Adur Wild Flowers 2017

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

14 June 2017
In a humid afternoon on the southern bank of Buckingham Cutting, Spotted Orchids were common and beginning to turn brown and the occasional Pyramidal Orchid was budding or showing their first flowers. My first Restharrow and yellow Meadow Vetchling of the year were noted in the roadside meadow.

13 June 2017
At last the breeze was gentle (Force 3) on a sunny humid day. The white flowers of Elderflower, Privet and Bramble were dominant in the landscape. Privet threatened to overrun the lower slopes of Mill Hill and certainly blotted out many of the Dropwort flowers. In the bare patches Yellow Wort opened its flowers in the morning.

On the southern side of Mill Hill Cutting there were over a hundred Common Spotted Orchids with a handful of both Southern Marsh Orchids and Pyramidal Orchids.
Adur Orchids

11 June 2017
With the ninth successive day of windsurfer weather the summer flowers were blown about in the Fresh Breeze (Force 5). Common Spotted Orchids and Pyramidal Orchids were commonly in flower on the verges of the cyclepath between Erringham Gap and the Cement Works. The orchids bright colours stood out through the growing green vegetation. One spike of Bee Orchid was spotted.

Other notable cyclepath verge flowers included Yellow Rattle, abundant Lady's Bedstraw and White Clover, new flowers of Rosebay Willowherb, Hardheads (=Lesser Knapweed), Greater Knapweed, frequent Ox-eyed Daisies, occasional flowers of Viper's Bugloss, Mouse-eared Hawkweed, Rough Hawkbit, one area of Sainfoin, patches of Creeping Cinquefoil, Hop Trefoil and Germander Speedwell, a type of Water Cress by the murky freshwater stream and a patch of Mayweed by the tidal River Adur. Elderflower and Bramble were blossoming in the hedges that border the Down's Link Cyclepath where the first Buddleia flowers were seen.
Adur Daisies

A whole week of persistently breezy weather continued with a steady Fresh Breeze (Force 5). In a field of Yellow Flag Iris Hedge Woundwort, Coltsfoot (grass) and Stinging Nettles, next to Ladywell's Stream (just north of Cuckoo's Corner) I disturbed a Meadow Brown Butterfly and a Brown Argus.
Adur Butterfly List 2017

Summer plants recently noted in flower on Shoreham Beach included the ground hugging Bird's Foot Trefoil, Seaside Daisy Erigeron glaucus and Kidney Vetch, the more upright Common Mallow, Viper's Bugloss, Cat's Ear, Slender Thistle and one clump of Broom. A steady Strong Breeze (Force 6) impaired close-up photography.

Abundant Red Valerian stretched for hundreds of metres on the shingle above the high tide mark with patches of Silver Ragwort (only one clump seen in flower), clumps of Tree Mallow, flowering Oxford Ragwort, widespread clumps of Thrift, ground hugging Sea Campion and the omnipresent Sea Kale. Common Poppies flowered on Adur Recreation Ground and the overlooked Nipplewort and Wall Rocket on the cracks of the pavements and twittens in and around Shoreham town.
Adur Ragworts

4 May 2017
Too breezy for photography, too cool for butterflies, and my days are numbered for scrambling about on steep hillsides. Nevertheless the Horseshoe Vetch, Hippocrepis comosa, was flowering in abundance on he lower slopes of Mill Hill with most yet to burst out into full bloom. Hounds-tongue was very frequently seen on some cleared ground above the winding footpath through the lower slopes, and just one Mouse-eared Hawkweed by the gate to Old Erringham pastures. No Violets were casually spotted on the lower slopes, but frequent Milkwort was on the upper plateau (immediately south of the upper car park) scattered with more Horseshoe Vetch. One Wayfaring Tree bush was in blossom at the northern end of the lower slopes on Mill Hill.
Adur Tree Report

29 April 2017
Oxford Ragwort, Senecio squalidus, was very common, especially near the railway tracks in Shoreham. It was also seen flowering on Shoreham Beach earlier in the month.

28 April 2017
In the late afternoon in cloudy (poor light) and breezy conditions that were poor for photography:

On Shoreham Beach (by Weald Dyke) I was surprised that Red Valerian, Sea Kale and Sea Campion were already beginning to flower.

Common Vetch, Cow Parsley, and Primroses were flowering in or near Buckingham Cutting (south) with Greater Periwinkle in the linear copse area.

Common Marigolds, Calendula officinalis, were growing wild alongside (west side) the Coombes Road near the junction to Lancing College.

On the lower slopes of Mill Hill, the first hundred or so flowers of Horseshoe Vetch, Hippocrepis comosa, were showing along with the the first flowers of Milkwort. Young Privet was everywhere over the southern part of the lower slopes. coming back vigorously every year and threatening to shade out the chalkhill plants.

8 April 2017
Red Campion was seen in flower near the Withy Gap north Lancing Gap. Oxford Ragwort was flowering on Shoreham Beach.

A single White Campion flower and several buds were seen on the verge of the Coombes Road, south of Cuckoo's Corner. Lady's Smock (or Cuckoo Flower) had already been on flower for a week, and the first Garlic Mustard flowers showed on the verges of the country road.

1 April 2017
Oxford Ragwort, the miniature yellow flowers of Yellow Sorrel and Prickly Sow Thistle were flowering near Brunswick Road Railway Level Crossing, Shoreham.

Just the brief rays of the warm 10.2 °C sun under a blue sky was a pleasant spring day that brought out Daffodils that were flowering on the Saltings roundabout (west of the Norfolk Bridge).and at the bottom of Parkside, north Shoreham.

2 January 2017
As a leftover from last year, an alien Oxford Ragwort was just about showing a flower by the railway tracks at Eastern Avenue, Shoreham.