We spend some time in the Barber-Surgeons' Hall Garden in the City of London

After attending to an Appointment in the London Bridge area we decided to pop over London Bridge to the City of London and go in search of Wild Flowers &c.

With all the ongoing building work, sections of the City are becoming increasingly Characterless and Sterile but thankfully there are still places where we may see Bees, Birds (other than Feral Pigeons), Butterflies, Wild Flowers &c. At least for now.

Where to go? It had been many years since we had last visited the Barber-Surgeons' Hall Garden, located off London Wall, but we were hopeful of perhaps seeing something there, especially on the old Roman Wall. So off to the Barber-Surgeons' Hall Garden (Grid Reference TQ3281) we toddled.

And Yippee: shortly after arriving we were Super-Pleased to see a Holly Blue Butterfly visiting Golden Marjoram, flowering in the Physic Garden * viz.

There was a Mint Moth on the Marjoram viz.

The Marjoram proved attractive to other Little Critters too viz.

We also noticed a Red Admiral Butterfly and an unidentified White Butterfly fluttering by.

Plants seen included:

Buddleia
Dove's-Foot Crane's-Bill
Hart's-Tongue Fern (seen here with Maidenhair Spleenwort and Pellitory-of-the-Wall) viz.

Ivy-Leaved Toadflax
(assumed) Least-Yellow Sorrel viz.

Maidenhair Spleenwort viz.

Mexican Fleabane
Oxford Ragwort
Pellitory-of-the-Wall (see Hart's-Tongue Fern)
Red Valerian
(an unidentified) St John's-Wort
Selfheal viz.

Wall-Rue (just a single Plant) viz.

and White Clover

The Garden is separated by a stretch of Water, a few Yards wide, from the Church of St Giles' Cripplegate. Growing in the Water we noticed Great Willowherb and Purple Loosestrife viz.

Birds seen included a Blackbird, Robin, Wood Pigeon and a Dunnock viz.

We were a little surprised to see a Grey Squirrel viz.

But vaguely remember seeing Squirrels in the City in the past.

Walking to Bishopsgate to catch a Bus back to London Bridge Railway Station, we passed the Church of All-Hallows-on-the-Wall and Wow, on nearby Walls, noticed Black-Spleenwort, Hart's-Tongue Fern (seen earlier in the day in the St Mary Aldermanbury Garden and the Barber-Surgeons' Hall Garden), Maidenhair Spleenwort (seen earlier in the day in the St Mary Aldermanbury Garden and the Barber-Surgeons' Hall Garden) and Wall-Rue (seen earlier in the day in the Barber-Surgeons' Hall Garden).

There were also quite a few what we assume to be, Rusty-Back Ferns, growing on the Walls viz.

* We understand that the Physic Garden has been established on the site of the thirteenth of twenty-one Bastions built by Emperor Hadrian in AD 122 and that the Plants chosen for the Garden were specifically mentioned by John Gerard (1545 to 1612) in his, Herball or Generall Historie of Plantes.

We visit the Heathland area on Bostall Heath

We were slightly concerned about the possibility of Heavy Rain and not wanting to stray too far from Home, tucked an Umbrella in our Back Pocket and pootled over to the Heathland area on nearby Bostall Heath (located in the Royal Borough of Greenwich).

Although it covers a fairly small area there is generally lots to see: especially now the Heather is flowering.

And Yippee: we were not disappointed.

We had hoped to find some Hare's-Foot Clover (not uncommon locally) and thankfully found some viz.

Sadly however, there seem to be far fewer Plants than in previous years.

As mentioned, the Heather is now flowering and it was attracting a number of Little Critters, including an assumed Meadow Grasshopper viz.

There was also a very pretty, Bee-Type Critter viz.

And both Common Blue and Gatekeeper Butterflies were visiting the Bell Heather viz.

We reckoned on seeing around thirty Gatekeeper Butterflies during our visit, plus a few Meadow Brown Butterflies, a Speckled Wood Butterfly and the Common Blue Butterfly.

We also noticed a Spotted Longhorn Beetle (we had the identification kindly confirmed) visiting Common Ragwort viz.

And a number of other Little Critters were also visiting Common Ragwort, including:

A Footnote: Before going down the Hill to buy a Loaf of Bread we popped over the Road to look over the area around the Cricket Nets and noticed a Bee-Type Critter on White Clover viz.

Just as we took the picture the Critter moved off: at least we think it moved off! And it was pleasing to see some Common Bird's-Foot-Trefoil flowering cheerfully.

On our way to the Shop we dropped by at the Lesnes Abbey Ruins &c. where we noticed a Thyme-Leaved Sandwort in flower. And were both surprised and pleased to see Strawberry Clover flowering &c. amongst the plentiful White Clover viz.

Also that the Cotton Thistle growing in Lesnes Abbey Park is still in flower, well just viz.

We collected five Seeds: hopefully one will Germinate. We were also pleased to see the Lesser Calamint flowering profusely viz.

