The Moon ~ 31 March 2021

The distinctive encircled grey area, above both Mare Tranquillitatis and Mare Fecunditatis (with Mare Serenitatis to their left), is Mare Crisium. 

And we understand the Crater, just to the left of Mare Crisium, is the Lunar Impact' Cleomedes Crater.

Some Wild Flowers seen on Grass Verges, Pavements &c.

We decided to look beside the Upper Bedon Stream for Bee-Flies (and Butterflies) and for Wild Flowers on the way there and back (on Grass Verges, Pavements &c.).

Wild Flower species seen included:

Annual Mercury

Black Medick

Bittercress

Buck's-Horn Plantain

Caper Spurge

Cleavers

Common Chickweed

Common Field-Speedwell

Common Stork's-Bill

Common Whitlowgrass

Cow Parsley

Dandelion

Dove's-Foot Crane's-Bill

Early Forget-me-Not viz.

Field Forget-me-Not

Grape Hyacinth

Greater Celandine

Green Alkanet

Jersey Cudweed

Hart's-Tongue Fern

Henbit Dead-Nettle viz.

Herb Robert
Ivy-Leaved Toadflax
Ivy-Leaved Speedwell viz.

Lesser Celandine

Lesser Swine-Cress

Mouse-Ear Hawkweed

Oxford Ragwort

Pearlwort

Pellitory-of-the-Wall

Petty Spurge

Red Dead-Nettle

Red Valerian

Ribwort Plantain

Rue-Leaved Saxifrage

Shepherd's-Purse

Shining Cranne's-Bill

Spotted Medick

Springbeauty * viz.

Sticky Mouse-Ear

Sweet Violet 

Thale Cress

and Yarrow

* seen in the Upper Belvedere area: one of two local poulations. The other population being in the Upper Abbey Wood area...

Some local Wild Flower Species

Following a local Appointment we decided to walk Home, looking for Wild Flowers. With three Monads to look at during the next two/three weeks, we decided we ought to get our eyes in. Annoyingly, it Rained the whole time. 

  
Wild Flower' Species seen included:

Annual Mercury

Bristly Oxtongue

Buck's-Horn Plantain

Common Chickweed

Common Field-Speedwell

Common Fumitory viz.

Common Ragwort

Common Whitlowgrass

Daisy

Dandelion

Dove's-Foot Crane's-Bill

Feverfew

Field Madder

Garden Grape Hyacinth

Greater Celandine

Green Alkenet 

Groundsel

Hairy Bittercress

Henbit Dead-Nettle

Herb Robert

Ivy-Leaved Speedwell

Jersey Cudweed

Lesser Celandine

Lesser Swinecress

Mouse-Ear Hawkweed

Oxford Ragwort

Pellitory-of-the-Wall

Petty Spurge

Pot Marigold

Red Dead-Nettle

Ribwort Plantain

Rue-Leaved Saxifrage

Shepherd's-Purse

Shining Crane's-Bill

Spear Thistle

Spotted Medick

Sun Spurge

Sweet Violet

Wood Avens

and Yarrow

Wild Flower Records Required

We will be engaging ourselves in looking for Wild Flowers in three local Monads: for one of which there are just eight existing Records. And we are told there is a particular need for Spring' Records in the other two Monads. We will get going from next week when the Weather' Forecast hints that it will be getting Brighter and Warmer.

Some Wild Flowers beside Lodge Hill

Having to walk the Bicycle up Lodge Hill we decided to see which Wild Flowers we could find growing on the Verge: we were also hoping for a Hoverfly or something. Anything!

Wild Flowers Species seen included:

Alexanders

Caper Spurge

Cleavers

Common Chickweed

Common Field-Speedwell

Common Vetch

Cow Parsley

Dandelion

Feverfew

Garlic Mustard ~ flowering viz.

Herb Robert

Narrow-Leaved Ragwort

Petty Spurge

Red Dead-Nettle

Ribwort Plantain

Round-Leaved Crane's-Bill

and Spotted Medick

And we spotted a couple of Hoverflies viz. Episyrphus balteatus (on Common Chickweed) and Meliscaeva auricollis (on a Dandelion) viz.

Something new (and different)

We are told this might be a possible Trentephohlia species: apparently a genus of Filamentous Chlorophyte Green Algae living free on Supports such as Tree Trunks (as here on Bostall Heath, the Royal Borough of Greenwich) or symbiotically in Lichens (not that that actually means anything to us!). It seems that the Filaments of Trentephohlia have a strong Orange Colour (Brownish here) caused by the presence of large quantities of Carotenoid Pigment which mask the Green of the Chlorophyll:

Some more Hairy-Footed Flower-Bees

 Seen in the Grounds of All Saints, Belvedere viz.

There were ten plus Bees present.

We have reinstated a request to the local Council to establish a new Mini Nature Reserve

During 2020 we asked the Council to consider designating the ground beside the Public Footpath that runs between the Thames Path and Church Manorway as a Mini Nature Reserve.

