Liverpool BSBI New Year Plant Hunt Training 31st December 2025
The Plant Hunt is Thursday, 1 January to Sunday, 4 January 2026.
Steve Cross did a five-minute introduction on the use of the New Year Plant Hunt part of the BSBI Recording app https://recording.bsbi.app/app/home in Liverpool Central Library on this cold day. The feature most people were impressed with was the clickable top twenty and the automated grid reference function. Eight of us then headed out to try it in the field.
Several of the top twenty species were seen flowering at several locations, namely Daisy, Groundsel, Annual Meadow Grass, Petty Spurge, Common Chickweed, Dandelion and Smooth Sowthistle.
At the Museum Meadow we had flowering White Campion (tickable) and the planted Winter Heliotrope (not tickable). Into St. John's Gardens we had the usual suspects plus Red Dead-nettle, as well as planted flowering Daffodil and Red Bistort. The west end of William Brown Street had flowering Shaggy Soldier. Round the Museum into Cuerden Street gave us flowering Common Whitlow Grass, Common Ragwort and Sun Spurge. The Ukrainian Meadow had flowering Common Catsear, Red Clover and Wild Carrot. By the County Sessions House was flowering Mahonia. Up through Churchill Way we had flowering Shaggy Soldier, Yarrow, Hairy Bittercress, and Common Field Speedwell. We were surprised by how many rosettes of Bee Orchid there were, at least thirty. Across into Christian Street we located flowering Common Field Speedwell, Greater Periwinkle, and Black Nightshade. Along Rose Hill was flowering Water Bent though the Hemp Agrimony had gone over to seed. At Great Richmond Street (West) by the Police Headquarters was flowering Guernsey Fleabane and Common Fumitory, though we did not linger, the group looked suspicious enough!
Just on to St. Anne’s Street was some flowering Herb Robert. At a patch of waste Ground between Great Richmond Street and Rose Place we found flowering Pellitory of the Wall, Oxford Ragwort, Common Whitlow Grass, and Hoary Mustard. Rose Place had abundant flowering Pellitory of the Wall, in an industrial area, not really living up to its name though, no roses. Along Fox Street we found more flowering Shaggy Soldier, Pellitory of the Wall, Hoary Mustard, and Guernsey Fleabane. Non-flowering were Buddleia and Black Spleenwort. Soho Street was the location for more flowering Hoary Mustard and in a garden of William Henry Street was a Yucca in flower. At Soho Street (South) was flowering Water Bent; however, the Cocksfoot Grass could not be counted as there were no anthers out. This was where we chatted to a man with a talking parrot on his shoulder – you see all sorts on an LBS trip. I pointed out the brownish buds of the Narrow-leaved Ash Fraxinus angustifolia and in the Grassland Area next to Springfield was flowering Meadow Buttercup and non-flowering White Stonecrop. Finishing off at Hunter Street we observed a European Silver Fir Abies alba and some London Plane.
Though concentrating on flowering plants, we also heard a Grey Wagtail and other birds seen included Crow, Magpie, Feral Pigeons, Woodpigeons, Goldfinch and Starling. Ferns located included Wall-rue, and Black Spleenwort and down a grid was Hartstongue Fern and Maidenhair Spleenwort - what people must think of us clustered round a drain looking in!
Lichens found included the yellow Candellariella vitellina on sandstone. Groundsel had the rust Puccinia lagenophorae. There was plenty of Common Liverwort Marchantia polymorpha ssp. ruderalis behind the museum and at Rose Place we found some Crescent-cup Liverwort Lunularia cruciata.
Mosses on the walls included Grey-cushioned Grimmia Grimmia pulvinata, Wall Screwmoss Tortula muralis, Anomalous Bristlemoss Orthotrichum anomalum and Thickpoint Grimmia Schistidium crassipilum.
Leaf mines on Smooth Sowthistle were of the pair of flies - aggregated as Chromatomyia ”atricornis” - that is either of Chromatomyia horticola or C.syngenesiae.
The Plant Hunt is Thursday, 1 January to Sunday, 4 January 2026.
Steve Cross did a five-minute introduction on the use of the New Year Plant Hunt part of the BSBI Recording app https://recording.bsbi.app/app/home in Liverpool Central Library on this cold day. The feature most people were impressed with was the clickable top twenty and the automated grid reference function. Eight of us then headed out to try it in the field.
Several of the top twenty species were seen flowering at several locations, namely Daisy, Groundsel, Annual Meadow Grass, Petty Spurge, Common Chickweed, Dandelion and Smooth Sowthistle.
At the Museum Meadow we had flowering White Campion (tickable) and the planted Winter Heliotrope (not tickable). Into St. John's Gardens we had the usual suspects plus Red Dead-nettle, as well as planted flowering Daffodil and Red Bistort. The west end of William Brown Street had flowering Shaggy Soldier. Round the Museum into Cuerden Street gave us flowering Common Whitlow Grass, Common Ragwort and Sun Spurge. The Ukrainian Meadow had flowering Common Catsear, Red Clover and Wild Carrot. By the County Sessions House was flowering Mahonia. Up through Churchill Way we had flowering Shaggy Soldier, Yarrow, Hairy Bittercress, and Common Field Speedwell. We were surprised by how many rosettes of Bee Orchid there were, at least thirty. Across into Christian Street we located flowering Common Field Speedwell, Greater Periwinkle, and Black Nightshade. Along Rose Hill was flowering Water Bent though the Hemp Agrimony had gone over to seed. At Great Richmond Street (West) by the Police Headquarters was flowering Guernsey Fleabane and Common Fumitory, though we did not linger, the group looked suspicious enough!
Just on to St. Anne’s Street was some flowering Herb Robert. At a patch of waste Ground between Great Richmond Street and Rose Place we found flowering Pellitory of the Wall, Oxford Ragwort, Common Whitlow Grass, and Hoary Mustard. Rose Place had abundant flowering Pellitory of the Wall, in an industrial area, not really living up to its name though, no roses. Along Fox Street we found more flowering Shaggy Soldier, Pellitory of the Wall, Hoary Mustard, and Guernsey Fleabane. Non-flowering were Buddleia and Black Spleenwort. Soho Street was the location for more flowering Hoary Mustard and in a garden of William Henry Street was a Yucca in flower. At Soho Street (South) was flowering Water Bent; however, the Cocksfoot Grass could not be counted as there were no anthers out. This was where we chatted to a man with a talking parrot on his shoulder – you see all sorts on an LBS trip. I pointed out the brownish buds of the Narrow-leaved Ash Fraxinus angustifolia and in the Grassland Area next to Springfield was flowering Meadow Buttercup and non-flowering White Stonecrop. Finishing off at Hunter Street we observed a European Silver Fir Abies alba and some London Plane.
Though concentrating on flowering plants, we also heard a Grey Wagtail and other birds seen included Crow, Magpie, Feral Pigeons, Woodpigeons, Goldfinch and Starling. Ferns located included Wall-rue, and Black Spleenwort and down a grid was Hartstongue Fern and Maidenhair Spleenwort - what people must think of us clustered round a drain looking in!
Lichens found included the yellow Candellariella vitellina on sandstone. Groundsel had the rust Puccinia lagenophorae. There was plenty of Common Liverwort Marchantia polymorpha ssp. ruderalis behind the museum and at Rose Place we found some Crescent-cup Liverwort Lunularia cruciata.
Mosses on the walls included Grey-cushioned Grimmia Grimmia pulvinata, Wall Screwmoss Tortula muralis, Anomalous Bristlemoss Orthotrichum anomalum and Thickpoint Grimmia Schistidium crassipilum.
Leaf mines on Smooth Sowthistle were of the pair of flies - aggregated as Chromatomyia ”atricornis” - that is either of Chromatomyia horticola or C.syngenesiae.
Rimrose Valley 18 October 2025
Eleven members, led by Steve Cross, took a circular walk of just over a mile around a small part of the valley. We looked at three things on the walk - flowers, remains of old plants (Necrobotany) and Fungi including mildews and rusts.
Steve explained about the history of the valley and how the middle section was a tip during the 1960’s and 1970’s with reclamation and tree planting done in the 1980’s and 1990’s. In the car park area at Brindley Close/Kirkstone Road West, we found Chewing Gum Lichen Protoparmeliopsis muralis on stone and the pavements here too was Common Liverwort Marchantia polymorpha ssp. ruderale with gemma, the cup-like, asexual reproductive structures. Flowering nearby were Shepherds Purse, Petty Spurge and Red dead-nettle. There were several Hornbeam trees, Sycamore and Swedish Whitebeam. Common Knotgrass had the mildew Erysiphe polygoni. On tree bark was plenty of lichens Xanthoria parietina, Physcia tenella and P. adscendens, the latter two had the orange lichenicolous, parasitic fungus Marchandiobasidium aurantiacum. Other lichens on these trees included Lecidella elaeochroma and Lecanora chlarotera and the yellow Xanthoria ucrainica.
The area at the bridge had an extensive area of planted Portuguese Laurel Prunus lusitanica and still flowering, and with the shiny pink fruits, was Hybrid Coralberry Symphoricarpos × chenaultii = S. microphyllus × orbiculatus. There were also several Cotoneaster species including Franchet's Cotoneaster Cotoneaster franchetii. Around the bridge were flowering Autumn Hawkbit, Annual Meadow Grass, Herb Robert, Dandelion, Yarrow, White Clover, Common Ragwort, Common Catsear, Bramble and Smooth Sowthistle. The Dog Rose had plenty of hips, the Field Maple was covered in the seeds, and the hawthorn was loaded with fruit. The large leaves of the american Red Oak Quercus rubra were also found. Smooth Sowthistle had the mildew Golovinomyces sonchicola and a trip would not be complete without Tar Spot Fungus on Sycamore!
