London Natural History Society visit to Hounslow Heath for insects, though I was hoping to see some Adders.
We found a few interesting specimens, such as Gargara genistae:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/11518091@N00/4987515763/
There were some butterflies about. I saw 2 Meadow Browns, there were also Speckled Woods and a number of Small Coppers - their larval food plant, Sheep's Sorrel, was in evidence. A Sparrowhawk was seen overhead. I spotted a couple of Common Lizards in rather long grass.
Besides the Heather and Gorse. there was a large patch of Chinese Mugwort (Artemisia verlotiorum), a first for me.
As it happened, I got temporarily detached from the other 4 attendees, and during this time came across a local person who is keen on the snakes. He showed me what he thought was the best location and we did see a small Adder, probably 2 years old, even though the weather had become unfavourable.
Better was yet to come, as on the way back to a railway station I found several Hoary Cinquefoil (Potentilla argentea) by a car park just off the Staines Rd near Hounslow town centre. There were only 7 bona fide records in Burton's 'Flora of the London area' based on 1966-1976 records, and some of these were outside what is (now) the Greater London Authority boundary. It was said to be declining then. I showed the Natural History Museum's Mark Spencer (who is working on a new London Flora) a small sample at the LNHS meeting the next day, and he was very pleased because of the rarity and the fact it's within his own recording patch. He has subsequently confirmed that my identification is correct and it's not some similar foreign species I didn't know about. No photos I'm afraid, as it's only the second time I've seen the species, and it hadn't really clicked what it was until I got home and looked it up in my ID book.
Showing posts with label Hounslow. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hounslow. Show all posts
Saturday, 25 September 2010
Sunday, 11 April 2010
11/4/10: Some west London wildflowers
Some notes from the journey to, and a long wander after, a London Natural History Society meeting:
Three, possibly 4 Mahonia aquifolium seen by the railway between Queenstown Road and west of Isleworth station.
Hounslow - A White Bryony in a front garden in Station Rd. Sun Spurge and Hemlock in a garden on Hibernia Rd., and several Greater Celandine and Geranium rotundifolium on a vacant lot at the Staines Rd end of this street.
Bridge Rd - Ivy-leaved Speedwell, Black Horehound, Spotted Medick.
Twickenham Rd. - Green Alkanet and Dandelion pictured enlivening a street corner:
Syon Park - lots of Tansy along a fence line, Ox-eye Daisy and Sorrel by the roadway from the Park Rd. entrance. A few Crow Garlic and Pellitory-of-the-Wall by the lane leading to the eastern London Rd. entrance.
This large Barbarea sp. at the foot of a London Rd. street tree. There were also several Sun Spurge here:
Bank with a large population of Common Stork's-bill (Erodium cicutarium), north side of West Rd., just east of Syon Lane:
Closer view of one of the plants:
Three, possibly 4 Mahonia aquifolium seen by the railway between Queenstown Road and west of Isleworth station.
Hounslow - A White Bryony in a front garden in Station Rd. Sun Spurge and Hemlock in a garden on Hibernia Rd., and several Greater Celandine and Geranium rotundifolium on a vacant lot at the Staines Rd end of this street.
Bridge Rd - Ivy-leaved Speedwell, Black Horehound, Spotted Medick.
Twickenham Rd. - Green Alkanet and Dandelion pictured enlivening a street corner:
Syon Park - lots of Tansy along a fence line, Ox-eye Daisy and Sorrel by the roadway from the Park Rd. entrance. A few Crow Garlic and Pellitory-of-the-Wall by the lane leading to the eastern London Rd. entrance.
This large Barbarea sp. at the foot of a London Rd. street tree. There were also several Sun Spurge here:
Bank with a large population of Common Stork's-bill (Erodium cicutarium), north side of West Rd., just east of Syon Lane:
Closer view of one of the plants:
On a somewhat bare, slightly-raised, roadside bed just past Harlequin Av. were Buck's-horn Plantain and Danish Scurvy Grass - the latter pictured here:
11/4/2010: Bulbous beauties in garden get-away
Suburbia throws up a lot of garden escapes. Here are some bulbous ones.
8/4/2010: Ipheion uniflorum, a South American member of the onion family, seen growing in the grass verge next to Thames Rd, Crayford. There were a few planted specimens, along with the odd Grape Hyacinth, but it appeared to be spreading as this one was hard up against the pavement some way from the rest.
10/4/2010: Narcissus are a common sight on railway embankments around London. Most look like 'developed' cultivars rather than seedlings reverting to a 'wild type', so are presumably thrown over fences while dormant and get covered in enough leaf litter and soil wash, and stay moist enough, to get a foothold and bulk up. These are just east of Bexleyheath station.
11/4/2010: Grape Hyacinths (Muscari) make a fine show backed by the bright yellow of a mass of Dandelions in this garden on Hounslow
11/4/2010: In some places the Grape Hyacinths had escaped into the grass verge between front gardens and the pavement. Here a few specimens make a colourful mix with Dandelion and Daisy
8/4/2010: Ipheion uniflorum, a South American member of the onion family, seen growing in the grass verge next to Thames Rd, Crayford. There were a few planted specimens, along with the odd Grape Hyacinth, but it appeared to be spreading as this one was hard up against the pavement some way from the rest.
10/4/2010: Narcissus are a common sight on railway embankments around London. Most look like 'developed' cultivars rather than seedlings reverting to a 'wild type', so are presumably thrown over fences while dormant and get covered in enough leaf litter and soil wash, and stay moist enough, to get a foothold and bulk up. These are just east of Bexleyheath station.
11/4/2010: Grape Hyacinths (Muscari) make a fine show backed by the bright yellow of a mass of Dandelions in this garden on Hounslow
11/4/2010: In some places the Grape Hyacinths had escaped into the grass verge between front gardens and the pavement. Here a few specimens make a colourful mix with Dandelion and Daisy
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
