1999 Anglesey 30 - 31 July Main Meeting
Helped by the detailed instructions we had been given, 21 of us made our way to the RSPB car park at South Stack near Holyhead (the most westerly part of Anglesey) where we were met by our leaders Bill and Margaret Walton, and John Hawksford.
A renowned spot for bird watchers, it was very special for us too, being home to the endemic Tephroseris integrifolia ssp. maritima (Field Fleawort), and we were just in time to see the last petals on the robust seeding heads. On the hedgebanks were Jasione montana (Sheep's-bit), Sedum anglicum (English Stonecrop), and Spergularia rupicola (Rock Sea-spurrey), very common on Anglesey we were told. Next, we moved on in convoy to the small Porth Diana Reserve, still on Holyhead island. It had no car park but a neighbouring hotel had given us permission to use theirs, and on the short walk to reach the reserve we found Catapodium maritimum (Sea Fern- grass) growing out of a wall. Up onto the reserve we quickly came upon a little beauty: Tuberaria guttata (Spotted Rock-rose). Not far away was a plant far more difficult to identify and all too easily passed over: Trifolium occidentale (Western Clover). A little further over the dunes a large sedge attracted attention, and after consulting Stace's key, it was said to be Carex binervis (Green-ribbed Sedge).
After taking advantage of the only public conveniences on our itinerary, we now left Holy Island for Valley and the coast at Rhosneigr. First appointment was a picnic lunch at the edge of the dunes, conversation punctuated by the low-flying aircraft from RAF Valley. Once on the move again, there were botanical attractions on all sides. For me, pride of place had to be given to the humble Viola tricolor ssp. curtisii (Wild Pansy) which brought back memories of childhood holidays spent only a mile or so away on the other side of Rhosneigr. While I was enjoying the pansies, others were examining Limoniums (Sea Lavender) and identified two species: L. vulgare and L. humile. As might be expected there were several Oraches including Atriplex laciniata (Frosted Orache). I was glad to see Leymus arenarius (Lyme Grass) in contrast to the more widespread Ammophila arenaria (Marram). Most ofthe Sea Spurges we saw were Euphorbia paralias (Sea Spurge) but some one managed to spot some much smaller E. portlandica (Portland Spurge) as well. Other finds included Eryngium maritimum (Sea Holly), whole banks of Frankenia laevis (Sea Heath), Glaux maritima (Sea Milkwort), Cakile maritima (Sea Rocket), Reseda lutea (Mignonette), and Calystegia soldanella (Sea Bindweed). At the furthest point of our walk John Hawksford found us a stand of Sonchus arvensis ssp. uliginosus, a form of Perennial Sow-thistle entirely without the usual yellowish glandular hairs. Never mind that he found it again on the way back, not far from where we started!
From Rhosneigr we moved still further down Anglesey's south-west coast to Newborough Warren NNR. We were hardly onto the reserve before we were greeted with Dianthus armeria (Deptford Pink) and lots more Wild Pansies, but this time in a slightly sombre bluish hue. As well as hundreds of Epipactis palustris (Marsh Helleborine) we found the rarer Epipactis leptochila var. dunensis (Narrow-lipped Helleborine), Pyrola rotundifolia (Round-leaved Wintergreen) and sharp eyes detected a few strands of Equisetum variegatum (Variegated Horsetail). More spectacular were the Orchids, quite a bewildering array including hybrids! I will pick out just two. Dactylorhiza purpurella (Northern Marsh Orchid) with its handsome rich purple spikes and the less showy D. incarnata ssp. coccinea (Early Marsh Orchid). After a wealth of Orchids it was an effort to turn our attention to such 'ordinary' plants as Yellow Rattle. However, it was not an ordinary Yellow Rattle that John Hawksford was showing us. It was Rhinanthus minor ssp. stenophyllus, a much larger and more branched plant and still in bloom, whereas the 'ordinary' ones we had been seeing earlier were already at their 'rattle' stage.
We could hardly do justice to what Newborough Warren had to offer, let alone fit in another possible visit which was on the programme, so with some reluctance we decided to call it a day. And what a day it had been, thanks to the careful preparations of Bill and Margaret Walton, and the expertise of John Hawksford who had come up a few days earlier to reconnoitre the sites.
The next day was a contrast in more ways than one. Whereas yesterday had been seaside and sunny, today was inland and cloudy, fortunately with almost no rain, just enough to match a wetland site! We were devoting a whole day to Cors Erddreiniog NNR. We were privileged to be shown round the reserve by Les Colley of the Countryside Council for Wales who has managed it for many years. He told us it covered 600 acres and included areas of woodland and heath as well as fen. It was grazed by their own stock, 60 ponies and 20 cattle, and water levels could be controlled by a system of sluices, ditches and dams. Importantly for us, there was a network of tracks and paths, often on duckboards, to enable us to enjoy otherwise inaccessible plants such as Stellaria palustris (Marsh Stitchwort) and Sparganium natans (Least Bur-reed) as well as many waterside sedges and rushes including whole stretches of Juncus subnodulosus (Blunt-flowered Rush), hardly yet in flower but readily distinguishable by the longitudinal as well as transverse septa in both stem and leaf Sedges included Cladium mariscus (Great Fen-sedge), Carex diandra (Lesser Tussock-sedge), and the early flowering Carex elata (Tufted Sedge). Further from the water Carex hostiana (Tawny Sedge) was widespread, as well as Carex viridula ssp. brachyrhyncha (Long-stalked Yellow- sedge) More colourful were Ragged Robin and Orchids like Dactylorhiza fuchsii(Common Spotted Orchid), D. maculata (Heath Spotted Orchid) and their hybrid D. x transiens. Also, Platanthera bifolia (Lesser Butterfly Orchid) and Epipactis palustris (Marsh Helleborine) the latter, notably a much less showy all yellow form. There were many, many more plants of course, and we returned to our cars well satisfied with all we had seen.
JOHN GIBSON