Alongside the canal was flowering orange Fox-and-cubs Pilosella aurantiaca, Common Ragwort, Large & Hedge Bindweeds, Pineapleweed and Bramble. However, most plants had gone over, so it was a bit of necrobotany - Clustered Dock, Curled Dock, Marsh Woundwort, Hemlock Water Dropwort, Great Willowherb, Gypsywort, and Water Mint. There were large patches of newly arrived (only this summer here) Floating Pennywort Hydrocotyle ranunculoides; this is becoming a major problem on the Leeds-Liverpool Canal, costing large amounts to clear it!
The extensive stands of Typha are mainly the infertile hybrid and there is still plenty of Fringed Water Lily on the water. At an old bridge site, fished out of the canal were Nuttall's Waterweed Elodea nuttallii (in Britain only since 1966), Ivy-leaved Duckweed and the long strands of a Pondweed species and also present here was White Water Lily. A new find for the valley (which I have been studying for fourty years) was Trifid Bur-marigold Bidens tripartita.
Field Maple had plenty of the mildew Sawadaea bicornis and the bramble the Violet Bramble Rust Phragmidium violaceum (though there was some P. bulbosum too). There was also Grey Willow, lots of damage by Alder Leaf Beetle on Common Alder, an Ash tree, and the new leaf growth for overwintering of the Cow Parsley. A Sycamore with purple underside to the leaves was of the form purpureum. The Mildew on nettle was Erysiphe urticae and we also found Common Lime, Silverweed, Shasta Daisy (in leaf), and Raspberry.
A path westwards took us through an area I call “Brimstone Woods” as it is good for that original butter-coloured fly (butterfly). A nice find was a slimy, bright yellow Golden Waxcap Hygrocybe chlorophana. Still flowering here were Red Bartsia, Autumn Hawkbit, Common Ragwort, Red and White Clovers, Hedge Woundwort, Hairy Tare, and Prickly Sowthistle. Old Imperforate St. John Wort plants had the mildew Erysiphe hyperici. The mildew on Red Clover is either Erysiphe trifoliorum or E. pisi. There is a range of trees and shrubs planted Broom, Field Maple, Wild Cherry, Sweet Chestnut, Hybrid Black Poplar, oaks, Elder, Pine, Norway Spruce and an american Red Oak Quercus rubra.
At a dry pond was a patch of Hard Rush along the edge, Pale Persicaria was still in flower, and the Yellow Iris had gone to seed. Also present here were Marsh Cudweed, Goat, Grey, and Hybrid Crack Willows. We had lunch on picnic benches that had the moss Bryum argenteum and some other Bryum species. Nearby was Michaelmas Daisy in flower and a Common Buzzard flew past.
At the dry southern pond was Galingale Cyperus longus an alien in this region but native in the SW. Here too on an oak were plenty of Silk Button Galls, in fact some leaves looked to be more gall than leaf! Also, this poor oak had plenty of Common Spangle Galls, Smooth Spangle Gall Neuroterus albipes, Artichoke Galls, Marble Galls, some Acorn Cup Gall Andricus grossulariae and the mildew Erysiphe alphitoides too. Other finds were Osier, Yellow Iris, Reed, and Reed Canary Grass.
Along the path was a couple of large patches of Brooklime Veronica beccabunga, one of the best scientific names! In the woods under willow and aspen we located a large group of the big Blushing or Willow Milkcap Lactarius controversus found also a few White Fibrecap Inocybe geophylla. Here too is the large metal mushroom sculpture. Also found here were Shaggy Scalycap Pholiota squarrosa and Common Ink Cap Coprinopsis atramentaria.
The path to the Big Wood had White Clover plus Michaelmas Daisy, Wild Cherry. We could compare, even at distance the difference between White Willow and Hybrid Crack Willow.
In the Big Wood was Hazel, Dogwood, Sweet Chestnut, Beech, and Hornbeam and the Guelder Rose was in fruit. By the entrance were clumps of Stump Puffball Lycoperdon pyriforme, as well as some Stereum hirsutum, old Turkeytail Trametes versicolor, Oysterling Crepidotus cesatii, Ganoderma sp., Candle Snuff fungus Xylaria hypoxylon on stumps, Lilac Fibrecap Inocybe lilacina, White Fibrecap Inocybe geophylla and an Elder near the entrance had Elder Whitewash Hyphodontia sambuci. On the trees was the liverwort Forked Veilwort Metzgeria furcata.
The path towards the Humpback Bridge had autumn colour of Japanese Knotweed, and still flowering were Michaelmas Daisy and White Dead Nettle. Mildew on Great Plantain was Golovinomyces sordidus, on Tufted Vetch was Erysiphe baeumleri and on Hogweed was Erysiphe heraclei. The Coltsfoot had the rust Puccinia poarum.
Ray G. Woods, Arthur O. Chater, R. Nigel Stringer, Debbie A. Evans & Paul A. Smith. (2024) Towards a Handlist of Microfungal Parasites of Vascular Plants from Britain and Ireland and a Census Catalogue for Wales. Available at https://www.aber.ac.uk/waxcap/downloads/Woods24-Microfungi_Parasite_Handlist_Book6_Aug24.pdf
This is a great summary about what parasitic fungi and fungus-like organisms are found on what plant.
There is also a great Waxcap Resource at Aberystwyth at : : WaxCap Website : :
At the Humpback Bridge we had flowering Water Forget-me-not and Equal-leaved Knotgrass. Present too were Reed Canary Grass and Reed.
Heading south along the path from the Humpback Bridge towards the Culvert several people took advantage of the abundance of apples. Flowering here were Dandelion and Michaelmas Daisy. The mildew on Great Plantain was Golovinomyces sordidus. There were two Goldenrods - Canadian and Early Solidago canadensis and S. gigantea - told by presence of hairs (canadensis) or by being glabrous (gigantea) and they had plenty of the mildew Golovinomyces asterum var. solidaginis. There was also remains of Dotted Loosestrife, Red Bartsia, Common Knapweed, and Creeping Thistle. Field Maple had the mildew Sawadaea bicornis and the Broad-leaved Dock has Ramularia rubella fungus, and the Hogweed had the mildew Erysiphe heraclei.
At the Culvert Area we found Goats-rue Galega officinalis plus the remains of Montbretia, Broad-leaved Everlasting Pea, and Horse Radish. The Hedge Bindweed and a willowherb were still in flower.
The path heading southwards towards Derwent Road held Wood Avens, and the Coltsfoot had rust Puccinia poarum. The Early Goldenrod had large amounts of the mildew Golovinomyces asterum var. solidaginis. Both the pale flowered Michaelmas Daisy S. lanceolatus Narrow-leaved Michaelmas Daisy, as well as purplish Common Michaelmas Daisy S. x salignus were in bloom en masse. Also found here were flowering Common Vetch, Common Catsear, Yarrow, Smooth and Prickly Sowthistles, Creeping Thistle and White Dead-nettle.
The old, mown, “Car Park Area” at Derwent Road held flowering Small-flowered Cranesbill Geranium pusillum, Common Field Speedwell, Common Catsear, Shepherd’s Purse, Smooth Hawksbeard, Autumn Hawkbit, Daisy, Dandelion, Shaggy Soldier, Yarrow, and Creeping Cinquefoil. In the grass and along the kerb edge was Springy Turf Moss Rhytidadelphus squarrosus and amongst the moss on the kerb edge Bush Vetch, Daisy and White Clover were growing. Chewing Gum Lichen Protoparmeliopsis muralis was on the edging stones as was the Dog Lichen Peltigera membranacea. Also present were planted Aspen, Whitebeam, and Burnet Rose. The Blackthorn had the mildew Erysiphe prunastri, Red Dead-nettle had Neoerysiphe galeopsidis and the Dovesfoot Cranesbill had the mildew Peronospora conglomerata.
The Flower Meadow at Chaffers had flowering Dandelion, Yarrow, Prickly Lettuce, Cornflower, Corn Marigold, Sunflower, Viper’s Bugloss, the non-native Austrian Chamomile, Hoary Mustard, Hedge Mustard, Gallant Soldier (much rarer than Shaggy Soldier nowadays), Great Plantain, Hairy Tare, Common Poppy, Redshank, Black Nightshade, Smooth Sowthistle, Wild Radish, Wild Carrot and Common Ragwort. Also here was Fat Hen and Common Bent. The Corn Marigold was smothered in masses of the mildew Golovinomyces macrocarpus, as did the Great Plantain with the mildew Golovinomyces sordidus. The Broad-leaved Dock had the red spots of Ramularia rubella fungus. and we found some Pleated Inkcap Parasola plicatilis and Clustered Domecap - Lyophyllum decastes. Turning back toward the bridge an Oak had the Cola-nut Gall Andricus lignicola, as well as Common Spangle Galls, Silk Button Galls, Marble Galls, and Oak Mildew Erysiphe alphitoides. Lady’s Bedstraw was just about still in flower. From the Crossroads towards the Bridge, we saw the remains of Wild Onion Allium vineale, Lesser Swine Cress, Perennial Rye Grass and flowering Pineappleweed, Yarrow, Dandelion, Creeping Thistle, Michaelmas Daisy, Hoary Mustard, and Gorse. Ground Elder had the mildew Erysiphe heraclei, Common Ragwort had Podosphaera senecionis and Dandelion the mildew Podosphaera erigerontis-canadensis. Still flowering were Hogweed, Bramble, Ribwort Plantain, White Dead-nettle, and Wild Turnip. We finished back at the car park at 15.03.
In total we saw 144 plants (55 in flower still and 38 trees and shrubs), 9 lichens, 2 mosses and 2 liverworts, 41 fungi (including 4 rusts and 15 mildews, but just 11 gilled fungus) and 7 species of gall on oaks. The full list is below.
