We revisit the local Navelworts

The local Navelworts are spread out over a thirty yard plus stretch of a Moss covered Wall.

We submitted the Sighting to the Kent Botanical Recording Group (KBRG). Navelwort is on the Kent Rare Plant Register.

How the Navelworts arrived locally is anyone's guess.

Kent Botany 2017, refers to this 'population on a retaining wall … opposite commercial premises', and goes on to say, 'It is a location where it is difficult to conceive of intentional planting and the origin of the species here is mysterious'.

Some more Mosses:

The Dandelions are Coming out to Play

Dandelions are Super-Attractive to Little Critters including Bees, Bee Flies, Butterflies &c. and we are looking forward to seeing them visit Dandelions during the coming Months.

As an aside, we understand that there are two hundred plus, 'microspecies', of Dandelion! It surely needs someone with a Big Brain and/or the Time but probably Both, to be able to differentiate between them.

And Three Hurrahs: the Dandelions are starting to flower now viz.

'Weeds are flowers too, once you get to know them'

If Wordsworth had written:

'I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o'er hills and vales
When all at once I saw a crowd
A host, of golden buttercups' &c. &c. viz.

Would Buttercups still be considered Weeds?

But people already know about Dandelions viz.

and they are still regarded as Weeds.

So what chance do the following (all seen today) have?

Common Chickweed viz.

Common Field-Speedwell viz.

Cleavers (no flowers but we think the leaves to be Exquisite) viz.

Ivy-Leaved Speedwell viz.

Red Dead-Nettle viz.

Shepherd's-Purse viz.

and Thale Cress viz.

We are looking forward to seeing the Butterflies, aka Fairies in Disguise, again

Not long now and the new Butterfly Season will hopefully be underway.

We are still waiting to see our first Butterfly of 2018 which in view of the recent Super-Chilly &c. Spell, is probably no Bad Thing.

What are we hoping for during 2018?

To see Butterflies of course. We will be concentrating our Focus on Sites within the London Borough of Bexley such as Braeburn Park, the Crossness Nature Reserve and Surrounding area, the East Wickham Open Space, the Holly Hill Open Space, Lesnes Abbey Park/Woods, the former Thamesmead Golf Course and Surrounding area and the Upper College Farm.

But even more specifically, we will be on the look-out for two particular Species: Marbled White and Small Heath Butterflies.

We first saw a Marbled White Butterfly locally during 2015: an assumed Single Individual on the Holly Hill Open Space viz.

During 2016 we saw a Single Individual in the Upper College Farm viz.

Last year we saw some Marbled White Butterflies on the Holly Hill Open Space viz.

Apropos the Small Heath Butterfly viz.

We saw them at a number of Sites during 2017 viz. the Crayford Marshes and Surrounding area, Crayford Rough, the Crossness Nature Reserve and Surrounding area, the Holly Hill Open Space and the Upper College Farm. Hopefully we will see them at these and other local' Sites during 2018.

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Will we add to our so-called, 'Life List', which currently stands at 36 Butterfly' Species? Probably not since we are not planning to travel much but who knows? The 'Life List' is as follows:

Brimstone

Brown Argus
Chalkhill Blue
Clouded Yellow
Comma
Common Blue
Dark Green Fritillary
Dingy Skipper
Duke of Burgundy
Essex Skipper
Gatekeeper
Glanville Fritillary
Green Hairstreak

Green-Veined White
Grizzled Skipper
Holly Blue
Large Skipper
Large White
Marbled White
Meadow Brown
Orange-Tip
Painted Lady
Peacock
Purple Hairstreak
Red Admiral
Ringlet

Silver-Washed Fritillary
Small Blue

Small Copper
Small Heath
Small Skipper
Small Tortoiseshell

Small White

Speckled Wood

White Admiral
White-Letter Hairstreak

We decided to participate in the Wild Flower Society's, Winter Plant Hunt 2017/18

By chance, we read that the Wild Flower Society's, Winter Plant Hunt viz. to find Plants in flower during December, January and February, was Underway.

We are Members of the Wild Flower Society so decided to give it a Bash. What the Heck: Nothing Ventured, Nothing Gained.

We did not travel any great distance and looked locally, in the usual places.

And now it's over.

[i] Species seen during December 2017:

Annual Mercury
Black Horehound
Black Medick
Black Nightshade
Bristly Oxtongue
Common Bramble
Common Chickweed
Common Field-Speedwell
Common Knapweed
Common Mallow
Common Poppy
Common Ragwort
Common Sow-Thistle
Common Stork's-Bill viz.

Common Toadflax
Common Vetch
Cow Parsley
Creeping Thistle
Crown Vetch
Daisy
Dandelion
Dove's-Foot Crane's-Bill
Fennel
Goat's-Rue viz.

Gorse
Greater Celandine
Green Alkanet
Groundsel
Hawkweed Oxtongue
Hedgerow Crane's-Bill
Herb Robert
Hogweed
Ivy Broomrape viz.

Ivy-Leaved Toadflax
Jersey Cudweed viz.

Lesser Calamint viz.

Mugwort viz.

Narrow-Leaved Ragwort
Nipplewort
Orange Hawkweed
Oxeye Daisy
Oxford Ragwort
Perforate St John's-Wort
Petty Spurge
Pot Marigold (assumed self-seeded ~ growing in the Erith Cemetery)
Primrose
Purple Toadflax
Red Campion
Red Clover
Red Dead-Nettle
Red Valerian
Round-Leaved Crane's-Bill
Scentless Mayweed
Sea Aster
(assumed) Shaggy Soldier viz.

