Adur Wild Flowers 2015

To see a World in a grain of sand,
And Heaven in a wild flower,
Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand
And Eternity in an hour

William Blake

December 2015
The only wild flowers noted were Dandelion, Common Daisy and Nipplewort.

The single Kidney Vetch flower on Buckingham Cutting (south) was atypical for this late in the year (outside of its normal flowering period).
Hawkbits

Sea Mayweed from Southwick Beach. I have not mastered identifying the Mayweeds.

After three days of almost continual rain, I was struck by how quickly the warm summer had turned into a breezy autumn. Too cold for butterflies, and the few bees, bumblebees and hoverflies had few wild flowers to visit. At Old Shoreham they were seen to visit the first flowers of Sea Aster and a clump of Greater Knapweed.

Docks recorded in the Shoreham area:	Flora of Shoreham-by-Sea (List)
Rumex acetosa Rumex acetosella Rumex conglomeratus Rumex crispus Rumex hydrolapathum Rumex obtusifolius Rumex pulcher Rumex sanguineus	SORREL SHEEP'S SORREL CLUSTERED DOCK CURLED DOCK WATER DOCK BROAD-LEAVED DOCK FIDDLE DOCK WOOD DOCK

21 July 2015
I made a visit to Mill Hill, but this was curtailed by a combination of an overcast day and Strong Breeze (Force 6 gusting to Force 7).

Of special note was my first Round-headed Rampion flower of the year near the path that winds its way through the lower slopes. Toadflax was also seen in flower for the first time this year.

Of most interest were scores of Fragrant Orchids amounting to over a hundred on the southern bank of Anchor Bottom where the Horseshoe Vetch (almost all was gone) had at least three plants in flower. Some of the Fragrant Orchids were fading and others were budding, but I think generally they were past their best.
Adur Orchids

19 June 2015
I visited Mill Hill around the middle of the day. At the top of Chanctonbury Drive (SE of the bridge), the grass had been mown along with the Bee Orchid which did not survive.

On the edges of the southern steps to the lower slopes of Mill Hill, I noted both Silverweed and Creeping Cinquefoil close to each other but in separate habitats. Approaching mid-summer and more plants began to flower: noting the almost complete demise of the Horseshoe Vetch, two late Dog Violets, the frequent Dropwort, the first of the slender Yellow Wort, occasional Rough Hawkbit and Cat's Ear, the ground hugging Self-heal and one newly budding Carline Thistle. On the middle slopes there were yellow swathes of Bird's Foot Trefoil and Yellow Rattle. On the top of the hill a few Greater Knapweed appeared in flower, as well as the unusual appearance of the parasitic Knapweed Broomrape, Orobanche elatior, that grows brown and upright. There seemed to be more of these brown spikes than in previous years. On the southern top flattish part of Mill Hill, there were masses of Ragwort, not yet in flower, hundreds of plants instead of the occasional one in disturbed soil. At the best northern end of the lower slopes, Privet is extremely invasive blotting out the Horseshoe Vetch for good.

The Friends of Shoreham Beach Wild Flower Walk started off in a blustery way, blown about by a Strong Breeze (Force 6) gusting to Gale Force 8, low flying clouds, poor light and a few spots of rain that developed into a drizzle later in the afternoon. This made photography difficult to impossible. Highlights of the walk included the local rarity known as the Starry Clover that had finished flowering and at the calyx stage and had been mown flat, the peak flowering of the Sea Kale, the vast expanses of Red Valerian, the first Yellow-horned Poppy, the very frequent Slender Thistle, the previously unmentioned (or overlooked or mistaken identity) diminutive Dove's Foot Cranesbill Geranium molle, the local patch of the campion-like Italian Catchfly Silene italica, the newly flowering Kidney Vetch and Viper's Bugloss, the sturdy Tree Mallow, a patch of Mouse-eared Hawkweed, and the wind battered Sea Campion.

Kidney Vetch was flowering on Shoreham Beach but not yet on the verges of the A27 in the chalk cutting, north Shoreham.

A cycle ride to Botolphs and back along and back along the Downs Link Cyclepath on a breezy overcast afternoon rewarded me with Hawthorn and Wayfaring Tree flowering in the hedgerow that lined the route. The verges will beginning to show a bit of colour, with remains of the Cowslipsjoined by carpets of Germander Speedwell, Ground Ivy and Crosswort, clumps of Common Vetch, Bluebells, Bulbous Buttercups, Red Campion, and Bugle, occasional Bird's Foot Trefoil, Ox-eye Daisy, Mouse-ear, Mouse-eared Hawkweeds and Dandelions, with lots of green leaves. Horsetails were noted when it may have been overlooked before. As the afternoon wore on, the sun came out. Cuckoo Flower was seen by a stream near Botolphs. A detour was made to Anchor Bottom for the scattered hundreds of Green-winged Orchids but there was nothing else of interest.

Hawthorn was beginning to flower. The image also shows Common Vetch, Bulbous Buttercup, Sow Thistle, Marsh Marigold, Tree Mallow and Thrift.

16 April 2015
Dove's Foot Cranesbill and Ragwort were seen in flower for the first time this year. Corn Salad, Valerianella was seen by the road verges.

8 April 2015
Blackthorn was in full flower at Cuckoo's Corner where the first Hawthorn appeared in leaf.

27 March 2015
Field Speedwell was seen in flower on a roundabout on Shoreham Beach.

The first Cowslips appeared in flower on the verges of the cyclepath north of Old Shoreham together with one clump of Primroses, white Sweet Violets, Ground Ivy, Dandelions and Lesser Celandine.

11 March 2015
Red Dead-nettle was seen in flower on road verges on the outskirts of Lancing.

10 March 2015
A Mayweed was seen in flower on builders rubble and soil dumped on Tarmount Public Hard, Shoreham.

4 January 2015
I recorded my first wild flower of the year, a Lesser Celandine in Southwick, previously seen last year on Christmas Day 2014.


Larkspur, Consolida sp. Naturalised wild plant from abroad	Common Poppies	Common Vetch


Round-headed Rampion	Meadow Cranesbill	Welted Thistle


Italian Catchfly	Italian Catchfly	Dove's Foot Cranesbill	Dove's Foot Cranesbill


Green-winged Orchid	Mouse-eared Hawkweed	Crosswort


Horsetail *Equisetum palustre*	Bugle	Ground Ivy	Cowslips


Water Mint	Bulrush or Reedmace


Eyebright on Mill Hill	Squinancywort


Childing Pink	Cat's Ear	Hare's Foot Clover


Brooklime	Yellow Flag		Yellow Rattle