8/4/2010: Dartford Loop Line railway reconnaissance

More on the botany of local railway lines as I headed for Mottingham from Crayford .....

There was a Sorrel and some Ox-eye Daisy in the grass around the Thames Water facility on Station Rd, Crayford.

Around 33 specimens of the small fern Asplenium trichomanes were in a wall at the (top) east end of Lower Station Road, only my second find of the species in the Borough of Bexley. There were also several Greater Celandine here, and a few more down behind Crayford station's 'up' platform. Also behind the platform were lots of Nipplewort, some Clematis vitalba, 1 Ox-eye Daisy and Forget-me-Nots.

A Gorse was spotted on the 'up' side just west of the Rochester Way overbridge.

Amongst the plants on the cutting side behind Albany Park station's 'up' platform were Lords and Ladies, some Daffodils, Viola odorata, Geum urbanum, Cow Parsley, Hogweed, a Black Horehound and a patch of Foxgloves.

New Eltham station had, amongst other things, Ivy-leaved Speedwell, three patches of what was probably Bush Vetch and 20+ 'wild colour' Primroses.

Mottingham station's flora included White Deadnettle, Garlic Mustard, Michaelmas Daisy, Curled Dock and Creeping Thistle. On a shallow 'island' in the station forecourt was a mass of probable Common Whitlowgrass, a very small white-flowered Crucifer common in some parts of Bristol, but here was the first time I've knowingly seen it in London.

11/12/09: Bursted Wood, Martens Grove and eastern Bexleyheath

There were 11 Carrion Crows on the former Pitch and Putt course next to Bursted Wood.

5 Grey Squirrels, two Blackbirds and a Robin were seen in Martens Grove.

There were still some fungal fruiting bodies about:

Bracket-type fungus on dead log, Martens Grove

Large fungal fruiting bodies by dead stumps, garden on Park Grove


More fungi by tree stump, grassy bank on Watling St, opposite end of Park Grove

There were a couple of Nipplewort in flower on this bank.

A little further up Watling St., towards the Broadway, there were a load of Three-cornered Leek (Allium triquetrum) in a fenced area just beyond the above-mentioned bank.

Several Starlings and House Sparrows were seen along Woolwich Rd.