Chris Lansdell's Birding & Nature Diary

The Upper Waveney Valley, 11 & 12 August 2021

An after work pop in to Billingford Common on Wednesday resulted in an easy location of the Large-flowered Hemp Nettle that grows there. Right beside it was some of it's commoner cousin Common Hemp Nettle. LFHN is right up there in the list of my favourite wild flowers.

This morning I had a leisurely and very pleasant walk around Roydon Fen near Diss. Completely unexpectedly I found 5 new plants for me - Hop Sedge, Jointed Rush, Guelder Rose, Marsh Sowthistle and Moth Mullein. The sowthistle and the mullein in particular were very pleasing finds due to their scarcity locally. Bifid Hemp Nettle was also growing in some numbers in shady wet woodland by the path. Wild Angelica and Yellow Loosestrife were also notable.

Large-flowered Hemp Nettle

Hop Sedge

Jointed Rush

Guelder Rose

Yellow Loosestrife

Wild Angelica

Bifid Hemp Nettle

Marsh Sowthistle

Moth Mullein

An after work twitch Brecks-way, 10 August 2021

Working in Hepworth today meant I was halfway to the Brecks so with a nice early finish I was able to dash over for a much-wanted rare plant.

Along a forest track near Brandon I found my plant easily - Red-tipped Cudweed. There was a fair bit of it too and I was lucky enough to find a couple of plants which still had fresh flowers showing the distinctive red tips. In the same area and on the walk back to my van I also found Corn Spurrey, Vervain, Hoary Cinquefoil and then a surprise patch of the locally scarce Bifid Hemp Nettle.

Red-tipped Cudweed

Corn Spurrey

Vervain

Bifid Hemp Nettle

A gorgeous field headland just outside Pulham, 7 August 2021

Late on Saturday afternoon I needed to get out and go on a long walk to blow the cobwebs away. I walked a circuit from home via Tivetshall and back from Pulham Garden Centre. Nearing the last section of the walk I stumbled on an area of set-aside beside the footpath that was a delight to behold. An examination revealed Crimson Clover, Alsike Cover, Red Clover, Common Vetch, Fodder Vetch, Cut-leaved Dead Nettle and a curious dark-pink coloured Yarrow which I have never encountered before. Earlier in the walk I'd also found Hoary Ragwort, Hedgerow Cranesbill, Goldenrod and Greater Burdock amongst the more regular late summer plants. Yellowhammers were much in evidence too with some still singing.

Crimson Clover

Alsike Clover

Yarrow - dark pink variety

Fodder Vetch

Cut-leaved Dead Nettle

A night at Weybread GPs, 6 August 2021

On Friday night we had an impromptu night at Weybread sailing club in our moho. Belinda is a member of the club so we are allowed to stay there and it's a lovely spot by the edge of Ocean Pit. Initially the weather did it's best to spoil the evening but a heavy downpour did at least test our awning out! Things settled down after that and while later I was wandering down by the waters edge and found a few Red-eyed Damselflies and shortly afterwards 2 interesting plants growing side by side by the edge - they proved to be Skullcap and Trifid Bur-marigold, both new ones for me and also pretty scarce. A Kingfisher called nearby and then a surprise Turtle Dove flew in to waterside willows. The usual Common Terns were out on the water too.

We rounded the daylight hours off with a sunset kayak paddle which was lovely.

Skullcap

Trifid Bur-marigold

More botanical beauties! 31 July and 1 August 2021

On Saturday I had an unexpected day to myself AND the car! So, I set off for west Suffolk and then moved on to the Brecks for what turned out to be a rather splendid day. Starting off in a wood I know well in the Sudbury area I got to a clearing after a long walk and began looking for my target plant. After some while I gave up and made a phone call to Meg. She talked me through things and pretty soon I was gawping at a lovely clump of Betony. This is a scarce plant indeed but not as scarce as my second target which was a 5 minute walk away in a field on the edge of the woodland. This was Woolly Thistle and I found 3 large plants easily. There are apparantly many more further on but I was on private land and had spotted 2 vehicles moving through while I was in the bushes so didn't want to chance it! The clearings and rides through the wood held enormous numbers of Red Bartsia and Wild Basil plus Corn Mint of interest.

My next port of call was a section of the Devil's Dyke near Newmarket I'd not done before. Here I was pleasantly surprised to find Clustered Bellflower very easily. The whole section of the dyke was a real picture with Wild Parsnip, Burnet Saxifrage, Dwarf Thistle, Harebells, Small Scabious, Bloody Cranesbill, and Old Man's Beard while the Chalkhill Blues were a constant companion. People talk of their 'happy places' - this is one of mine!

With time on my side and being in no hurry I made my way north on the A11 and decided to pay a visit to Santon Downham on my way back. And boy did it prove to be a good decision - I bumped into a twitter aquaintance who was able to show me the biggest patch of the biggest Green-flowered Helleborines I've ever seen. And many had flowers open! I counted c25 plants in that spot plus another and also c8 Yellow Bird's-nest plants, Broad-leaved Helleborines and a Dark Mullien.

Betony

Woolly Thistle

Corn Mint

Bloody Cranesbill

Clustered Bellflower

Wild Parsnip

Burnet Saxifrage

Chalkhill Blue

Wild Marjoram

Green-flowered Helleborines

Yellow Bird's-nest

Fast forward to Sunday and Belinda and I opted for a walk at Thelnetham Fen after we'd done some grocery shopping in Diss. It was an inspired if rather lucky choice as I amazingly found no fewer than 4 new plants for me - Great Burnet, Parsley Water-dropwort, Smooth Hawksbeard and Hoary Ragwort. OK, the last 2 are 'tart's ticks' but the first 2 are pretty special! The last of the years Marsh Helleborines were still just about in flower.