And in the small area where the Spear Thistles, Wild Teasels &c. have been left to grow untouched there were Bees and other Little Critters galore. Sadly the Wind was prohibitive of pictures although we did manage one sort-of passable picture of Bees visiting a Wild Teasel viz.

We find some Ivy Broomrape growing beside the Thames Path

There is a known population of Ivy Broomrape growing in the Grounds of the Church of St John the Baptist, Erith viz.

These Plants were seen during June-2017. Since they were growing in the open there was no way they were going to survive the Council's Strimmers: nor did they.

Today was the first time we had returned to the Church Grounds since the Council' Strimmers destroyed the Bee Orchids we found during early-June.

Although we found lots of Ivy Broomrape today that had flowered, we really don't know if they were this Year's Plants or from previous Years. That being said, there are still a few Plants in flower viz.

The Church' Grounds * are a designated, Site of Importance for Nature Conservation (SINC), in the London Borough of Bexley. That being said, we are inclined to think that the survival of the Ivy Broomrape is essentially down to luck rather than any judgement.

We don't know if the Council bears any responsibilty for maintaining SINC's: from what we have seen, it seems unlikely even though the Council seems to recognise their existence. That being said however, they should surely know enough about the SINC's and the Plants &c. that grow there, to want to avoid wanton destruction?

All of which makes our find today of a small population of Ivy Broomrape growing nearby, beside the Thames Path, all the more satisfying (Grid Reference TQ5096578806 or thereabouts): especially since the majority of Plants (forty plus we reckon) are growing on a steep slope and hopefully beyond the future reach of any Council' Strimmer (they were certainly beyond our reach) viz.

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* Plants seen flowering in the Church' Grounds during our visit included:

Black Horehound viz.

Common Bird's-Foot-Trefoil, Common Knapweed viz.

Various members of the Daisy Family, Ivy Broomrape (see above), Red Clover, Selfheal viz.

Spotted Medick (a favourite of ours with its small, super-pretty flowers), White Campion, White Clover, White Stonecrop viz.

and Yarrow.

Sonnet 116 ~ Wm. Shakespeare

Looking at these entwined Hoary Plantains (on the Kent Rare Plant Register), we were put in mind of Shakespeare's Sonnet 116 viz.

'Let me not to the marriage of true minds,
Admit impediments. Love is not love
Which alters when it alteration finds,
Or bends with the remover to remove:
Oh no: it is an ever-fixed mark,
That looks on tempests and is never shaken:
It is the star to ever wandering bark,
Whose worth's unknown, although his height be taken.
Love's not Time's fool, though rosy lips and cheeks
Within his bending sickle's compass come:
Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks,
But bears it out even to the edge of doom.
   If this be error and upon me proved,
   I never writ, nor no man ever loved.'

A Brief Diversion before going Shopping

We needed some Shopping so decided to take a wander along Norman Road North before going on to the Shop(s).

Plants seen included:

Black Horehound
Broad-Leaved Dock
Common Bird's-Foot-Trefoil viz.

Common Knapweed
Common Mallow
Common Ragwort
Common Toadflax
Creeping Thistle
Crown Vetch (almost flowered out) viz.

Curled Dock 
Dittander (on the Kent Rare Plant Register and flowered out)
Fennel
Hoary Plantain (on the Kent Rare Plant Register)
Hollyhock
(assumed) Lesser Burdock viz.

Mugwort
Narrow-Leaved Bird's-Foot-Trefoil viz.

Narrow-Leaved Ragwort
Purple Loosestrife
Sea Beet
Selfheal viz.

Spear Thistle
Tansy viz.

White Campion
White Melilot
Wild Carrot
Wild Teasel viz.

and Yarrow viz.

Plus a few Gatekeeper Butterflies.

Off to Two-Tree Island and Southend-on-Sea

We really don't like to stray too far from Home these days but decided we might make our Annual Pilgrimage to Southend-on-Sea and drop in at Two-Tree-Island.

For us, A Grand Adventure.

On the journey there we noticed a couple of flowering, Chicory Plants, by the Roadside.

We started out at Two-Tree-Island where we saw a number of Plants including Golden Samphire viz.

(assumed) Sea Lavender viz.

and Sea Purslane (in vast quantities) viz.

Also, Annual Sea-Blite.

We also spotted a couple of Yellow Wagtails in the Car Park but as we were inching our way towards them a Loud-Mouthed Man and his Dog, seeing us, walked straight towards them sending them flying. A not unusual occurrence.

We then moved on to Chalkwell where, whilst walking along the Sea Front, we saw a few Little Egrets out on the Mud: otherwise, apart from a single Cormorant, just Gulls.

But we saw a few Mediterranean Gulls, including this Character viz.

Rather pleasingly, we came across a Colony of Strawberry Clover, growing beside the Sea Front viz.

Also this assumed Spurry-Type arrangement viz.

We also passed a pleasant few minutes looking at Sea Shells &c., including assumed Barnacles, living on a Groyne viz.