Shepherd's-Purse
Soapwort
Spanish Stonecrop (growing beside a Public Footpath and including a flower with 8 Petals, usually six) viz.

Sweet Alyssum (assumed self-seeded ~ growing beside a Public Footpath)
Sweet Violet
Thale Cress
Thyme-Leaved Sandwort
White Campion
White Clover
White Dead-Nettle
White Mellow
Wild Carrot
Winter Heliotrope (which somehow avoided being razed to the Ground by the Council' Strimmers although whether by luck or judgement we will never know) viz.

and Yarrow

[ii] Species seen during January 2018:

Annual Mercury (previously recorded)
Antirrhinum (assumed self-seeded ~ growing in the Bexleyheath Cemetery) viz.

Black Medick (previously recorded)
Bulbous Buttercup
Cock's-Foot
Common Chickweed (previously recorded)
Common Field-Speedwell (previously recorded)
Common Knapweed (previously recorded)
Common Mallow (previously recorded)
Common Poppy (previously recorded)
Common Sow-Thistle (previously recorded)
Common Vetch (previously recorded) viz.
Cowslip viz.

Creeping Thistle (previously recorded)
Daisy (previously Recorded)
Dandelion (previously recorded)
Dove's-Foot Crane's-Bill (previously recorded)
Gorse (previously recorded)
Greater Celandine (previously recorded)
Green Alkanet (previously recorded)
Groundsel (previously recorded)
Hawkweed Oxtongue (previously recorded)
Hazel viz.

Hedgerow Crane's-Bill (previously recorded)
Herb Robert (previously recorded)
Lesser Celandine
Narrow-Leaved Ragwort (previously recorded)
Neapolitan Garlic viz.

Oxeye Daisy (previously recorded)
Oxford Ragwort (previously recorded)
Pink-Headed Persicaria (assumed self-seeded ~ growing in a Side Passage beside a House plus a single Plant growing by a Well-Being Centre) viz.

Pot Marigold (assumed self-seeded ~ growing in the Bexleyheath Cemetery and previously recorded)
Primrose (previously recorded)
Red Campion (previously Recorded)
Red Clover (previously recorded)
Red Dead-Nettle (previously recorded)
Reflex Stonecrop viz.

Rue-Leaved Saxifrage viz.

Sea Aster (previously recorded) viz.

Shepherd's-Purse (previously recorded)
Sweet Violet (previously recorded)
Thale Cress (previously recorded)
Thyme-Leaved Sandwort (previously recorded)
White Campion (previously recorded)
White Dead-Nettle (previously recorded)
Wild Daffodil viz.

Winter Heliotrope (previously recorded)
and Yarrow (previously recorded) viz.

and [iii] Species seen during February 2018:

Black Medick (previously recorded) viz.

Blackthorn viz.

Bulbous Buttercup (previously recorded)
Common Chickweed (previously recorded)
Common Fumitory (growing in a Private Front garden and assumed self seeded) viz.

Common Ragwort (previously recorded)
Common Sow-Thistle (previously recorded)
Common Whitlowgrass viz.

Common Vetch (previously recorded)
Cornsalad (species unknown) viz.

Cow Parsley (previously recorded)
Cowslip (previously recorded)
Daisy (previously recorded)
Dandelion (previously recorded) viz.

Dog's Mercury viz.

Early Dog-Violet viz.

Field Madder
Goat Willow (to be confirmed) viz.

Gorse viz.

Grape Hyacinth viz.

Greater Celandine (previously recorded)
Green Alkanet (previously recorded)
Groundsel (previously recorded)
Hairy Bitter-Cress viz.

Hazel (previously recorded)
Herb Robert (previously recorded) viz.

Hogweed (previously recorded)
Ivy-Leaved Toadflax (previously recorded)
Lesser Celandine (previously recorded)
Mediterranean Spurge
Narrow-Leaved Ragwort (previously recorded)
Neapolitan Garlic (previously recorded)
Oxford Ragwort (previously recorded)
Primrose (previously recorded)
Pot Marigold (previously recorded)
Red Campion (previously recorded)
Red Dead-Nettle (previously recorded)
Round-Leaved Crane's-Bill (previously recorded) viz.

Rue-Leaved Saxifrage (previously recorded)
Sea Aster (previously recorded)
Shepherd's-Purse (previously recorded)
Stinking Hellebore viz.

Sun Spurge viz.

Sweet Violet (previously recorded) viz.

Three-Cornered Garlic/Leek viz.

Trailing Bellflower (growing on a Wall and assumed self seeded)
White Campion (previously recorded)
White Dead-Nettle (previously recorded)
Wild Daffodil (previously recorded)
Winter Heliotrope (previously recorded)
Wood Anemone viz.

and finally, for the last time, Yarrow (previously recorded) viz.

We had already seen Wild Daffodils flowering in Lesnes Abbey Woods and wondered if we might see a flowering Wood Anemone before February was out? And, Yup: we did.

Each Month counts separately so Records for the Winter Plant Hunt may include the same Species during each Month viz. Black Medick, Dandelion, Sea Aster, Winter Heliotrope, Yarrow &c. in December, January and February.

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Footnote: the Results of the Winter Plant Hunt, 2016/2017, are included in the Wild Flower Magazine, Autumn 2017 Issue.

There appear to have been 28 Participants with Total Species seen by any one Person/Group ranging from 33 up to 226: with 555 Species seen, of which 26 were new to the Hunt. Individual Records ranged from 50 up to 361.

Following Hot on the Heels of the Winter Plant Hunt comes the Wild Flower Society's, Spring Plant Hunt, during which we understand, Participants count Plants in flower seen on one day during the First Week in March. We have given it a miss: and anyway, we are thinking about Butterflies again.