Cresswell 2

Although it has been a rather cold April there were some flowers appearing along the dunes. The dunes are consolidated by Marram grass (Ammophila arenaria) and Lyme grass (Leymus arenarius) and provide a habitat for sand tolerant plants.

The roadside by the village near a wild garden had Common fumitory (Fumaria officinalis).  Ribwort plantain is visible, it was flowering further along.

The plant below is unknown to me. It was large as tall as the fence.

This is more recognizable since it was hairy stemmed on two sides Germander speedwell (Veronica chamaedrys).

Doves foot Cranesbill (Geranium molle) in flower below.

 

Another easily recognizable plant in flower and looking striking this year is  Red Dead- Nettle (Lamium purpureum).

Growing over the dunes was another mystery plant, probably a garden escape not in flower.

Some flowering plants were very familiar like the Meadow buttercup(Ranunculus acris).

And the cowslip (Primula veris).  A Field rush is flowering beside it.

Cat’s ear leaves were rowing in long tongued rosettes commonly over the dunes tops.

Nearer the road this grass was flowering. Sweet Vernal Grass (Anthoxanthum odoratum).

Also seen in flower were Bush Vetch, field speedwell and a sole Dog violet.

By the shore we watched Arctic terns diving into the incoming waves for fish.  Photographing them was difficult since they plunge so quickly like arrows. On the far rocks  male Eider Duck ere visible because their black and white colours stood out so  clearly.

 

 

Big Waters Reserve

This is  largest of the South East Northumberland subsidence ponds and one of the largest bodies of open water within the area, and has areas of fen and carr. The pond was formed in the 1920’s as a result of mining subsidence along the Hartley Burn. The soils are shaley from old mine workings  has largely acidic with more alkaline areas. Most of the reserve is open water with reedbed and a wet woodland edge.  Link to SSSI citation

We had a short walk to a bird hide but I noted a number of interesting species. Bush Vetch (Vicia sepium) in flower.

also flowering by a field edge was a Field Bean, from last year’s crop?

Below a Red Campion (Silene dioica) showing its typically hairy leaves.

Crosswort (Cruciata laevipes)  beginning to flower.

Wood sorrel (Oxalis acetosella) prefers shadier sites under trees. This plant is sometimes worn as Shamrock.

The site is fringed with Crack willow (Salix fragilis) below and other types of willow.

Until I looked at this field I had not thought of Dandelion as a meadow plant. It was almost as delightful as a Cowslip meadow but almost entirely natural.

It proved attractive to this Small Tortoiseshell butterfly. We also saw small white butterflies  of female Orange tip?

Seen from the hide, winter visitors were absent and summer ones not obvious. This great crested Grebe was diving and swimming near the reeded edge.

On the island were a collection of birds: cormorants adult and juvenile, herring gull and Oyster catcher. On the lake: Mute Swan, Mallard, Coot, Tufted Duck, Mallard and what looked like a pair of Gadwall.

The Reserve is noted for tree sparrows. Below is a rather poor photograph

In the short time we had I glanced casually at Lichen and Bryophytes. Wood Bristle Moss (Orthotrichum affine). Capsules and setae cluster among the leaves.

Another frequently seen moss, Common feather moss ( Kindbergia praelonga) flourishing by the boardwalk.

Here Sunburst Lichen (Xanthoria parietina) showed a preference for Elder but was spreading to Hawthorn. It likes the phosphate rich environment of agricultural field edges as does elder.

Pavement Plants, Bryophytes and lichen

Umbrella Liverwort (Marchantia polymorpha)  is a green mat forming Liverwort  produces umbrella-like reproductive structures known as gametophores. Those of female plants consist of a stalk with star-like rays at the top. These contain the organs which produce the ova. Male gametophores are topped by a flattened disc and produce the sperm.  Both are visible in the photo below. They commonly grow between the pavement and brick walls.

