BSBINews - BSBI Archive - Botanical Society of the British Isles

42 Field meeting reports: 2008 - Lindisfarne area (v.c.68)
FIELD MEETING REPORTS: 2008-2009
Reports of field meetings are collated by Dr
Alan ShowIer, and copy for these should be sent
to him direct, not to the editors of BSBI News.
His address is: 12 Wedgwood Drive, Hughenden
2008
Valley, High Wycombe, Bucks., HP14 4PA (tel.:
01494562082). Copy for day meetings should
generally be up to 500 words, and for weekend
meetings, up to 1000 words.
Lindisfarne area, N. Northumberland (v.c.68), 13 th - 17th August
CHRlS METHERELL (v.c. Recorder) and MARY SMITH
Wednesday, 13 th August
On a sunny afternoon a substantial number of
botanists gathered in the car park at
Warkworth Dunes for the first afternoon's
stroll of what was to prove both a profitable
and sometimes exhausting week! Looking
around it was obvious that we had an excellent
mix of local botanists and those from further
afield. Maps and hit lists were handed out and
off we set. We were split into five teams to
allow a wide coverage of the ground.
Erigeron acer (Blue Fleabane) was found in
four sites ('sites' refers to lOm square records
throughout), Allium oleraceum (Field Garlic)
in two and Calystegia soldanella (Sea
Bindweed) in three. This last had not been
seen here since 1977 and so were particularly
useful finds. Regrettably, we failed to confirm
old records of Lathryus japonicus (Sea Pea),
Eryngium maritimum (Sea-holly) and Atriplex
praecox (Early Orache), though we were
probably too late in the year for the last one.
We had more success with Dianthus deltoides
(Maiden Pink), famous in the dune slacks,
seen in six sites, and with Parapholis strigosa
(Hard-grass) at one of its only two sites in
v.c.68. Martyn Stead also spotted Lathyrus
latifolius (Broad-leaved Everlasting-pea), last
recorded here in 1987, despite it being a wellbotanised
area.
In all 70 sites were accumulated, 39 being
new records for NU2505, the least recorded
lkm square within the area.
En route to Lindisfarne, the convoy of cars
stopped to admire and photograph Asplenium
xclermontiae (Maidenhair Spleenwort x Wallrue)
at its only station in the UK (and possibly
Europe?). The single plant was flourishing
this year, after a couple of poor seasons.
On arrival at the Lindisfarne Hotel we were
greeted by Michael Braithwaite, who had
found Cardamine corymbosa (New Zealand
Bitter-cress) in the hotel car park! This was
not new to the vice-county but new to the
island.
Those who did not already know each other
became acquainted over dinner, which was
enlivened by some bottles of wine.
Afterwards several of us went on a dusk
walk. The most remarkable alien for those not
familiar with this area was Acaena novae-zealandiae
(Pirri-pirri-bur). We soon got to know
it, and cursed it often. Assorted Euphrasia
(eyebrights) were found and debated. This
complex group became a sub-theme of the trip
for Chris.
Thursday, 14th August
On another bright day three groups set out to
record the northern and central sections of
Ross Links. The SE section of the dunes had
already been visited in 2008, but that left a
very large area for which there were few localised
records.
The north end of the links was visited by two
groups. Strangely we found very little Equisetum
variegatum (Variegated Horsetail), which
had been recorded in the past; however we
accumulated eight sites for Astragalus danicus
(Purple Milk-vetch), a TPP species, and an
excellent find was Carex viridula ssp. viridula
(Small-fruited Yellow-sedge), last recorded
here in 1968, the only site found during the
week. Another RPR species, Cynoglossum
officinale (Hound's-tongue) was recorded