A Pleasant Walk beside the Thames

We walked along the Thames Path from Erith, turning off via the Public Footpath that runs alongside the Waste Incinerator into Norman Road North: and thence Home.

After spending time looking for Butterflies, Hoverflies, Wild Flowers &c. it was nice to see some Birds again: sadly no Ringed Plovers though. But a Cormorant, Grey Wagtail, Lapwing, Mallards, Redshank, Teals &c. more than made up for any disappointment viz.

The Mid-Autumn Sun shines on the Allotments

After a couple of dreary days, the Sun shone brightly and we popped over to the Allotments in search of Little Critters viz. Hoverflies &c.

Also: with the 'Autumn Week Hunt' of the Wild Flower Society' (which involves looking for Wild Flowers in flower during the last seven days of October viz. 25 October to 31 October inclusive) fast approaching, we looked to see which 'Common Weeds' (aka Wild Flowers) are still flowering.

Assuming we have no bad Frosts &c. we are hopeful we will be able to find Annual Mercury, Charlock, Common Field-Speedwell, Common Fumitory viz.

a Daisy and Dandelion or two, Groundsel viz.

Red Dead-Nettle, Scarlet Pimpernel, Shepherd's-Purse and Sow-Thistle still flowering on the Allotments for the 'Hunt'.

And if we are really lucky, Henbit Dead-Nettle viz.

Oh: and there were quite a few Little Critters (Hoverflies &c.) out and about viz.

The Rain Finally Stopped

After a Super-Dreary Sunday and Early-Monday Morning, the Rain finally stopped at around 09.00 oclock this Morning.

We had Business to conduct in the Bank in Bexleyheath: after successfully concluding which, we wandered around the area surrounding the Broadway Shopping Centre (Grid References TQ4875 and TQ4975), in Search of Wild Flowers.

We managed to find some Ground that has escaped the Strimmers (for the time-being at least) and some Wild Flowers (30 plus Species) including:

Black Horehound
Black Nightshade
Black Spleenwort (growing on a Wall)
Bristly Oxtongue
Buck's-Horn Plantain
Common Mallow
Common Orache
Creeping Thistle viz.

Dove's-Foot Crane's-Bill
Fat Hen
Greater Plantain
Groundsel
Hart's-Tongue Fern (growing on a Wall)
Henbit Dead-Nettle
Herb Robert
Lesser Swine-Cress
Mugwort viz.

Oxford Ragwort
Pellitory-of-the-Wall
Procumbent Pearlwort
Red Dead-Nettle
Red Valerian
Redshank
Ribwort Plantain
Spear Thistle
Spotted Medick
Sun Spurge
White Campion
White Clover

and Yarrow viz.

In Praise of 'Common Weeds'

'Weeds are flowers too once you get to know them' … Eeyore

No need for more Words: some recently taken Pictures speak for themselves viz.

We start to look for Wild Flowers in a new Monad

We have been asked to look for Wild Flowers in three Local Monads viz. TQ4774, TQ4775 and TQ4776.

We have started with TQ4776.

Unfortunately, much of the Monad is built on and there seem to be minimal Open Spaces. The main one is Stevens Park, which seems to be regularly and comprehensively Mown &c., leaving little opportunity for Plants to grow, let alone flower.

Notwithstanding, we did find a number of Plants there viz.

Buck's-Horn Plantain
Cleavers
Cock's-Foot
Common Chickweed
Common Nettle
Common Orache
Daisy 
Dandelion
Dove's-Foot Crane's-Bill
Greater Plantain
Groundsel
Ribwort Plantain
Shepherd's-Purse
Sun Spurge
Wall Barley 
White Clover (Wow: actually flowering) viz.

and Yarrow

We subsequently had more luck in the  nearby (and much, much smaller) Grounds of the St Michael's Community Centre viz.

Annual Mercury
Bristly Oxtongue
Buck's-Horn Plantain (again)
Cleavers (again)
Common Field-Speedwell
Common Mouse-Ear
Daisy (again)
Dandelion (again)
Dove's-Foot Crane's-Bill (again)
Fat Hen
Groundsel (again)
Knotgrass
Petty Spurge
Procumbent Pearlwort
Red Dead-Nettle
Ribwort Plantain (again)
Scarlet Pimpernel
Shepherd's-Purse (again)
Spotted Medick
Sun Spurge (again)
White Clover (again)
and Yarrow (again) viz.

Also what we think is probably Common Mallow (rather than Dwarf Mallow, both of which grow locally) viz.

Elsewhere we spotted Pellitory-of-the-Wall, Henbit Dead-Nettle, Jersey Cudweed viz.

and Redshank.

A start: but with much of the Monad seemingly offering a hostile environment for Wild Flowers, we wonder how much we will be able to improve upon it.