Another plant tolerating this dry situation is Hairy Bittercress (Cardamine hirsuta). The mosses are grey Grimmia pulvinata , dark green Scistidium crassipilum, the bright green one is Tortula muralis. All are cushion forming and common on urban pavements and walls. They form a mini ecosystem with other plants.

This pavement Lichen Lecidella stigmatea tolerates  dry but lighter conditions forming round patches all over the walkway. Visible in close up are two other common lichens. The yellow dots are Caloplaca citrina, and the light green crust Lecanora muralis, another common combination.

Veronica hederafolia creeps along the pavement largely unnoticed. This is hederifolia sub species lucorum  has whitish to pale lilac flowers with whitish or pale blue anthers.

Cymbalaria muralis or Ivy leaved toadflax  is another plant that thrive at the edges of brick walls. Although an introduced alien species, Ivy-leaved Toadflax has had nearly 400 years to make itself at home in Britain and Ireland, and few people are aware that it is not a truly native wildflower.

This roadside plant Danish Scurvygrass (Cochlearia danica) is another relative newcomer, originally a mainly coastal plant, it has now colonized alongside well salted main roads.

Finally the bryophyte Bryum argentum or Silver Moss is frequently seen in cracks between paving stones. The little plant beside it is is Common Whitlow Grass (Erophila verna). It is abundant this year in many such  situations in Newcastle upon Tyne.

Warkworth Dunes and Saltmarsh

SSSI citation

This outing proved to be challenging since it involved plants not in flower or fruit. The picture above shows a general view of the saltmarsh.  There is a zonation: the grass at the front is Red fescue (Restuca rubra); nearer the sea Saltmarsh grass predominates (Puccinallia maritima); growing near the sea edge was Cord grass (Spartina anglica). The grass was much grazed by geese. Among the grass there was small red leaved humps of Sea pink (Armeria maritima), Sea milkwort (Glaux maritima), Sea Aster (Aster tripolium), Sea plantain (Plantago maritima). Commom scurvy grass  (Cochlearia officinalis) was in flower, sprinkling the marsh with. Sea Purslane was discovered further along the Coquet estuary. Below is Red fescue.

Sea couch was identified growing near the path and Curved Hard  grass is a specialty pictured below

Sea Arrowgrass (Trilochin maritima) was identified by its thick stems.

Unfortunately my camera started to malfunction so some photographs have dark fringes.

Out of the Saltmarsh, Dunes have covered a shingle spit to form a uncommon environment for things such as the Curved Hard grass. There was a large stand of Burnet Rose’s prickly stems and growing along beside the path garlics. These proved confusing to identify. They have different stem featured below is Crow Garlic (Allium vineale).

Field garlic (Allium oleraceum) shown below.  I think it is difficult to identify without the bulbils and flowers. The Garlic was well camouflaged by the ubiquitous Marram grass (Ammophila arenaria) which provides a stabilizing influence on the dunes.

Further up towards the big Grey dunes system was mouse ear hawkweed, Polypody ferns among  the memorably named Big shaggy moss (Rhytidiadelphus triquetrus)

Field woodrush (Luzula campestris)

and  a Stonecrop probably Biting Stonecrop (Sedum acre)

Other plants like Rest harrow (Ononis repens) and Buckshorn plantain (Plantago coronopis) were widespread.

The dunes also showed a succession of features from an unstable tidal sandy beach area to lower mobile dune system, more established Grey duns with slacks forming behind these. On the shifting sandy dunes a moss was growing greening the slopes. Plants seen were the emerging shoots of Lyme grass, Sea sandwort (Honckenya peploides) Catsear ( Hypochaeris radicata) formed rosettes and this intriguing Lettuce probably Wall lettuce (Mycelis muralis).

Many birds were spotted by the others: Heron, Oyster catcher, Redshank, Curlew, Black tailed Godwit,  Wigeon, Shelduck, Knot, tern. On the bushes inland:Linnet, meadow pipit, and in general Skylark.

We failed to find evidence of Sand sedge or any Glasswort.