Eleven members, led by Steve Cross, took a circular walk of just over a mile around a small part of the valley. We looked at three things on the walk - flowers, remains of old plants (Necrobotany) and Fungi including mildews and rusts.
Steve explained about the history of the valley and how the middle section was a tip during the 1960’s and 1970’s with reclamation and tree planting done in the 1980’s and 1990’s. In the car park area at Brindley Close/Kirkstone Road West, we found Chewing Gum Lichen Protoparmeliopsis muralis on stone and the pavements here too was Common Liverwort Marchantia polymorpha ssp. ruderale with gemma, the cup-like, asexual reproductive structures. Flowering nearby were Shepherds Purse, Petty Spurge and Red dead-nettle. There were several Hornbeam trees, Sycamore and Swedish Whitebeam. Common Knotgrass had the mildew Erysiphe polygoni. On tree bark was plenty of lichens Xanthoria parietina, Physcia tenella and P. adscendens, the latter two had the orange lichenicolous, parasitic fungus Marchandiobasidium aurantiacum. Other lichens on these trees included Lecidella elaeochroma and Lecanora chlarotera and the yellow Xanthoria ucrainica.
The area at the bridge had an extensive area of planted Portuguese Laurel Prunus lusitanica and still flowering, and with the shiny pink fruits, was Hybrid Coralberry Symphoricarpos × chenaultii = S. microphyllus × orbiculatus. There were also several Cotoneaster species including Franchet's Cotoneaster Cotoneaster franchetii. Around the bridge were flowering Autumn Hawkbit, Annual Meadow Grass, Herb Robert, Dandelion, Yarrow, White Clover, Common Ragwort, Common Catsear, Bramble and Smooth Sowthistle. The Dog Rose had plenty of hips, the Field Maple was covered in the seeds, and the hawthorn was loaded with fruit. The large leaves of the american Red Oak Quercus rubra were also found. Smooth Sowthistle had the mildew Golovinomyces sonchicola and a trip would not be complete without Tar Spot Fungus on Sycamore!
Alongside the canal was flowering orange Fox-and-cubs Pilosella aurantiaca, Common Ragwort, Large & Hedge Bindweeds, Pineapleweed and Bramble. However, most plants had gone over, so it was a bit of necrobotany - Clustered Dock, Curled Dock, Marsh Woundwort, Hemlock Water Dropwort, Great Willowherb, Gypsywort, and Water Mint. There were large patches of newly arrived (only this summer here) Floating Pennywort Hydrocotyle ranunculoides; this is becoming a major problem on the Leeds-Liverpool Canal, costing large amounts to clear it!
The extensive stands of Typha are mainly the infertile hybrid and there is still plenty of Fringed Water Lily on the water. At an old bridge site, fished out of the canal were Nuttall's Waterweed Elodea nuttallii (in Britain only since 1966), Ivy-leaved Duckweed and the long strands of a Pondweed species and also present here was White Water Lily. A new find for the valley (which I have been studying for fourty years) was Trifid Bur-marigold Bidens tripartita.
Field Maple had plenty of the mildew Sawadaea bicornis and the bramble the Violet Bramble Rust Phragmidium violaceum (though there was some P. bulbosum too). There was also Grey Willow, lots of damage by Alder Leaf Beetle on Common Alder, an Ash tree, and the new leaf growth for overwintering of the Cow Parsley. A Sycamore with purple underside to the leaves was of the form purpureum. The Mildew on nettle was Erysiphe urticae and we also found Common Lime, Silverweed, Shasta Daisy (in leaf), and Raspberry.
A path westwards took us through an area I call “Brimstone Woods” as it is good for that original butter-coloured fly (butterfly). A nice find was a slimy, bright yellow Golden Waxcap Hygrocybe chlorophana. Still flowering here were Red Bartsia, Autumn Hawkbit, Common Ragwort, Red and White Clovers, Hedge Woundwort, Hairy Tare, and Prickly Sowthistle. Old Imperforate St. John Wort plants had the mildew Erysiphe hyperici. The mildew on Red Clover is either Erysiphe trifoliorum or E. pisi. There is a range of trees and shrubs planted Broom, Field Maple, Wild Cherry, Sweet Chestnut, Hybrid Black Poplar, oaks, Elder, Pine, Norway Spruce and an american Red Oak Quercus rubra.
At a dry pond was a patch of Hard Rush along the edge, Pale Persicaria was still in flower, and the Yellow Iris had gone to seed. Also present here were Marsh Cudweed, Goat, Grey, and Hybrid Crack Willows. We had lunch on picnic benches that had the moss Bryum argenteum and some other Bryum species. Nearby was Michaelmas Daisy in flower and a Common Buzzard flew past.
At the dry southern pond was Galingale Cyperus longus an alien in this region but native in the SW. Here too on an oak were plenty of Silk Button Galls, in fact some leaves looked to be more gall than leaf! Also, this poor oak had plenty of Common Spangle Galls, Smooth Spangle Gall Neuroterus albipes, Artichoke Galls, Marble Galls, some Acorn Cup Gall Andricus grossulariae and the mildew Erysiphe alphitoides too. Other finds were Osier, Yellow Iris, Reed, and Reed Canary Grass.
Along the path was a couple of large patches of Brooklime Veronica beccabunga, one of the best scientific names! In the woods under willow and aspen we located a large group of the big Blushing or Willow Milkcap Lactarius controversus found also a few White Fibrecap Inocybe geophylla. Here too is the large metal mushroom sculpture. Also found here were Shaggy Scalycap Pholiota squarrosa and Common Ink Cap Coprinopsis atramentaria.
The path to the Big Wood had White Clover plus Michaelmas Daisy, Wild Cherry. We could compare, even at distance the difference between White Willow and Hybrid Crack Willow.
In the Big Wood was Hazel, Dogwood, Sweet Chestnut, Beech, and Hornbeam and the Guelder Rose was in fruit. By the entrance were clumps of Stump Puffball Lycoperdon pyriforme, as well as some Stereum hirsutum, old Turkeytail Trametes versicolor, Oysterling Crepidotus cesatii, Ganoderma sp., Candle Snuff fungus Xylaria hypoxylon on stumps, Lilac Fibrecap Inocybe lilacina, White Fibrecap Inocybe geophylla and an Elder near the entrance had Elder Whitewash Hyphodontia sambuci. On the trees was the liverwort Forked Veilwort Metzgeria furcata.
The path towards the Humpback Bridge had autumn colour of Japanese Knotweed, and still flowering were Michaelmas Daisy and White Dead Nettle. Mildew on Great Plantain was Golovinomyces sordidus, on Tufted Vetch was Erysiphe baeumleri and on Hogweed was Erysiphe heraclei. The Coltsfoot had the rust Puccinia poarum.
Ray G. Woods, Arthur O. Chater, R. Nigel Stringer, Debbie A. Evans & Paul A. Smith. (2024) Towards a Handlist of Microfungal Parasites of Vascular Plants from Britain and Ireland and a Census Catalogue for Wales. Available at https://www.aber.ac.uk/waxcap/downloads/Woods24-Microfungi_Parasite_Handlist_Book6_Aug24.pdf
This is a great summary about what parasitic fungi and fungus-like organisms are found on what plant.
There is also a great Waxcap Resource at Aberystwyth at : : WaxCap Website : :
At the Humpback Bridge we had flowering Water Forget-me-not and Equal-leaved Knotgrass. Present too were Reed Canary Grass and Reed.
Heading south along the path from the Humpback Bridge towards the Culvert several people took advantage of the abundance of apples. Flowering here were Dandelion and Michaelmas Daisy. The mildew on Great Plantain was Golovinomyces sordidus. There were two Goldenrods - Canadian and Early Solidago canadensis and S. gigantea - told by presence of hairs (canadensis) or by being glabrous (gigantea) and they had plenty of the mildew Golovinomyces asterum var. solidaginis. There was also remains of Dotted Loosestrife, Red Bartsia, Common Knapweed, and Creeping Thistle. Field Maple had the mildew Sawadaea bicornis and the Broad-leaved Dock has Ramularia rubella fungus, and the Hogweed had the mildew Erysiphe heraclei.
At the Culvert Area we found Goats-rue Galega officinalis plus the remains of Montbretia, Broad-leaved Everlasting Pea, and Horse Radish. The Hedge Bindweed and a willowherb were still in flower.
The path heading southwards towards Derwent Road held Wood Avens, and the Coltsfoot had rust Puccinia poarum. The Early Goldenrod had large amounts of the mildew Golovinomyces asterum var. solidaginis. Both the pale flowered Michaelmas Daisy S. lanceolatus Narrow-leaved Michaelmas Daisy, as well as purplish Common Michaelmas Daisy S. x salignus were in bloom en masse. Also found here were flowering Common Vetch, Common Catsear, Yarrow, Smooth and Prickly Sowthistles, Creeping Thistle and White Dead-nettle.
The old, mown, “Car Park Area” at Derwent Road held flowering Small-flowered Cranesbill Geranium pusillum, Common Field Speedwell, Common Catsear, Shepherd’s Purse, Smooth Hawksbeard, Autumn Hawkbit, Daisy, Dandelion, Shaggy Soldier, Yarrow, and Creeping Cinquefoil. In the grass and along the kerb edge was Springy Turf Moss Rhytidadelphus squarrosus and amongst the moss on the kerb edge Bush Vetch, Daisy and White Clover were growing. Chewing Gum Lichen Protoparmeliopsis muralis was on the edging stones as was the Dog Lichen Peltigera membranacea. Also present were planted Aspen, Whitebeam, and Burnet Rose. The Blackthorn had the mildew Erysiphe prunastri, Red Dead-nettle had Neoerysiphe galeopsidis and the Dovesfoot Cranesbill had the mildew Peronospora conglomerata.