As is the way with these things we heard nothing (no surprise) and withdrew the request. 

However we have been prompted to contact the Council to reinstate the request. Probably a waste of time again but...

It was there that we found Allium trifoliate (Hirsute Garlic) during 2016: it has recently been confirmed as a First Record for Vice County 16 (West Kent). Kent Botany 2020 notes: 'the first recognised record for West Kent appears to have been by MR near Erith, TQ5079, beside the Footpath from Church Manorway to the Thames Path, found on 24 April 2016, surmised by GK to have been A. trifoliatum at the time but not followed through with confirmation until 2020’. 

We have also seen Lathyrus aphasia (Yellow Vetchling) and Lychnis flow-cuculi (Ragged Robin) there although not recently (both are on the Kent Rare Plant Register): the new strimming regime put paid to that. Bees, Butterflies &c. were previously plentiful. And Fumaria capreolata (White Ramping-Fumitory) has recently established itself.

We have stressed there will be no costs incurred by the Council. We just need to agree a Maintenance Schedule: essentially, reducing the strimming.

'Winter Bumblebees'

We submitted Bumblebee Records to iRecord: for the BWARS's Winter' Bumblebee Project viz.

15 December 2020: [i] one White-Tailed and two Buff-Tailed Bumblebees visiting Gorse on Bostall Heath (the Royal Borough of Greenwich) and [ii] three Buff-Tailed Bumblebees visiting Rosemary in Lesnes Abbey Park:

17 December 2020: one White-Tailed Bumblebee visiting Gorse on Bostall Heath (the Royal Borough of Greenwich)

27 December 2020: at least four Buff-Tailed Bumblebees visiting Mahonia in Lesnes Abbey Park:

19 February 2021: a single Buff-Tailed Bumblebee visiting a Crocus in Lesnes Abbey Park...

21 February 2021: at least four Buff-Tailed Bumblebees visiting Crocuses in Lesnes Abbey Park...

23 February 2021: [i] at least two Buff-Tailed Bumblebees visiting Crocuses in Lesnes Abbey Park and [ii] a Buff-Tailed Bumblebeee visiting a Dandelion flowering beside the Public Footpath running between Church Manorway and the Thames Path (in Erith)...

24 February 2021: three Buff-Tailed Bumblebees visiting Crocuses flowering on a Grass Verge beside Park View Road (close to Danson Park)...

26 February 2021: [i] a Buff-Tailed Bumblebee, visiting Red Dead-Nettle and [ii] a Red-Tailed Bumblebee, visiting Common Field-Speedwell, both on the Crossness Nature Reserve...

27 February 2021: a Buff-Tailed Bumblebee on the East Wickham Open Space...

Footnote: the Records have all been accepted...

The Wild Flower Society', Winter Plant Hunt 2020/21

The Winter Plant Hunt (for Plants in flower) kicked off on 1 December 2020: and ends today (28 February 2021):

Wild Flowers seen during December 2020:

Annual Mercury

Black Horehound

Black Nightshade

Bramble

Common Chickweed

Common Field-Speedwell

Common Fumitory viz.

Common Knapweed

Common Sow-Thistle

Common Vetch

Cow Parsley

Creeping Thistle

Daisy

Dandelion

Gorse

Groundsel

Herb Robert

Hoary Mustard

Hogweed

Ivy-Leaved Toadflax

Jersey Cudweed

Lesser Calamint

Narrow-Leaved Ragwort

Oxford Ragwort

Pot Marigold

Red Campion

Red Clover

Red Dead-Nettle

Round-Leaved Crane's-Bill

Scentless Mayweed

Sea Aster

Shepherd's-Purse

Small-Flowered Crane's-Bill

Spear Thistle

Stinking Hellebore

Viper's-Bugloss

White Campion

White Clover

White Dead-Nettle

White Ramping-Fumitory

Wild Carrot

Winter Heliotrope viz.

Yarrow

During January 2021:

New to the List:

Common Whitlowgrass

Creeping Buttercup

Forget-me-Not

Garlic Mustard

Green Alkanet

Hairy Bittercress

Hazel viz.

Lesser Celandine

Mouse-Ear Hawkweed

Pink-Headed Persicaria 

Sun Spurge

Sweet Violet

Wavy Bittercress

During February 2021:

New to the List:

Dog's Mercury

Ivy-Leaved Speedwell

Primrose

Three-Cornered Garlic/Leek

Wild Daffodil

Our First Hairy-Footed Flower-Bee of the Year

Seen visiting Red Dead-Nettle growing on a Grass Verge beside Wickham Lane (the Royal Borough of Greenwich), where it meets Okehampton Crescent viz.

A Hoverfly with Spotted Eyes

Our first-ever, Eristalinus aeneus: visiting Common Field-Speedwell, on the Crossness Nature Reserve viz.