I decided not to include many Bryophytes due to lack of knowledge and to cover lichens in another blog.

 

Tyne Watersmeet

The communities  here are important since they have adapted to life on the river alluvium and unstable sands of the river bank.

A view  of river Tyne from Warden rocks above. The confluence of North and south Tyne is downstream. The link below explains the SSSI citation. The invertebrate life, especially beetles is important. https://necmsi.esdm.co.uk/PDFsForWeb/Citation/1003921.pdf

Beetle habitat has been enhanced in many places as below.

The Spring flowers were wonderful, especially on such a sunny day. Wild daffodils (Narcissus pseudonarcissus) pictured  below. There were cultivated varieties nearby so hybridization is possible.

Sweet violet (Viola odorata) had a truly delightful smell although kneeling down in adoration was essential to experience it fully.

I found one example of another violet, the Early Dog Violet (Viola reichenbachiana).

The  star was the Yellow star of Bethlehem (Gagia lutea) Not as many as I had hoped for.

Generally the woodland floor was carpeted in drifts of Wood anemones, Ramsons, Primrose, Dog’s Mercury, Celandine and a few golden saxifrage. Barren Strawberry (Potentilla sterilis) grew by the waterside path.

Great Woodrush (Luzula sylvatica) was abundant and flowering.

and Butterbur  (Petasites hybridus) was emerging by the Burdock.

Non flowering plants are more difficult to identify without a vegetative key. Monkshood? below

Could this be Leopardsbane (Doronicum orientale)?

This plant growing on the river gravel could be Watercress (Nasturtium officinale).

This could be Clustered bellflower (Campanula glomerata)

There was much more of interest, like this freshwater pearl mussel shell( Margaritifera margaritifera). All is not going well for the mussels in the North Tyne, see link below.

The freshwater mussel is red listed due to past overexploitation and latterly unfavorable water quality and environment. It has been considered as a reason why the Romans  invaded Britain. The water quality here is affected by high levels of ammonia, phosphate and dissolved oxygen (good for adults but not juveniles). Maintaining good water quality is essential since the unusual flora depends on the periodically flooded riverside rock outcrop.

Information on water resources

https://www.fba.org.uk/sites/default/files/The%20Tyne%20Pearl%20Mussel%20Project.pdf

 

Ragwort

We had a Botanical walk in the Derwent Valley yesterday. There was  discussion on the difference between Common and Oxford Ragwort.

ID from the leaves alone is difficult. After reading books and on Internet I am still confused. The common Ragwort (Senecio jacobaea) is often hairless. Leaves dark green, deeply pinnate lobes, the lobes toothed and the end one short and blunt.

The Oxford Ragwort (Senecio squalidus) has glossy leaves, hairless, pinnately lobed or deeply toothed. This one was found in a urban front garden in Heaton.

The plant was still in flower.

Now for the Common Ragwort as a comparison from Jesmond Dene.

The leaves are less glossy, softer and less spiky. The end tip is blunter.

Druridge Bay

 

Marram grass on the dunes at Druridge. The sky was very blue and the weather fine.

Walk along beach and through Common reeds to view geese. They were difficult to identify in the distance. Mute swans were much easier.

They were spectacular in flight and in such large numbers. I think  they were Greylag (Anser anser) because they had strong pink beaks.

Other birds:

Marsh Harrier

Heron

Kestrel

Stonechat

Coot

Wheatear? below. On the beach, had white rump and yellowish flanks.

Still some flowering plants including Corn Sowthistle, (Sonchus arvensis) Bloody Cranesbill (Geranium sanguineum)  near the sandy path. White Campion (Silene Latifolia) looking pink, below

Common Storksbill (Erodium cicutarium) below was abundant in the sand.

Hairy Tare (Vicia hirsuta)

Autumn Hawkbit (Scorzoneroides autumnalis) and Caloplaca maritima behind

Lichens: probably Lecanora campestris having brown apothecia  with L Dispersa on rock