The Flower Meadow at Chaffers had flowering Dandelion, Yarrow, Prickly Lettuce, Cornflower, Corn Marigold, Sunflower, Viper’s Bugloss, the non-native Austrian Chamomile, Hoary Mustard, Hedge Mustard, Gallant Soldier (much rarer than Shaggy Soldier nowadays), Great Plantain, Hairy Tare, Common Poppy, Redshank, Black Nightshade, Smooth Sowthistle, Wild Radish, Wild Carrot and Common Ragwort. Also here was Fat Hen and Common Bent. The Corn Marigold was smothered in masses of the mildew Golovinomyces macrocarpus, as did the Great Plantain with the mildew Golovinomyces sordidus. The Broad-leaved Dock had the red spots of Ramularia rubella fungus. and we found some Pleated Inkcap Parasola plicatilis and Clustered Domecap - Lyophyllum decastes. Turning back toward the bridge an Oak had the Cola-nut Gall Andricus lignicola, as well as Common Spangle Galls, Silk Button Galls, Marble Galls, and Oak Mildew Erysiphe alphitoides. Lady’s Bedstraw was just about still in flower. From the Crossroads towards the Bridge, we saw the remains of Wild Onion Allium vineale, Lesser Swine Cress, Perennial Rye Grass and flowering Pineappleweed, Yarrow, Dandelion, Creeping Thistle, Michaelmas Daisy, Hoary Mustard, and Gorse. Ground Elder had the mildew Erysiphe heraclei, Common Ragwort had Podosphaera senecionis and Dandelion the mildew Podosphaera erigerontis-canadensis. Still flowering were Hogweed, Bramble, Ribwort Plantain, White Dead-nettle, and Wild Turnip. We finished back at the car park at 15.03.
In total we saw 144 plants (55 in flower still and 38 trees and shrubs), 9 lichens, 2 mosses and 2 liverworts, 41 fungi (including 4 rusts and 15 mildews, but just 11 gilled fungus) and 7 species of gall on oaks. The full list is below.
| full_species_list_rimrose18102025.docx |
Hightown 27 September 2025
Sixteen met at Hightown Station, and led by Steve Cross, travelled the usual route down Lower Alt Road, past the Alt Centre through the salt marsh and reed bed, along the saltmarsh/strandline to the rubble-shingle point and then back through the dunes. As it was late season there was much necrobotany though the targets of oraches and glassworts were at their peak.
We started with the obligatory look at the Hop plants by the railway and also here was Laburnum, Common Orache and Sticky Groundsel.
Along Lower Alt Road we had Tar Spot Fungus on the Sycamore as well as the usual ruderal plants including Garlic Mustard, Ivy, Hawthorn, Nipplewort, Purple Toadflax, and Pineapleweed, as well as Wall Flower in bloom in the gutter.
At the triangle of grass by Riverside, where we had Clustered Clover 18 months ago, we found Annual Wall Rocket, Common Storksbill, Daisy, Yarrow, plus Ribwort & Buckshorn Plantain.
By the Alt Centre were flowering Hoary Mustard, Hedge Cranesbill, Shepherd Purse, Common Knotgrass, Purple Toadflax (purple and pink forms) Sea Radish (white and yellow forms) and Fumitory. Gone over were Great Mullein, Tansy, Mugwort, Common Couch Grass, Nettle, Hogweed, Great and Buckshorn Plantains. Planted here was Bamboo and Cotoneaster. Flowering further along were Soapwort, Creeping Thistle, Common Ragwort, Black Nightshade, Dandelion, and Groundsel.
Heading along the path down to the Alt Bend we located Black Horehound, Snow in Summer and flowering again, after having been mowed, was Twiggy Spurge Euphorbia x pseudovirgata = Euphorbia esula × waldsteinii, seen here over 30 years ago by Vera Gordon, though first recorded by G. Fraser in 1946, so it has been here for nearly 80 years!
On Altcar Rifle Range we could see Yucca, Holly and edging the Alt a band of Reed. The saltmarsh at the Alt Bend had Sea Milkwort, Sea Aster, Sea Arrow Grass, and Sea Club-rush. Also here were both Common Couch and Hybrid Couch Grass (Common x Sea) Elymus repens × athericus = E. × drucei. We also had Spear-leaved Orache and several of the hybrid Kattegat Orache Atriplex longipes × prostrata = A. × gustafssoniana. Atriplex longipes × prostrata = A. × gustafssoniana Tascher. in BSBI Online Plant Atlas 2020
For ID of Atriplex see BSBI News 139 p36-44 by Bob Leaney at https://bsbi.org/download/12230/?tmstv=1758827893
At the Reed Bed were a couple of flowering Roseate Hedge Bindweed Calystegia sepium ssp. roseata, as well as leaves of Wild and Garden Angelicas. The fore dune patch of sand has Lyme Grass, but it was next to Reed, an interesting juxtaposition.
At the main saltmarsh we had four Salicornia Glasswort species :- Purple, Long-stalked, Common (though here it was the rarest) and Yellow Glassworts. See ID sheet produced by Liam Rooney for WFS at https://thewildflowersociety.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Key-to-Glassworts.pdf
Sea Aster lines the river channel edge with Common Cord Grass Spartina anglica in clumps (originating from 19th century hybridisation of native and north american parents and present here on the Alt since the 1930’s). Also, present here were Sea Arrow Grass, Sea Plantain, Spear-leaved Orache, Common Saltmarsh Grass, and Greater Sea-spurrey. Additionally, we saw Saltmarsh Red Fescue Festuca rubra litoralis, Sea Purslane Atriplex portulacoides, Sea Milkwort Lysimachia (Glaux) maritima and Sea Beet. Leaves of Scurvy Grass were from Cochlearia x hollandica, C. anglica x officinalis, this is the common one in the region. Further details can be found in the paper by Eric Greenwood and Hugh McAllister at https://britishandirishbotany.org/index.php/bib/article/view/128
There was much erosion along the strandline here! Though we did find seaweed (wracks), shore crab, and “Mermaids Purses” egg cases from both shark and ray. Locally common were eroded peat fragments. Despite this recent erosion we still had some Prickly Saltwort, Spear-leaved Orache, Sea Rocket and Sand Couch.
The Dunes above had Sea Holly, Sea Spurge, Sea Sandwort, Lyme Grass, Marram, Evening Primrose and even Reed in the first section. Also found were Common Catsear, and Common Ragwort, Groundsel, Field Horsetail, Kidney Vetch, Smooth Sowthistle, Evening Primrose, Sea Rocket, Creeping Willow, and Sand Sedge. Sea Bindweed is doing well on the slopes.
The Reedbed area north of Sailing Club is eroding both sides but still present were Reed, with the mass of rhizomes showing how quickly it can dominate an area. Behind it and at the dune edge were Sea Buckthorn, Spear-leaved Orache, Sea Mayweed, Oak, Perennial Sowthistle, Sea Beet, Curled Dock (littoreus), Evening Primrose, Creeping Bent, Sand Sedge, Red Fescue, Sea Radish, Creeping Willow, Japanese Rose, Creeping Thistle and one Babington’s Orache Atriplex glabriuscula by the boulders.
The Peat Beds/ Submerged Forest had Royal Fern Osmunda regalis rhizomes and tree stumps and timber of birch & oak around 5000 years old. Gut (Intestine) Weed Ulva sp (probably intestinalis) covered the bricks, thriving in the brackish water conditions and it was even on some areas of peat. We lunched on the boulders south of Blundellsands Sailing Club.
Continuing south we found Curled Dock ssp. littoreus, Long-bracted Sedge Carex extensa, Sea Beet, Sea Mayweed, and Perennial Sowthistle. The bed of Sea Club-rush Bolboschoenus maritimus was looking worse for wear after the high tides and storms. The marsh and strandline also held Common Cord Grass Spartina anglica, Sea Aster, Saltmarsh Rush Juncus gerardii, Common Alder, Jointed Rush Juncus articulatus. Reed is spreading quickly and will probably soon replace the Sea Club-rush. Also located were Gypsywort, Creeping Bent, Lesser Water Parsnip, Yellow Iris (in seed), Hard-grass Parapholis strigosa, Typha latifolia, and Silverweed. This area has a mix of freshwater and brackish water species.
On the dunes were Creeping Willow, Sea Spurge, Evening Primrose, Common Ragwort and White Melilot though mostly gone to seed, the latter still had a few flowers and plenty of mildew. Red and White Clovers (both had mildew) plus Kidney Vetch where also present.
Where sand and mud make a transition to the rubble area there was a Rock Samphire, as well as big patches of Sea Sandwort Honckenya peploides and Sea-milkwort Lysimachia maritima side by side.
The Rubble Area had Sea Radish, c. 50 Rock Samphire, Sea Beet, Sea Purslane, and one Yellow-horned Poppy on the shingle at SD29490266. Some Japanese Rose still needs spraying here, though on most of the route the spraying had been effective. Here too we found some Agaricus mushrooms and plenty of rabbit droppings.
Crossing the Dunes we found plenty of Sea Bindweed in leaf, Carline Thistle, Rest Harrow, Wild Parsnip, Field Horsetail, Kidney Vetch, Buckshorn Plantain, and Sea Holly. The slack was still dry but there were old seedheads of Carline Thistle & marsh orchids, plus flowering Eyebright & Common Fleabane.
Always good to see was flowering Isle-of-Man Cabbage Coincya monensis subsp. monensis, at its global headquarters, Coincya monensis subsp. monensis (L.) Greuter & Burdet in BSBI Online Plant Atlas 2020
Also located was Autumn Hawkbit and Common Knotgrass, Polypody Fern, Red Bartsia, Dune Heath Violet and the Umbellate Hawkweed had gone to seed.
