2003 Fochabers Moray 1 June One Day Meeting
A small party met on a beautiful sunny day on the 1st' June to explore Leitch's Wood near Fochabers, Moray. Linnaea borealis (twinflower), Listera cordata (lesser twayblade), Goodyera repens (creeping lady's-tresses) and Carex laevigata (smooth- stalked sedge) were among the many interesting native species seen. Cortaderia richardii (early pampas-grass) and Gaultheria mucronata (prickly heath) were the two most exciting established species found.
In the afternoon we explored the Lein in Spey Bay about 5 miles away. This area was quarried for gravel up to the early sixties; nowadays it is a haven for wildlife. Corallorrhiza trifida (coralroot orchids) were at their very best, so we decided to count them and had a grand total of 172 plants. There was lots of Pyrola minor(common wintergreen); luckily for us one plant had two flowers open, the rest were still in bud.
Platanthera bifolia (lesser butterfly-orchid), Schoenus nigricans (black bog-rush), Botrychium lunaria (moonwort) and Sagina subulata (heath pearlwort) were among the many interesting species we came across, though the highlight of the day was finding Equisetum variegatum (variegated horsetail), the first record for Moray for a long time.
IAN P. GREEN