8/8/10: Croydon - Coombe Lane heath to chalk slopes near New Addington

LNHS field trip from the Coombe Lane tram stop to heathland on the Addington Hills for invertebrates, followed by chalk downland further down the line at New Addington.

Addington Hills heathland

Species seen here included:

• A few Common Lizards
• Tawny Cockroach
• Beautiful Yellow Underwing moth (larva and adult)
• Emperor butterfly - very brief view
• Common Green Grasshopper
• Mottled Grasshopper
• Meadow Grasshopper
• Long-winged Conehead
• Gorse Shield Bug
• Gorse Lace Bug

LNHS members search Hutchinson's Bank - a rich chalk slope surreally close to a New Addington housing estate - for unusual invertebrates

Species here included:

• Marjoram
• Agrimony
• Eyebright
• Greater Yellow Rattle
• one plant of Sainfoin
• Kidney Vetch
• baby Common Lizards
• a Brown Argus

plus ......

Stemless Thistle (Cirsium acaule)

My first ever Small Blue (Cupido minimus) butterflies

Restharrow (Ononis repens)

On the way to Chapel Bank were ......

a lot of Wild Parsnip in flower

a couple of Brimstone butterflies, a Large Skipper, a Ringlet, Black Bryony, Woodruff, Wood Spurge, Figwort, Bush Vetch,

this Broad-leaved Helleborine in flower

and on/in the environs of the bank Thyme, Hemp Agrimony and Common Gromwell (a new species for me).

17/1/10: Croydon Tramlink is Cortaderia corridor .....

I posted about South American Pampas grass colonisation on 10th December 2009. But here's Cortaderia central - unless someone knows better .....

Finding myself at Mitcham Junction station I decided to have my first ever trip on the Croydon Tram system. I first went west to Wimbledon, then decided to go back the other way, finally getting off at East Croydon.

On the way to Wimbledon there were:

- 4-5 Cortaderia shortly after Mitcham towards Belgrave Walk

- 1 just before the bridge before Morden Road

- 1 just before Merton Park

- 1 just after Dundonald Road

all these on the north side of the line.

On the way back (to East Croydon):

- there were 2 between the main line running lines just outside the south end of Wimbledon station

- 1 on the south side of the line just before Belgrave Road

- 1 on the south side of the line just after Ampere Way

All these records (11 or 12) were of plants inside the tramway fencing. Only one was noted in an adjoining garden. Perhaps the construction of the tramlink (started in 1997) provided ideal conditions for the germination and establishment of this species along the margins of the line.

East of Mitcham junction Silver Birch, Gorse and Clematis vitalba were noted in various lineside locations.