Wild Flowers of Britain and Northern Europe: Fitter, Fitter & Blamey, Collins 1974).

Some Sort of Dandelion???

From what I remember these two pictures were of the same plant. A really beautiful flower both fresh and dried, which is mainly why it is here. Sue has found it in the book!!! It's Goat's Beard, (Tragopogon pratensis) with a folk name of 'Jack-go-to-bed-at -noon' at it closes when the sun goes in. Sue is delighted it is next to Salsify in the book as she suggested it while we were out and I informed her that Salsify has purple flowers.

How exquisite this is. According to Mabey in Flora Brittanica Goat's-beard is 'most notable for its spherical seed 'clock' which is as elaborate as an astrolabe.'(p362) Find out all about the Astrolabe here.

Sea Wall Survivors

This is some sort of Dock braving the sea wall habitat. Will get back to you if there is any more info. Update - could be Common Sorrel.

Although in what looks to be an identical habitat this specimen seems to be doing rather better than the previous one.

More Flowers

Sue informs me that this is Lady's Bedstraw. It cut a colourful swathe through this area of scrubby dune. It was (says Mabey) used in mattresses especially for women before labour, its honey scent drying to that of new-mown hay. Sometimes used in cheesemaking as a substitute for rennet as it is a coagulant.

This is Yarrow ( Achillea millefolium). Mabey: '..believed to cause nosebleeds or at least sneezing if a leaf was put up the nose.' Well quite. How best to avoid that I wonder....

This is Bladder Campion. According to Mabey they are a favourite food-plant of the Froghopper.

Scenic Interlude

Not really nature but I wanted to post this anyway. It is the view straight out from toward the Fairlawn end of the walk.

Beach Walk Bunny Update

Beach Walk Update I - Sea Pinks

The Sea Pink is a very delicate flower which somehow manages to survive everything that the elements can throw at it.

Each head comprises a mass of tiny flowers.

Here it is growing on grassy, scrubby ground on the edge of the mudflats.

Beach Walk Update II - Sea Holly

The Sea Holly (Eryngium) is a remarkable plant. It grows straight out of bare sand and appears to have been sculpted out of some sort of metal.

Beach Walk Update III - Glasswort

Glasswort is a plant of the marshes. It is also known as Marsh Samphire. You can occasionally see people collecting bundles for the pot, as it is considered a delicacy in the kitchen. I believe the main commercial centre for Glasswort is East Anglia.

Beach Walk Update IV - Campion

The White and Pink Campion are delicate and lovely. They were growing on scrubby land away from the beach proper.

Beach Walk 22 6 2007 I

We walked from the head of Fairhaven Lake to Pleasure Island in St Annes this evening. Here is the view looking back from Pleasure Island. The habitat is dune, shingle marsh & mudflats. Cora loves it!

This Stonechat was very much in evidence on the return leg of the walk. It allowed quite a close approach before fluttering off a few yards. (Sue has asked me to point out that she saw the Stonechats first and called me over to see them - Ed.)

This (Lesser? will check) Whitethroat was skulking in the same plant as the Stonechat but lower down and partially concealed by the foliage. Update: It isn't a lesser Whitethroat. It has a clear white eye ring, which is one way of distinguishing between the two. If its legs were visible they would be paler rather than dark, and the primaries have darkish brown edges.

Here is the Stonechat again with I believe his mate. In the distance Southport is a hazy blur.

Beach Walk 22 6 2007 II

The Viper's Bugloss was beautiful in the evening sunshine.

The backlighting here reveals a very distinctive profile.

I was surprised at how orange the dying flowers of the Evening Primrose had become.

I came accross some kind of Alium which looked more like a wierd plant-bee hybrid.

We saw a Cinnabar moth skulking in the undergrowth, Glasswort on the marshes seems to be ever on the increase, and a Skylark flew up from almost under my feet toward the end of the walk. A really super evening. Oh and there are two black rabbits amongst the wild ones on Stanner's Bank.

We saw White and Pink Campion and Sea Holly on the dunes, a small puffball and another nondescript fungus.