2002 Thundry Meadows 14 July One Day Meeting
On a hot sunny day 15 members (most joint WFS and Surrey Wildlife Trust) met for the beginners meeting at Thundry Meadows. Clare Coleman talked about the background to the reserve and gave out booklets containing species lists and useful diagrams of grasses, sedges and rushes.
The marshy meadows contained many interesting wetland species including the handsome Potentilla palustris (marsh cinquefoil) and Lysimachia vulgaris (yellow loosestrife). Common marsh grasses seen were Phalaris arundinacacea (reed canary- grass), Glyceria maxima (reed sweet-grass) and Alopecurus geniculatus (marsh foxtail) with its 'bent' knees.
Along the bank of the River Wey we were pleased to see Senecio aquaticus (marsh ragwort), Epilobium obscurum (short-fruited willowherb) and Myosoton aquaticum(water chickweed).
The meeting finished at 3.30 and five of us went to Thursley Common to look at some bog species. Here we were thrilled to see sheets of Narthecium ossifragrum (bog asphodel) in full bloom amongst tussocks of Rhynchospora alba (white beak- sedge). We managed to find both sundew species Drosera rotundifolia and D. intermedia but the find of the day had to be the Utricularia minor (lesser bladderwort) in flower in one of the ditches.
Many thanks to Clare for all her hard work and enthusiasm on the day.
GARY BURSNALL