2002 Berwickshire Scotland 27 - 28 July Main Meeting
We were a party of 19, making the most of excellent weather. On the Saturday we walked along the coast from Eyemouth to Coldingham. Sagina maritima (sea pearlwort) was found on the seafront at Eyemouth in cracks in the concrete and the two subspecies of Rumex crispus ssp. crispus and ssp. littoreus (curled dock) were seen nearby in contrasting habitats. On the headland near Eyemouth Fort there was a good colony of Astragalus danicus (purple milk-vetch), with a few flowers still open. At the next bay Centaurium erythraea (common centaury), was associated with a fine colony of Euphrasia tetraquetra (eyebright), new to VC81. Butterflies, including grayling, visited the colourful braes and here Gymnadenia conopsea ssp. borealis(fragrant orchid) was seen, with Atriplix laciniata (frosted orache) on the sand below.
The arable field edges yielded a fine show of dead nettles, Lamium ampexicaule, L. confertum, L. hybridum and L. purpureum, before we descended to a bumside with Vicia sylvatica (wood vetch) and an unusual mint Mentha x villosonervata. A series of flushes and rock pools gave us a surprising variety of species including Eupatorium cannabinum (hemp agrimony), Eleocharis quinqueflora (few-flowered spike-rush), the coastal sedges Carex extensa and C. otrubae and, along with active six-spot burnet moths, Parnassia palustris (grass-of-Pamassus), already in full flower. At Coldingham Sands, the bright flowers of Geranium sanguineum (bloody cranesbill) were being ignored by the many beach-goers.
On the Sunday we turned to the moors near Cranshaws. A dry bank with colourful Erica cinerea (bell heather) had a superb colony of Euphrasia micrantha (eyebright), and fertile plants of Lycopodium clavatum (stag's-hom clubmoss). By the Whiteadder Water an unusual Mimulus x smithii sensu Silverside (monkey-flower) was admired, which keys to M. luteus in Stace. Climbing up the side bum, only one fruiting head of Sedum villosum (hairy stonecrop) was found. This plant may be suffering from the current light grazing so beneficial to much of the flora. Here a pair of merlins passed close overhead.
Lunch was taken near a splendid base-rich flush with fine Eriophorum latifolium(broad-leaved cotton grass), Selaginella selaginoides (lesser clubmoss), grass of Parnassus, as yet in bud, Euphrasia scottica (eyebright), and a variety of sedges including Carex dioica, C. hostiana, C. viridula ssp. brachyrrhyncha and the hybrid of the two last, C. x fulva. A surprise on the bank above was Antennaria dioica(mountain everlasting), now very rare in VC81. The walk back over the hill is very scenic, but this did not stop some of us sorting out the Agrostis species and hybrid eyebrights before a final walk up the Whiteadder where Ranunculus peltatus (pond water-crowfoot) was found with a putative hybrid Myosotis x suzae (water forget- me-not).
MICHAEL BRAITHWAITE