Heading north from the Sailing Club Car Park we found Common Catsear, Autumn Hawkbit and Smooth Hawksbeard. There was plenty of fruit on the Apple and Hawthorn due to drought-stressed plants going all out for fruit/seed production, as well as ideal conditions for fertilisation in the spring/summer. At the site of the oaks is the only North England location for the tiny, native Tawny Cockroach. Along this stretch we also found Holly, gone to seed Agrimony and Common Knapweed, with the Asparagus and Honeysuckle in berry. Flowering were Sea Radish (white and yellow), Yucca, Evening Primrose, Harebell, Common Ragwort, Burnet Saxifrage and even some Creeping Willow.
Common Gromwell Lithospermum officinale, is not common at all and even declining, see Lithospermum officinale L. in BSBI Online Plant Atlas 2020, though here it can be readily found, even if just in leaf, though we could also still see some of the obvious, hard, shiny, porcelain-like, white seeds.
An Asparagus had a large fasciation and along the path was Portland Spurge.
Adjacent to the gardens of Hightown are a lot of non-native plants, some of which are becoming a problem - White and Grey Poplar, Japanese Rose (though much has been sprayed), Snow in Summer and Geranium.
The east-side edge of the main reedbed had plenty of white flowered Hedge Bindweed plus Creeping Thistle, Sea Radish, and Field Bindweed. The Michaelmas Daisy and Sea Beet were in leaf.
I set a challenge to see if we locate fifteen species in the day with Sea in their name. We found fifteen - Sea Milkwort, Sea Aster, Sea Arrow Grass, Sea Club-rush, Sea Plantain, Sea Rocket, Sea Holly, Sea Spurge, Sea Sandwort, Sea Bindweed, Sea Buckthorn, Sea Mayweed, Sea Radish, Sea Purslane, and Greater Sea-spurrey, but 16 if we will allow Hybrid Couch Grass (Common x Sea Couch Grass).
As well as the various mildews there was Ergot on Spartina seeds. Mildews on Evening Primrose (Erysiphe howeana), Melilot and Clovers (Erysiphe trifoliorum). Peter Gateley found a Brown Roll-rim fungus Paxillus involutus in woodland by the station while we mustered.
Birds seen include several flocks of Pink-footed Goose, a Grey Heron was circling high up over the Alt and at the roost were Oystercatcher, Mallard, Redshank, Curlew and Shelduck. A flock of about 30 Linnet flew over us at the rubble point.
Insects consisted of one Large White butterfly and a caterpillar of Fox Moth Macrothylacia rubi on the path. Peter Gateley was lucky enough to see a Wall Brown. Adam and I saw Sea Bristletail Petrobius maritimus amongst the boulders by the sailing club while we had lunch.
Snails included Garden Snail, Kentish Snail Monacha cantiana and Striped Snail Cernuella virgata (this is sometimes misnamed Banded Snail which is usually used for the Cepaea banded snails).
Sixteen met at Hightown Station, and led by Steve Cross, travelled the usual route down Lower Alt Road, past the Alt Centre through the salt marsh and reed bed, along the saltmarsh/strandline to the rubble-shingle point and then back through the dunes. As it was late season there was much necrobotany though the targets of oraches and glassworts were at their peak.
We started with the obligatory look at the Hop plants by the railway and also here was Laburnum, Common Orache and Sticky Groundsel.
Along Lower Alt Road we had Tar Spot Fungus on the Sycamore as well as the usual ruderal plants including Garlic Mustard, Ivy, Hawthorn, Nipplewort, Purple Toadflax, and Pineapleweed, as well as Wall Flower in bloom in the gutter.
At the triangle of grass by Riverside, where we had Clustered Clover 18 months ago, we found Annual Wall Rocket, Common Storksbill, Daisy, Yarrow, plus Ribwort & Buckshorn Plantain.
By the Alt Centre were flowering Hoary Mustard, Hedge Cranesbill, Shepherd Purse, Common Knotgrass, Purple Toadflax (purple and pink forms) Sea Radish (white and yellow forms) and Fumitory. Gone over were Great Mullein, Tansy, Mugwort, Common Couch Grass, Nettle, Hogweed, Great and Buckshorn Plantains. Planted here was Bamboo and Cotoneaster. Flowering further along were Soapwort, Creeping Thistle, Common Ragwort, Black Nightshade, Dandelion, and Groundsel.
Heading along the path down to the Alt Bend we located Black Horehound, Snow in Summer and flowering again, after having been mowed, was Twiggy Spurge Euphorbia x pseudovirgata = Euphorbia esula × waldsteinii, seen here over 30 years ago by Vera Gordon, though first recorded by G. Fraser in 1946, so it has been here for nearly 80 years!
On Altcar Rifle Range we could see Yucca, Holly and edging the Alt a band of Reed. The saltmarsh at the Alt Bend had Sea Milkwort, Sea Aster, Sea Arrow Grass, and Sea Club-rush. Also here were both Common Couch and Hybrid Couch Grass (Common x Sea) Elymus repens × athericus = E. × drucei. We also had Spear-leaved Orache and several of the hybrid Kattegat Orache Atriplex longipes × prostrata = A. × gustafssoniana. Atriplex longipes × prostrata = A. × gustafssoniana Tascher. in BSBI Online Plant Atlas 2020
For ID of Atriplex see BSBI News 139 p36-44 by Bob Leaney at https://bsbi.org/download/12230/?tmstv=1758827893
At the Reed Bed were a couple of flowering Roseate Hedge Bindweed Calystegia sepium ssp. roseata, as well as leaves of Wild and Garden Angelicas. The fore dune patch of sand has Lyme Grass, but it was next to Reed, an interesting juxtaposition.
At the main saltmarsh we had four Salicornia Glasswort species :- Purple, Long-stalked, Common (though here it was the rarest) and Yellow Glassworts. See ID sheet produced by Liam Rooney for WFS at https://thewildflowersociety.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Key-to-Glassworts.pdf
Sea Aster lines the river channel edge with Common Cord Grass Spartina anglica in clumps (originating from 19th century hybridisation of native and north american parents and present here on the Alt since the 1930’s). Also, present here were Sea Arrow Grass, Sea Plantain, Spear-leaved Orache, Common Saltmarsh Grass, and Greater Sea-spurrey. Additionally, we saw Saltmarsh Red Fescue Festuca rubra litoralis, Sea Purslane Atriplex portulacoides, Sea Milkwort Lysimachia (Glaux) maritima and Sea Beet. Leaves of Scurvy Grass were from Cochlearia x hollandica, C. anglica x officinalis, this is the common one in the region. Further details can be found in the paper by Eric Greenwood and Hugh McAllister at https://britishandirishbotany.org/index.php/bib/article/view/128
There was much erosion along the strandline here! Though we did find seaweed (wracks), shore crab, and “Mermaids Purses” egg cases from both shark and ray. Locally common were eroded peat fragments. Despite this recent erosion we still had some Prickly Saltwort, Spear-leaved Orache, Sea Rocket and Sand Couch.
The Dunes above had Sea Holly, Sea Spurge, Sea Sandwort, Lyme Grass, Marram, Evening Primrose and even Reed in the first section. Also found were Common Catsear, and Common Ragwort, Groundsel, Field Horsetail, Kidney Vetch, Smooth Sowthistle, Evening Primrose, Sea Rocket, Creeping Willow, and Sand Sedge. Sea Bindweed is doing well on the slopes.
The Reedbed area north of Sailing Club is eroding both sides but still present were Reed, with the mass of rhizomes showing how quickly it can dominate an area. Behind it and at the dune edge were Sea Buckthorn, Spear-leaved Orache, Sea Mayweed, Oak, Perennial Sowthistle, Sea Beet, Curled Dock (littoreus), Evening Primrose, Creeping Bent, Sand Sedge, Red Fescue, Sea Radish, Creeping Willow, Japanese Rose, Creeping Thistle and one Babington’s Orache Atriplex glabriuscula by the boulders.
The Peat Beds/ Submerged Forest had Royal Fern Osmunda regalis rhizomes and tree stumps and timber of birch & oak around 5000 years old. Gut (Intestine) Weed Ulva sp (probably intestinalis) covered the bricks, thriving in the brackish water conditions and it was even on some areas of peat. We lunched on the boulders south of Blundellsands Sailing Club.
Continuing south we found Curled Dock ssp. littoreus, Long-bracted Sedge Carex extensa, Sea Beet, Sea Mayweed, and Perennial Sowthistle. The bed of Sea Club-rush Bolboschoenus maritimus was looking worse for wear after the high tides and storms. The marsh and strandline also held Common Cord Grass Spartina anglica, Sea Aster, Saltmarsh Rush Juncus gerardii, Common Alder, Jointed Rush Juncus articulatus. Reed is spreading quickly and will probably soon replace the Sea Club-rush. Also located were Gypsywort, Creeping Bent, Lesser Water Parsnip, Yellow Iris (in seed), Hard-grass Parapholis strigosa, Typha latifolia, and Silverweed. This area has a mix of freshwater and brackish water species.
On the dunes were Creeping Willow, Sea Spurge, Evening Primrose, Common Ragwort and White Melilot though mostly gone to seed, the latter still had a few flowers and plenty of mildew. Red and White Clovers (both had mildew) plus Kidney Vetch where also present.
Where sand and mud make a transition to the rubble area there was a Rock Samphire, as well as big patches of Sea Sandwort Honckenya peploides and Sea-milkwort Lysimachia maritima side by side.
The Rubble Area had Sea Radish, c. 50 Rock Samphire, Sea Beet, Sea Purslane, and one Yellow-horned Poppy on the shingle at SD29490266. Some Japanese Rose still needs spraying here, though on most of the route the spraying had been effective. Here too we found some Agaricus mushrooms and plenty of rabbit droppings.
Crossing the Dunes we found plenty of Sea Bindweed in leaf, Carline Thistle, Rest Harrow, Wild Parsnip, Field Horsetail, Kidney Vetch, Buckshorn Plantain, and Sea Holly. The slack was still dry but there were old seedheads of Carline Thistle & marsh orchids, plus flowering Eyebright & Common Fleabane.
