Adur Wild Flowers 2019 Part2

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

25 December 2019
Herb Robert was still in flower in my wild Shoreham front garden.

A chill breeze blew from the east on both sides of the River Adur estuary. The yellow flowers were all Bristly Ox-tongue.

28 October 2019
There was the first autumn chill in the air. On a dull cloudy day there was nothing noteworthy or colourful. Flowers were limited to patches of Bristly Ox-tongue and a few bedraggled Ox-eye Daisies on the verges of the the Downs Link Cyclepath on the way from the Railway Viaduct to the Erringham Gap (as far as I cycled north).

The workers had shorn the verges of the Downs Link Cyclepath all the way from the Railway Viaduct to the Erringham Gap (as far as I cycled north), mowing the plants and most of the remaining flowers to lawn height. Hawthorn, Rose Hips, Holly, Privet and Blackberry berries were in the hedgerows.

After four days of inclement weather, I was pleased to see a fresh Wall Brown Butterfly over the verges just south of the Downs Link Cyclepath crossroads at Old Shoreham. Bristly Ox-tongue attracted two common species of hoverflies. Mayweed was still flowering but this seems to be the later flowering plants of local provenance rather than the earlier flowering seeded crop? A single flowering spike of Hedge Woundwort was seen.

On the close short vegetation on the plateau of Mill Hill noted the first Autumn Gentian and Autumn Lady's Tresses of the year with frequent Round-headed Rampion and Dwarf Thistle, and notable flowers of Burnet Saxifrage and Small Scabious.

On the upper part of Mill Hill, we witness the omnipresence of Greater Knapweed and Lady's Bedstraw with the umbellifers Hogweed, Wild Carrot with the slightly later emergence of Wild Parsnip with the long spikes of Agrimony and the occasional Yarrow and Common Ragwort. On the middle slopes there are swathes of Marjoram, Wild Basil, Perforate St. John's Wort and the the stands of Hemp Agrimony and the Buddleia shrub. The miniature Eyebright was noted in large white patches on the more open slopes.

On the lower slopes of Mill Hill, the Dwarf Thistle was a first arrival for 2019, Round-headed Rampion seen for the first time this summer, and the Musk Thistle was only noted for the first time this year. Green shoots of Carline Thistle appeared. The miniature white swathes were Squinancywort and the yellow dandelion-lookalikes were Lesser Hawkbits.

Buddleia was extensively in flower and probably at its peak on the Downs Link Cyclepath between the new apartments under construction at Ropetackle North and Dacre Gardens, Upper Beeding.
Flowers had changed from the last report: Rosebay Willowherb and Hardheads (=Lesser Knapweed) were profuse, Melilot and Lady's Bedstraw were plentiful and Greater Knapweed was flowering, with Common Ragwort now showing, and the still very noticeable Pyramidal Orchids were past their best. Fleabane was growing on many of the verges and the first flowers of the year appeared. Two umbellifers, the Common Hogweed and the Wild Carrot were frequent with an occasional Fennel in the sun at Old Shoreham.

New flowers seen in quantity for the first time this year on the upper part of Mill Hill were the Common Hogweed, a few flowers of Meadow Scabious, the beginnings of Wild Parsnip, a few (much less than normal) Wild Carrot, and on the middle slopes the first of the large patches of Marjoram. There were a few Yellow Wort, frequent Pyramidal Orchids, occasional Lesser Hawkbits, budding Common Ragwort, the tall Agrimony, Melilot, Meadow Cranesbill and Mugwort amongst flowers previously mentioned this year. My first of the year Hawkweed Ox-tongue towered above the rest of the vegetation in the lay-by on the east side of the country road. There were the usual areas of mixed long grasses, Bedstraws and Greater Knapweed south of the Reservoir.
Adur Knapweeds

Summer turning towards autumn with the hay meadow on the levels below Mill Hill harvested and the hay baled. New flowers seen for the first time this summer were Common Centaury, Wild Basil, Marjoram, the wayside Vervain, the tall Great Willowherb and the first of the Traveller's Joy. Hedge Bedstraw and Lady's Bedstraw was very common on the middle slopes of Mill Hill. A few Dog Violets were seen in flower on the lower slopes.

Several hundred Pyramidal Orchids were the notable feature of the verges of the Downs Link cyclepath between Old Shoreham and Dacre Gardens (Upper Beeding) where there were the first flowers for this year of Purple Toadflax, Perforate St. John's Wort, Burdock, Tufted Vetch and the small Self-heal. Hogweed and Wild Carrot was in flower but not all that much yet.

26 June 2019
Viper's Bugloss had taken over as the dominant plant on the shingle above the high tide ridge on Shoreham Beach West, its blue spikes exceeding all the other vegetation by mass. On a humid breezy afternoon, on the Widewater flood plain, one spike was visited by my first definite Painted Lady Butterfly of the year. A Great Mullein was seen in flower by the road on the west side of the Tollbridge.

There were well over a hundred Childing Pink flowers amongst the Hare's Foot Clover on Silver Sands, Shoreham Beach. Great Lettuce and Fennel was growing nearby, but had not yet flowered.
Adur Childing Pink

Flowers seen for the first time this year was Red Bartsia hidden amongst the dominant Ox-eye Daisies over the verges of the Downs Link Cyclepath between Erringham Gap and the disused Cement Works. Meadow Cranesbill was unexpected, perhaps seen for the first time on the verge. Field Bindweed was now in flower under the Flyover. The five-petalled White Bryony was seen climbing over the Woundwort at Old Shoreham.

In the morning sunshine, new native wild flowers appeared on or near Adur Recreation Ground of Common Ragwort, Yarrow, Spear Thistle and Mugwort, budding Bristly Ox-tongue as well as the alien Purple Bugloss, Echium plantagineum.

There were scores of Pyramidal Orchids on the verges of the Downs Link Cyclepath near the Cement Works in the late afternoon with a few Common Spotted Orchids. Buddleia was seen in flower for the first time this year as befitting the middle of summer. An exceptional find was a solitary Common Broomrape. Other firsts were Rosebay Willowherb and Creeping Thistle and on the verges of the cyclepath at Old Shoreham the first Hedge Woundwort and early Hemp Agrimony.