2006 Bawdsley & Shingle Street, Suffolk 10th June One Day Meeting
On a glorious sunny warm day, much welcomed after the long wet and windy spell, fifteen of us eventually met at Bawdsey Quay, Nick and I demonstrating the importance of noting meeting times and places!
Steve Clarkson led us first around the car park where we searched for Spergularia marina (lesser sea spurrey) which was in flower on Thursday when Steve recced the area but not today. Before moving onto the shingle beach, we looked at Sedum acre (biting stonecrop), brilliant yellow in the sun, Carduus tenuiflorus (Slender Thistle), Carex arenaria (Sand Sedge) and Lavatera arborea (Tree Mallow) which was growing by the side of the information centre. Most of the Smyrnium olusatrum (Alexanders) was in seed. We crushed leaves of Diplotaxis muralis (Annual Wall-rocket) to determine whether its other common name of stinkweed was justified. Unfortunately we were of mixed opinion and did not come up with a definitive answer.
Moving on to the beach edge, Tamarix gallica (Tamarisk) was in bud almost ready to burst, with Claytonia perfoliata (Spring Beauty) still in flower. Lepidium latifolium (Dittander), although not in flower, seemed to be spreading along this beach edge. It is acquiring a reputation as a pernicious weed in many areas. We crammed single file into a space within the undergrowth to determine whether a specimen was Oxalis articulata (Pink-sorrel) or O. debilis (Large-flowered Pink-sorrel). After some deliberation, it was decided that the specimen was the former. Also in the undergrowth was a poor specimen of Lycium barbarum (Duke of Argyll's Teaplant) with only three flowers. Continuing along this path was the tiny Myosotis ramosissima (Early forget-me-not) as well as the more robust M. arvensis (Field Forget-me-not), and Cynoglossum officinale (Hound 's-tongue) with its dark maroon flowers contrasting with the rest of the downy grey plant.
Almost everyone was on their hands and knees to look at the differences between Erodium cicutarium (Common Stork's-bill) and the considerably rarer Erodium lebelii (sticky stork's-bill), both growing conveniently together for us to study. Close by was another rarity, Hypochaeris glabra (Smooth cat's-ear) which true to form had closed its flowers as it was after midday.
Checking the number of styles in a hawthorn flower was the last task before lunch. There was a hybrid hawthorn Crataegus x media out there and we were looking for a shrub bearing both flowers with one style and flowers with two. Just before lunch on the beach, Barbara spotted a few plants of Ranunculus parviflorus (Small-flowered Buttercup), none bearing more than three petals.
After lunch we continued along Bawdsley Beach alongside Bawdsley Manor, once used as a radar research station in the 1930s. The first owner, Sir William Cuthbert Quilter, had constructed an entirely man-made stretch of cliff of Pulhamite, an artificial rock popular in the Victorian age. Among the plants seen here were Senecio cineraria (Silver Ragwort), Brassica nigra (Black Mustard), Solanum dulcamara (Bittersweet) ad the more unusual Euphorbia lathyris (Caper Spurge), a surprisingly large form of Rosa rugosa (Japanese rose) and a much decreased population of Carpobrotus glaucescens (Angular Sea-fig). A sighting of a painted lady butterfly commenced our brisk walk back and a quick exploration of the beach on the other side of the car park revealed many plants of Allium vineale (Crow garlic) as well as Anthriscus caucalis (Bur Chervil).
At Shingle Street SSSI we were greeted by the constant song of the skylark. Here we looked at Silene uniflora (Sea Campion), Lupinus arboreus (Tree Lupin), Echium vulgare (Viper's bugloss) and Sedum anglicum (English stonecrop). There were many interesting clovers and vetches, Trifolium scabrum (Rough Clover) and T. arvense(Hare's-foot clover) among them along with Vicia sativa (Common Vetch) and the more uncommon V. lutea (Yellow Vetch).
Interest was sparked in what might have been Geranium purpureum (Little Robin) but after close inspection, it was decided the plant was stunted G. robertianum (herb Robert). Clumps of Lathyrus japonicus (Sea Pea) were in flower and the bushes of Crambe maritima (sea-kale) were a beautiful show.
A handful of participants then followed Steve to locate Sorbaria sorbifolia(Sorbaria), due to flower in a few weeks.
It was a beautiful day for botanising with approximately one hundred species noted. Thanks Steve for organising the walk and for your patience and thorough tuition.
RUBYNA SHEIKH