2004 Wells Next The Sea Norfolk 29th October Group Y Last Day Hunt Meeting
Group Y had their last meet of the year as a Last Day Hunt and spent it on a sunny autumnal day. The onshore wind to start with was brisk and cold but by the afternoon the sun broke out, the blue skies held and it was very pleasant indeed. Seven of us started out on the Hunt and by the end of the day had reached a fairly respectable 79 species. Admittedly some of these were the result of finding only one bloom in flower and of being in the right place at the right time. Examples of just one flower were Anagallis arvensis (scarlet pimpernel), Carduus nutans (musk thistle), Centaurium erythraea (common centaury), Cytisus scoparius (broom), Lactuca virosa (greater lettuce), Ranunculus acris (meadow buttercup), Spergularia media (greater sea- spurrey) and Tragopogon pratensis ssp. minor (goatsbeard).
A few flowers were found on the woodland ride of Hypericum androsaemum (tutsan) and on the foreshore Euphorbia paralias (sea spurge).
There was plenty of Achillea millefolium (yarrow) still in bloom together with Rubus fruticosus (bramble) and on the littoral Leontodon saxatilis (lesser hawkbit). Crossing the saltmarsh we saw one pink flower of Armeria maritima (thrift), one inflorescence of Limonium vulgare (common sea-lavender) and a small patch of Limonium binervosum (rock sea-lavender) and Aster tripolium (sea aster). It was whilst on the beach that we came across a highlight of the day - a small flock of about twenty shore larks still sporting their gorgeous black and yellow faces.
We walked all the way westwards to the Holkham Gap before turning back towards Wells and over the meadows flew skein after skein of pink-footed geese calling as they flew, such a romantic sound. It was on the return that one of our party came across a tiny patch of unexpected Claytonia perfoliata (spring beauty) in full flower. Plants can only be counted if they have fully exserted anthers and many grasses were looked at carefully with lenses before we were allowed to list them. These included Dactylis glomerata (cocksfoot), Holcus lanatus (Yorkshire fog), Poa annua(annual meadow grass) and Trisetum flavescens (yellow oat-grass).
Stellaria media (common chickweed) was growing everywhere and was one plant we expected to find in flower but it was not until the end of the day that we at last found one. Earlier on in the day we also explored part of the sea wall and were lucky enough to find one specimen of Linum bienne (pale flax) with one flower still patent. This Linum occurs at only two sites in Norfolk according to the flora, and was first found on the sea wall in 1922. it was lost in the floods of 1963 and was refound in 1997 - we are happy to report it is still there.
STEPHEN CLARKSON