The July Field Meeting was held on 16th July at Swaddywell Pit Nature Reserve. Only four attended due to the weather and tennis. The weather held for most of the meeting and it was greatly enjoyed. It was originally owned by Charles Rothschild, acquired in 1924. It occurs in one of John Clare’s poems. It is now looked after by the Langdyke Trust.
It consists of two main areas the first at high level a mainly grassy area over a rubbish tip now with a variety of orchids, the site has a total of nine species, and we saw six including the Frog Orchid. This top area is grazed by a flock of sheep.
The lower limestone quarry area has a great variety of plants, butterflies and birds. There are several interlinked ponds. We saw Kestrel and Red Kite, and heard Sedge Warblers amongst others.
Lists of what was seen are attached below:
Insects:
Southern Hawker dragonfly
6 Spot burnet moth
Mother shipton moth
Cinnabar moth larvae
Ringlet
Small skipper
Gatekeeper
Meadow brown
Red tailed bumble bee
14 spot ladybird
7 spot ladybird
Soldier beetle (Rhagonycha fulva)
2 hatchling frogs
Plant list:
|
Aceras anthropophorum |
Man Orchid |
|
Achillea millefolium |
Yarrow |
|
Agrimonia eupatoria |
Agrimony |
|
Anacamptis pyramidalis |
Pyramidal Orchid |
|
Blackstonia perfoliata |
Yellow-wort |
|
Bryonia dioica |
White Bryony |
|
Centaurea nigra |
Black Knapweed |
|
Centaurea scabiosa |
Greater Knapweed |
|
Cenyaurium erythraea |
Common Centaury |
|
Cladium mariscus |
Saw Sedge / Great Fen Sedge |
|
Clematis vitalba |
Traveller's Joy / Old Man's Beard |
|
Clinopodium vulgare |
Wild Basil |
|
Dactylorhiza fuchsii |
Common Spotted Orchid |
|
Dactylorhiza praetermissa |
Southern Marsh Orchid |
|
Daucus carota |
Wild Carrot |
|
Dipsacus fullonum |
Teasel |
|
Echium vulgare |
Viper's Bugloss |
|
Erigeron acer |
Blue Fleabane |
|
Euphrasia officinalis agg |
Eyebright |
|
Fragaria vesca |
Wild Strawberry |
|
Galium mollugo |
Hedge Bedstraw |
|
Galium palustre agg |
Marsh Bedstraw |
|
Helianthemum nummularia |
Common Rock-rose |
|
Hieracium pilosella agg |
Mouse-ear Hawkweed |
|
Lotus pedunculatus |
Greater Bird's-foot Trefoil |
|
Lycopus europaeus |
Gipsywort |
|
Melilotus altissima |
Tall Melilot |
|
Odontites verna |
Red Bartsia |
|
Ononis repens |
Rest-harrow |
|
Ophrys apifera |
Bee Orchid |
|
Origanum vulgare |
Marjoram |
|
Pastinaca sativa |
Wild Parsnip |
|
Phragmites australis |
Common Reed |
|
Plantago lanceolata |
Ribwort Plantain |
|
Potamogeton natans |
Broad-leaved Pondweed |
|
Potentilla reptans |
Creeping Cinquefoil |
|
Prunella vulgaris |
Selfheal |
|
Pulicaria dysenterica |
Fleabane |
|
Quercus robur |
Pedunculate Oak |
|
Reseda luteola |
Weld |
|
Rosa rubiginosa agg |
Sweet Briar |
|
Rubus fruticosus agg |
Bramble |
|
Scirpus lacustris |
Bulrush |
|
Senecio jacobaea |
Ragwort |
|
Senecio squalidus |
Oxford Ragwort |
|
Typha latifolia |
Greater Reedmace |
|
Verbascum thapsus |
Great Mullein |
|
Viola hirta |
Hairy Violet |