Always good to see was flowering Isle-of-Man Cabbage Coincya monensis subsp. monensis, at its global headquarters, Coincya monensis subsp. monensis (L.) Greuter & Burdet in BSBI Online Plant Atlas 2020
Also located was Autumn Hawkbit and Common Knotgrass, Polypody Fern, Red Bartsia, Dune Heath Violet and the Umbellate Hawkweed had gone to seed.
Heading north from the Sailing Club Car Park we found Common Catsear, Autumn Hawkbit and Smooth Hawksbeard. There was plenty of fruit on the Apple and Hawthorn due to drought-stressed plants going all out for fruit/seed production, as well as ideal conditions for fertilisation in the spring/summer. At the site of the oaks is the only North England location for the tiny, native Tawny Cockroach. Along this stretch we also found Holly, gone to seed Agrimony and Common Knapweed, with the Asparagus and Honeysuckle in berry. Flowering were Sea Radish (white and yellow), Yucca, Evening Primrose, Harebell, Common Ragwort, Burnet Saxifrage and even some Creeping Willow.
Common Gromwell Lithospermum officinale, is not common at all and even declining, see Lithospermum officinale L. in BSBI Online Plant Atlas 2020, though here it can be readily found, even if just in leaf, though we could also still see some of the obvious, hard, shiny, porcelain-like, white seeds.
An Asparagus had a large fasciation and along the path was Portland Spurge.
Adjacent to the gardens of Hightown are a lot of non-native plants, some of which are becoming a problem - White and Grey Poplar, Japanese Rose (though much has been sprayed), Snow in Summer and Geranium.
The east-side edge of the main reedbed had plenty of white flowered Hedge Bindweed plus Creeping Thistle, Sea Radish, and Field Bindweed. The Michaelmas Daisy and Sea Beet were in leaf.
I set a challenge to see if we locate fifteen species in the day with Sea in their name. We found fifteen - Sea Milkwort, Sea Aster, Sea Arrow Grass, Sea Club-rush, Sea Plantain, Sea Rocket, Sea Holly, Sea Spurge, Sea Sandwort, Sea Bindweed, Sea Buckthorn, Sea Mayweed, Sea Radish, Sea Purslane, and Greater Sea-spurrey, but 16 if we will allow Hybrid Couch Grass (Common x Sea Couch Grass).
As well as the various mildews there was Ergot on Spartina seeds. Mildews on Evening Primrose (Erysiphe howeana), Melilot and Clovers (Erysiphe trifoliorum). Peter Gateley found a Brown Roll-rim fungus Paxillus involutus in woodland by the station while we mustered.
Birds seen include several flocks of Pink-footed Goose, a Grey Heron was circling high up over the Alt and at the roost were Oystercatcher, Mallard, Redshank, Curlew and Shelduck. A flock of about 30 Linnet flew over us at the rubble point.
Insects consisted of one Large White butterfly and a caterpillar of Fox Moth Macrothylacia rubi on the path. Peter Gateley was lucky enough to see a Wall Brown. Adam and I saw Sea Bristletail Petrobius maritimus amongst the boulders by the sailing club while we had lunch.
Snails included Garden Snail, Kentish Snail Monacha cantiana and Striped Snail Cernuella virgata (this is sometimes misnamed Banded Snail which is usually used for the Cepaea banded snails).
Speke- Hale Shore 6 September 2025
Nine met at the Liverpool John Lennon Airport viewing area on Viscount Drive, Speke and White Melilot was the first find of the day. Here too was the new arrival, originating in South America, Bilbao Fleabane Erigeron floribundus, with its reddish tipped florets. First found in Britain (Southampton) in 1994 it has since spread quickly across the country in a wide range of open urban and rural habitats, as it is quite happy in cultivated land, waste ground, pavements or at the base of walls. Erigeron floribundus (Kunth) Sch.Bip. in BSBI Online Plant Atlas 2020. On the day it was the commonest Erigeron Fleabane with just one Canadian Fleabane found, obviously different with the longer white florets and yellower green foliage. [Guernsey Fleabane is a grey-green plant with hairy grey-green bracts, found in urban habitats.]
We could compare Compact Rush with Hard Rush, there was plenty of flowering Common Fleabane, plus some Creeping Thistle, Great Willowherb, and Annual Meadow Grass. Also, present were Creeping Cinquefoil, Michaelmas Daisy (with mildew Golovinomyces asterum var. moroczkovskii), Tufted Vetch, Red Clover (with mildew), Silverweed, Bramble, Goat Willow, and Gorse. Gone to seed were Canadian Goldenrod and Perforate St. John’s Wort and the Oak had Artichoke Galls.
Turning left in to Dungeon Lane we found Common Ragwort, Hogweed, Yarrow, Oak with mildew Erysiphe alphitoides, Bramble, Dandelion, Creeping Thistle, Broad-leaved Dock, Great and Ribwort Plantains, Wild Carrot and under an oak was a mass of acorns, and so we discussed the abundance of fruits this year, that had set so well in the fine spring and summer.
A piece of waste ground on the corner with Hale Road boasted more Bilbao Fleabane as well as Wild Carrot, Imperforate St. John’s Wort (or hybrid Des Etangs’ St. John’s Wort), Elder, Dog Rose, Spear Thistle, Yarrow, and Great Willowherb. Sycamore had Tarspot Fungus. The Melilot with black seeds was Tall Melilot Melilotus altissimus, much easier to identify in fruit than in flower. Interestingly previous LBS visits in his area recorded Common Melilot M. officinalis, but now the much commoner of the two, by far, is Tall Melilot.
Crossing to the other side of the road we located Buckshorn Plantain (with mildew either Golovinomyces sordidus or Podosphaera plantaginis ), one flowering Canadian Fleabane by a post, lots of Common Knotgrass, Perennial Rye Grass and Dandelion, plus some Pineappleweed, Black Medick, Fat Hen, Dovesfoot Cranesbill, Yarrow, Curled Dock, Spear Thistle, Black Nightshade (with plenty of fruit), Wall Barley, Groundsel, Shaggy Soldier, Smooth Sowthistle, Red Clover, Mugwort, Common Field Speedwell, and Equal-leaved Knotgrass. Mildews were found on Dandelion (Podosphaera erigerontis‐ canadensis), Groundsel (Golovinomyces fischeri), Common Knotgrass (Erysiphe polygoni), Great and Ribwort Plantains (Golovinomyces sordidus or Podosphaera plantaginis). London Plane had been planted, and a Red Admiral flew past.
Crossing the road on to a Bridleway there was flowering Hop by the entrance with also lots of Bramble (with rust Phragmidium violaceum); also present was Rosebay Willowherb, Hybrid Crack Willow, more Bilbao Fleabane, Mugwort, and Dog Rose. One Oxtongue Hawkweed Picris hieracioides was still in flower, plus Autumn Hawkbit, Hogweed, Goat Willow, Common Ragwort, Yorkshire Fog, Ivy, White and Red Clovers, Red Bartsia, Nettle, Teasel, Hedge Bindweed, Buddleia, Sea Buckthorn and Broom.
We went on a small Path heading South-eastwards, were there was Hawthorn, Great Plantain, Broad-leaved Dock, Nettle, Cocksfoot Grass, Bramble, Hazel, Creeping Thistle, Bramble (with rust Phragmidium violaceum), Dogwood, Common Knapweed, Rosebay Willowherb, Compact & Soft Rush, and Hazel. Oak had lots of galls - Common Spangle, Silk Button, Marble, and Knopper. At this point we realised we had managed to lose one of the members! Eventually retrieving the wanderer, we had lunch near the cliff edge, and I was next to flowering Field Pansy.
The Boulder Clay Cliffs rise some 20 metres (65 feet) above the shore. The clay contains granite boulders from as far as south Scotland and the Lake District, as well flints from Northern Ireland and sand from the bed of the Irish Sea. There is some shrub and tree cover (Sycamore, Common Alder, oak, gorse etc.) in parts but cliff slippages and falls giving chance for a more specialised flora.
Great Horsetail was locally abundant with Bracken and Evening Primrose. We looked north towards the Dungeon which means “land next to a marsh” (as in Dungeness) and could see the remains of the wharf and salt refinery. On the shore were patches of Spear-leaved Orache, but this section had bad erosion and so there was no other vegetation here.
We then headed along the Mersey Way path with farmland on the inland side and the cliff edge on the estuary side. Here we found False Brome, Holly, Hawthorn, Bracken, Scentless and Scented Mayweed, False Oat Grass, Wood Sage, and Wall Barley. There was more Bilbao Fleabane plus Common Bent, Fat Hen and a Potato was in flower and fruit. Mildew on Common Knotgrass was Erysiphe polygoni, with mildew Erysiphe heraclei on Hogweed and Perennial Rye Grass had Ergot Claviceps purpurea which can cause ergotism (many symptoms including vomiting, convulsions, gangrene, and psychosis) if infected grain is eaten. Also located were Wild Cherry, Gorse, Common Lime, Hedge Mustard, Garlic Mustard, and Prickly Lettuce.
Next came an extensive Grey Poplar Wood of very little interest. The field south of Icehouse Plantation was full of Wild Radish (in all three colour forms) and there was Buckwheat Fagopyrum esculentum. Along the field edge was Field Bindweed & Black Bindweed and also Cleavers, Grey Willow and one Japanese Knotweed patch.
The pink form of Hedge Bindweed, Calystegia sepium ssp. roseata, was first seen in the locality and this sub-species was first named by Dr Dick Brummitt (BSBI obituary). His PhD at Liverpool was on bindweeds, he was also an ex-president of the Liverpool Botanical Society and later worked at Kew. Calystegia sepium subsp. roseata Brummitt in BSBI Online Plant Atlas 2020
Reed dominates much of shore, but we could see the zonation of saltmarsh with zones of Perennial Sowthistle, Reed, Sea Aster, and Common Cord Grass Spartina anglica.
