We finally get going with the Fleabanes (Guernsey Fleabane &c.)

We have no idea as to what has prompted our new-found burst of enthusiasm (or confidence) in attempting to identify Plants we have previously tended to ignore but it is now the turn of the Fleabanes.

Although a little late in the year, we found some assumed Guernsey Fleabane viz.

growing beside a local Public Footpath.

We are pretty sure that this is Guernsey Fleabane viz. the flower heads are hairy, unlike the flower heads of other possibilities, Bilbao Fleabane and Canadian Fleabane, neither seemingly having hairy flower heads.

There may not be much Magic left in the World but there are still Stonechats!

During late-Autumn, Winter and Early-Spring, there are Stonechats on the Erith Marshes!

We have tended to neglect the Birds of late but yesterday we found ourselves in the Erith Marshes area and saw up to three Stonechats:

Always a Magical sight: for us anyway.

Many, many years ago we saw Stonechats on Gorse in the Cuckmere Haven area. We were Enchanted then: nothing has Changed since...

Assumed White Ramping-Fumitory

En-route to an Appointment in the Upper Belvedere area today, we noticed what we assume to be White Ramping-Fumitory growing in a Front Garden viz.

During 2015 we found a population growing beside the Thames Path in the Belvedere area: it's still there. The find merited a mention in Kent Botany 2015: hence our assuming that today's find is also White Ramping-Fumitory.

The Autumn Week Hunt (of The Wild Flower Society)

The 'Autumn Week Hunt' involves looking for Plants in flower during the last Seven Days of October viz. 25 October to 31 October inclusive.

We have today submitted Seventy plus (70+) Records: all Plants being seen locally within the London Borough of Bexley.

We are pretty sure that in numerical terms, we will be way, way, behind the Majority of the other Participants. Individual Totals for 2017 ranged from thirty-one (31) Records up to two hundred and twenty (220) Records with seventeen (17) of the twenty-four (24) Participants registering 100 or more Records.

Not that a Low Total matters, since we saw some interesting Plants, as will be seen below. And we are really rather pleased with our List. 

Plants seen flowering (some common and some, not so common) during the Hunt included:

Annual Wall-Rocket
Bladder Campion viz.

Bristly Oxtongue viz.

Broad-Leaved Everlasting-Pea viz.

Chickory
Common Chickweed viz.

Common Field-Speedwell viz.

Common Fumitory viz.

Common Knapweed viz.

Common Mullein
Common Ragwort
Common Stork's-Bill viz.

Common Toadflax viz.

Creeping Cinquefoil
Creeping Thistle viz.

Crown Vetch viz.

Daisy
Dandelion viz.

Dove's-Foot Crane's-Bill
Dwarf Mallow
Forget-me-Not viz.

Gipsywort
Harebell (for very personal reasons due to some particularly peculiar circumstances leading up seeing this Single Flower, this Record represents the Highlight of the Hunt for us) viz.

Hawkweed Oxtongue viz.

Hedgerow Crane's-Bill
Henbit Dead-Nettle viz.

Herb Robert viz.

Hogweed viz.

Ivy-Leaved Toadflax
Jersey Cudweed viz.

Lesser Calamint (we understand the Hoverfly to be an Eupeodes latifasciatus) viz.

Mouse-Ear Hawkweed viz.

Narrow-Leaved Ragwort
Orange Hawkweed viz.

Oxford Ragwort
Oxeye Daisy
Pot Marigold
Red Campion viz.

Red Dead-Nettle viz.

Red Clover
Red Valerian (well: pink really) viz.

Smooth Sow-Thistle viz.

Soapwort
Sun Spurge viz.

Viola sp. (self-seeded and growing on a Public Pavement): viz.

White Clover
White Dead-Netttle viz.

White Ramping-Fumitory viz.

Wild Basil viz.

Wild Carrot
and Yarrow viz.

Assumed Hedge Bindweed (or a Hybrid?)

It has taken us long enough but we finally attempted to identify a Bindweed (other than the very distinctive and easily identifiable, even for us, Field Bindweed) viz.

The Bracts are not Overlapping (as with Large Bindweed) and the Sepals are clearly visible: so we have plumped for assumed Hedge Bindweed. We say assumed since we understand Hybrids are not Uncommon. Or do we mean Common?

A Cat's-Ear

We noticed a Plant (a Member of the Daisy Family) on the Holly Hill Open Space viz.

As much by Chance as anything else, we decided it is a Cat's-Ear viz. the Leaves are really Hairy and the Stems &c. are Smooth and Hairless.

Eureka!

We had something of a Eureka moment whilst looking for Hoverflies visiting Dandelions beside the Upper Bedon Stream viz. we suddenly remembered that, 'Dandelions have Hollow Stems'.

We are not sure quite how Significant this is but we somehow think it to be really Significant in relation to us attempting to identify members of the Daisy family viz. Cat's-Ears, Hawk's-Beards, Hawkbits, Hawkweeds &c.

If nothing else, we should hopefully know when we are looking at a Dandelion!

Three Hurrahs...

When is a Dandelion not a Dandelion?

When it's something else!

We think the time has finally come when we are able to try to answer the Question.

We have recently seen Hawkweed Oxtongue viz.

and yesterday we think we may have laid eyes on an Autumn Hawkbit viz.

It will be a slow process but hopefully we will arrive: Somewhere!

Update:

[i] seen in a Road-Side Gutter, 6 November:

[ii] seen beside the Upper Bedon Stream, 6 November:

and [iii] seen on the Holly Hill Open Space, 6 November:

None of which we think are Dandelions.