We then headed back the way we had come adding a Migrant Hawker Dragonfly and perhaps the star of the show was a Clouded Yellow butterfly feeding on Wild Radish flowers.
A fallen oak had plenty of the mature, black fungus King Alfred’s Cakes or Cramp Balls Daldinia concentrica. Near a barn by the bridleway was Apple Mint Mentha × villosa (Spearmint x Round-leaved Mint) and in a trough was Pink Sorrel, Red Dead-nettle, and Field Forget-me-not. The return down Hale Road added Large Bindweed and on the pavement was Chewing Gum Lichen Protoparmeliopsis muralis. We finished at 15.25.
Birds we saw or heard were Magpie, Crow, Robin, Blackbird, Wren, Long-tailed Tit, Woodpigeon, Herring Gull, Black Headed Gull, and Lesser Black-backed Gull. Two Great White Egret flew down on to the Mersey where three Grey Heron fed along the shore. Also, present were Mallard, Starling, 57 Swallow and 20 House Martin.
Insect wise the highlight was a Clouded Yellow butterfly in the Wild Radish field, that was feeding at the flowers. Other butterflies found were a few Small Copper, Green-veined White, Small White, Large White, Red Admiral, Painted Lady, and six Speckled Wood. Other insects seen included Flesh Fly, Common Carder Bumble Bee, Tree Bumble Bee, Honeybee, Social Wasps, and a Hornet at the Grey Poplar Wood. Also, present were Garden Spider, Common Field Grasshopper and we saw hymenopteran (solitary bee or wasps) burrows in a clay bank. Perennial Sowthistle had gall midge galls Cystiphora sonchi.
Nine met at the Liverpool John Lennon Airport viewing area on Viscount Drive, Speke and White Melilot was the first find of the day. Here too was the new arrival, originating in South America, Bilbao Fleabane Erigeron floribundus, with its reddish tipped florets. First found in Britain (Southampton) in 1994 it has since spread quickly across the country in a wide range of open urban and rural habitats, as it is quite happy in cultivated land, waste ground, pavements or at the base of walls. Erigeron floribundus (Kunth) Sch.Bip. in BSBI Online Plant Atlas 2020. On the day it was the commonest Erigeron Fleabane with just one Canadian Fleabane found, obviously different with the longer white florets and yellower green foliage. [Guernsey Fleabane is a grey-green plant with hairy grey-green bracts, found in urban habitats.]
We could compare Compact Rush with Hard Rush, there was plenty of flowering Common Fleabane, plus some Creeping Thistle, Great Willowherb, and Annual Meadow Grass. Also, present were Creeping Cinquefoil, Michaelmas Daisy (with mildew Golovinomyces asterum var. moroczkovskii), Tufted Vetch, Red Clover (with mildew), Silverweed, Bramble, Goat Willow, and Gorse. Gone to seed were Canadian Goldenrod and Perforate St. John’s Wort and the Oak had Artichoke Galls.
Turning left in to Dungeon Lane we found Common Ragwort, Hogweed, Yarrow, Oak with mildew Erysiphe alphitoides, Bramble, Dandelion, Creeping Thistle, Broad-leaved Dock, Great and Ribwort Plantains, Wild Carrot and under an oak was a mass of acorns, and so we discussed the abundance of fruits this year, that had set so well in the fine spring and summer.
A piece of waste ground on the corner with Hale Road boasted more Bilbao Fleabane as well as Wild Carrot, Imperforate St. John’s Wort (or hybrid Des Etangs’ St. John’s Wort), Elder, Dog Rose, Spear Thistle, Yarrow, and Great Willowherb. Sycamore had Tarspot Fungus. The Melilot with black seeds was Tall Melilot Melilotus altissimus, much easier to identify in fruit than in flower. Interestingly previous LBS visits in his area recorded Common Melilot M. officinalis, but now the much commoner of the two, by far, is Tall Melilot.
Crossing to the other side of the road we located Buckshorn Plantain (with mildew either Golovinomyces sordidus or Podosphaera plantaginis ), one flowering Canadian Fleabane by a post, lots of Common Knotgrass, Perennial Rye Grass and Dandelion, plus some Pineappleweed, Black Medick, Fat Hen, Dovesfoot Cranesbill, Yarrow, Curled Dock, Spear Thistle, Black Nightshade (with plenty of fruit), Wall Barley, Groundsel, Shaggy Soldier, Smooth Sowthistle, Red Clover, Mugwort, Common Field Speedwell, and Equal-leaved Knotgrass. Mildews were found on Dandelion (Podosphaera erigerontis‐ canadensis), Groundsel (Golovinomyces fischeri), Common Knotgrass (Erysiphe polygoni), Great and Ribwort Plantains (Golovinomyces sordidus or Podosphaera plantaginis). London Plane had been planted, and a Red Admiral flew past.
Crossing the road on to a Bridleway there was flowering Hop by the entrance with also lots of Bramble (with rust Phragmidium violaceum); also present was Rosebay Willowherb, Hybrid Crack Willow, more Bilbao Fleabane, Mugwort, and Dog Rose. One Oxtongue Hawkweed Picris hieracioides was still in flower, plus Autumn Hawkbit, Hogweed, Goat Willow, Common Ragwort, Yorkshire Fog, Ivy, White and Red Clovers, Red Bartsia, Nettle, Teasel, Hedge Bindweed, Buddleia, Sea Buckthorn and Broom.
We went on a small Path heading South-eastwards, were there was Hawthorn, Great Plantain, Broad-leaved Dock, Nettle, Cocksfoot Grass, Bramble, Hazel, Creeping Thistle, Bramble (with rust Phragmidium violaceum), Dogwood, Common Knapweed, Rosebay Willowherb, Compact & Soft Rush, and Hazel. Oak had lots of galls - Common Spangle, Silk Button, Marble, and Knopper. At this point we realised we had managed to lose one of the members! Eventually retrieving the wanderer, we had lunch near the cliff edge, and I was next to flowering Field Pansy.
The Boulder Clay Cliffs rise some 20 metres (65 feet) above the shore. The clay contains granite boulders from as far as south Scotland and the Lake District, as well flints from Northern Ireland and sand from the bed of the Irish Sea. There is some shrub and tree cover (Sycamore, Common Alder, oak, gorse etc.) in parts but cliff slippages and falls giving chance for a more specialised flora.
Great Horsetail was locally abundant with Bracken and Evening Primrose. We looked north towards the Dungeon which means “land next to a marsh” (as in Dungeness) and could see the remains of the wharf and salt refinery. On the shore were patches of Spear-leaved Orache, but this section had bad erosion and so there was no other vegetation here.
We then headed along the Mersey Way path with farmland on the inland side and the cliff edge on the estuary side. Here we found False Brome, Holly, Hawthorn, Bracken, Scentless and Scented Mayweed, False Oat Grass, Wood Sage, and Wall Barley. There was more Bilbao Fleabane plus Common Bent, Fat Hen and a Potato was in flower and fruit. Mildew on Common Knotgrass was Erysiphe polygoni, with mildew Erysiphe heraclei on Hogweed and Perennial Rye Grass had Ergot Claviceps purpurea which can cause ergotism (many symptoms including vomiting, convulsions, gangrene, and psychosis) if infected grain is eaten. Also located were Wild Cherry, Gorse, Common Lime, Hedge Mustard, Garlic Mustard, and Prickly Lettuce.
Next came an extensive Grey Poplar Wood of very little interest. The field south of Icehouse Plantation was full of Wild Radish (in all three colour forms) and there was Buckwheat Fagopyrum esculentum. Along the field edge was Field Bindweed & Black Bindweed and also Cleavers, Grey Willow and one Japanese Knotweed patch.
The pink form of Hedge Bindweed, Calystegia sepium ssp. roseata, was first seen in the locality and this sub-species was first named by Dr Dick Brummitt (BSBI obituary). His PhD at Liverpool was on bindweeds, he was also an ex-president of the Liverpool Botanical Society and later worked at Kew. Calystegia sepium subsp. roseata Brummitt in BSBI Online Plant Atlas 2020
Reed dominates much of shore, but we could see the zonation of saltmarsh with zones of Perennial Sowthistle, Reed, Sea Aster, and Common Cord Grass Spartina anglica.
We then headed back the way we had come adding a Migrant Hawker Dragonfly and perhaps the star of the show was a Clouded Yellow butterfly feeding on Wild Radish flowers.
A fallen oak had plenty of the mature, black fungus King Alfred’s Cakes or Cramp Balls Daldinia concentrica. Near a barn by the bridleway was Apple Mint Mentha × villosa (Spearmint x Round-leaved Mint) and in a trough was Pink Sorrel, Red Dead-nettle, and Field Forget-me-not. The return down Hale Road added Large Bindweed and on the pavement was Chewing Gum Lichen Protoparmeliopsis muralis. We finished at 15.25.
Birds we saw or heard were Magpie, Crow, Robin, Blackbird, Wren, Long-tailed Tit, Woodpigeon, Herring Gull, Black Headed Gull, and Lesser Black-backed Gull. Two Great White Egret flew down on to the Mersey where three Grey Heron fed along the shore. Also, present were Mallard, Starling, 57 Swallow and 20 House Martin.
Insect wise the highlight was a Clouded Yellow butterfly in the Wild Radish field, that was feeding at the flowers. Other butterflies found were a few Small Copper, Green-veined White, Small White, Large White, Red Admiral, Painted Lady, and six Speckled Wood. Other insects seen included Flesh Fly, Common Carder Bumble Bee, Tree Bumble Bee, Honeybee, Social Wasps, and a Hornet at the Grey Poplar Wood. Also, present were Garden Spider, Common Field Grasshopper and we saw hymenopteran (solitary bee or wasps) burrows in a clay bank. Perennial Sowthistle had gall midge galls Cystiphora sonchi.
Hooton 16 August 2025
Nine set out from Hooton Railway station, but being a botanical group spent half an hour before leaving that area, as we found plenty of different plants. These included Scarlet Pimpernel, masses of Autumn Hawkbit, some Hedge Woundwort, Hemp Agrimony, Prickly and Wall Lettuces, White Campion, Common Orache, Goatsbeard, Great Mullein and Wood Avens. Common Knotgrass had the mildew Erysiphe polygoni and a settled Holly Blue Butterfly was basking on a leaf.
Discussion on the identification of the station surround plantings included an unknown, black-berried shrub looking like Spurge Laurel as well as Portugal Laurel Prunus lusitanica, hybrid Coralberry (attracting Honeybee and Tachinid Flies). A Sycamore had both mite galls Aceria cephalonea and Tar Spot Fungus Rhytisma acerinum; we also saw Common Carder Bee.
Heading over the bridge towards the entrance to the Wirral Way we found Spear-leaved and Common Oraches, Shepherds Purse, Nipplewort and Common Ivy.
The slope down to the Wirral Way had Large and Hedge Bindweeds, Hairy Bittercress, Wood Dock, and Common Fleabane. Also here were Turkey Oak, Dogwood, Hoary Ragwort Jacobaea erucifolia, Yew and Hedge Mustard. We could compare three Willowherbs - American, Great and Rosebay: plus, Bristly Oxtongue with both Smooth and Prickly Sowthistles. The Garlic Mustard here had enormous leaves. Heading along the path we located Ash, Horse Chestnut, Honeysuckle, Goat and Grey Willows (some had galls of Aceria iteina), Norway Maple and Hemp Agrimony.
Land to the north being developed had Hoary Mustard, Typha, Teasel and Scented Mayweed. The sunny spells brought out a Small Tortoiseshell and an oak had both Artichoke and Common Spangle Galls.
Flowering were Upright Hedge Parsley, Fool’s Parsley, Petty Spurge, Herb Robert. Common Fleabane, Red Clover, and a Hieracium which I believe to be Glabrous-headed Hawkweed Hieracium vagum. Also present along this stretch were fruiting Black Bryony, Blackberry, Hawthorn, and Dog Rose. Added to the growing list was False Brome, Hybrid Crack and White Willows, Tufted Vetch, Common Polypody, Male and Broad Buckler Ferns, Meadow and Creeping Buttercups. The oak leaves were covered in Common Spangle and Silk Button Galls, as well as some Artichoke and Marble Galls, plus a few Oyster Gall Neuroterus anthracinus and Oak Apples (caused by the gall wasp Biorhiza pallida). We found a single flowering Common Toadflax and could examine both Broad-leaved and Hoary Willowherbs.
A birch had the Birch Polypore or Razorstrop Fungus Fomitopsis betulina (formerly Piptoporus betulinus). Added to the list were Tufted Hair Grass, Oregon Grape Mahonia aquifolium, Lilac, Elder, Raspberry, Common and Grey Alders (the latter with Alder Leaf Beetle) and Wild Angelica. Hogweed had leaf mines of either Phytomyza spondylii or Phytomyza pastinacae and also mildew Erysiphe heraclei. The oak acorns and the ground were covered in Knopper Galls, a species only in Britain since the 1960’s. Birds were scarce though we did have Magpie, Crow, Woodpigeon and Blackbird. It was warm and sunny enough at times for butterflies with five Green-veined Whites and three Speckled Wood in flight. Oak was mined by the moth Base-spotted Pigmy Stigmella basiguttella?
As we lunched on the long bench made from an old railway tower frame, we were showered by the falling yellow leaves, mainly of birch, as the drought brings on an early autumn. Wood Avens had the mildew Podosphaera aphanis var. aphanis and there was a spider Metellina segmentata.
A wet patch alongside the path had Brooklime Veronica beccabunga, what a great name! and Wavy Bittercress. We added to the growing list with Field Rose (easily told by the hips and its growth form), Creeping Cinquefoil, Great Plantain, Hybrid Black Poplar, Buckthorn Rhamnus cathartica (had moth leaf mine Stigmella catharticella), Rowan, Himalayan Balsam, and Blackthorn.
We turned on to a meadow (presumably with sown seed mix if you look at the species found) now largely planted up with native trees. The grassland had Common Fleabane, Red Bartsia, Hoary Ragwort, Daisy, Dandelion, White Clover, Creeping Thistle, Smooth Tare (4 seeds in pods), Tufted Vetch, Black Medick, Scented Mayweed. Grasses included Tufted Hair Grass, Perennial Rye Grass, Crested Dogstail, Common Bent, Timothy, Cocksfoot and we could compare the three rushes – Soft, Hard and Compact.
Trees and shrubs included Hazel, Field Maple, Scots Pine, Rowan, Guelder Rose (with fruit and leaves decimated by Viburnum leaf beetle), Apple, and Grey Willow. Bramble had the rust Phragmidium violaceum Violet Bramble Rust and we could compare Oxeye and Shasta Daisies.
Insects here included Honeybee, a queen Tree Bumblebee, Dronefly Eristalis tenax, a Brown Hawker Dragonfly whizzed past, the bluish-green leafhopper Cicadella viridis and single Small and Large White butterflies. Birdwise there was a Blackbird, and a Common Buzzard flew over.
At the pond was Broad-leaved Pondweed Potamogeton natans, Common Spike Rush, Reed, Redshank, Water Avens gone to seed, Bulrush Typha latifolia, Perforate St John's-wort Hypericum perforatum and its hybrid with Imperforate - Des Etangs' St John's-wort Hypericum maculatum × perforatum = H. × desetangsii. This area also contained the white form of Wild Radish, Birdsfoot Trefoil (non-native planted sativus), Fodder Burnet, Montbretia (Crocosmia), Strawberry, Tutsan, Common Knapweed, Common Mouse-ear, Broom, Gorse and Blackthorn (in fruit).
At the junction with the main path at SJ35007785 was Meadowsweet and a few Bilbao Fleabane Erigeron floribundus in flower, told by their reddish-tipped flowers and looking more similar to Canadian Fleabane rather than Guernsey Fleabane, it was not known in Britain until 1994, but it has spread rapidly.
Butterflies were flying as it warmed up with two Large White and single, Green-veined White and Speckled Wood. Lumpy Bracket fungus Trametes gibbosa was on a stump.
Going past the station car park, with planted form of Burnet Rose, we headed to the Memorial Hall and Woods, quickly finding a gone-to-seed Broad-leaved Helleborine Orchid, with about a dozen seen in total. Here too indicating ancient woodland were Wood Speedwell, Wild Strawberry, Wood and Remote Sedges. But also here were Mugwort, Pendulous Sedge, Common Knapweed, Aspen, Grey Poplar, Wall Lettuce, Wild Cherry, Larch, Paper Bark Birch Betula papyrifera, Beech, Sweet Chestnut, Petty Spurge, Selfheal, cultivated form of Yellow Archangel – argenteum, Osier, Wild and Bird Cherries, Common, Small-leaved and Caucasian Limes Tilia x euchlora. The pond had planted Water Lily.
The wood hosted a Queen Buff-tailed Bumblebee, three Speckled Wood, single Large and Green-veined Whites, two Blackbird and a Song Thrush. On a log was a Ganoderma fungus. In the middle of the wood Hybrid Woundwort (Hedge x Marsh) was in flower and next to it was a tall Marsh Thistle.
Previous LBS Trips to Hooton were in 1999 https://www.livbotsoc.org/1999-field-trips.html and 2011 https://www.livbotsoc.org/2011-field-trips.html.
Nine set out from Hooton Railway station, but being a botanical group spent half an hour before leaving that area, as we found plenty of different plants. These included Scarlet Pimpernel, masses of Autumn Hawkbit, some Hedge Woundwort, Hemp Agrimony, Prickly and Wall Lettuces, White Campion, Common Orache, Goatsbeard, Great Mullein and Wood Avens. Common Knotgrass had the mildew Erysiphe polygoni and a settled Holly Blue Butterfly was basking on a leaf.
Discussion on the identification of the station surround plantings included an unknown, black-berried shrub looking like Spurge Laurel as well as Portugal Laurel Prunus lusitanica, hybrid Coralberry (attracting Honeybee and Tachinid Flies). A Sycamore had both mite galls Aceria cephalonea and Tar Spot Fungus Rhytisma acerinum; we also saw Common Carder Bee.
Heading over the bridge towards the entrance to the Wirral Way we found Spear-leaved and Common Oraches, Shepherds Purse, Nipplewort and Common Ivy.
The slope down to the Wirral Way had Large and Hedge Bindweeds, Hairy Bittercress, Wood Dock, and Common Fleabane. Also here were Turkey Oak, Dogwood, Hoary Ragwort Jacobaea erucifolia, Yew and Hedge Mustard. We could compare three Willowherbs - American, Great and Rosebay: plus, Bristly Oxtongue with both Smooth and Prickly Sowthistles. The Garlic Mustard here had enormous leaves. Heading along the path we located Ash, Horse Chestnut, Honeysuckle, Goat and Grey Willows (some had galls of Aceria iteina), Norway Maple and Hemp Agrimony.
Land to the north being developed had Hoary Mustard, Typha, Teasel and Scented Mayweed. The sunny spells brought out a Small Tortoiseshell and an oak had both Artichoke and Common Spangle Galls.
Flowering were Upright Hedge Parsley, Fool’s Parsley, Petty Spurge, Herb Robert. Common Fleabane, Red Clover, and a Hieracium which I believe to be Glabrous-headed Hawkweed Hieracium vagum. Also present along this stretch were fruiting Black Bryony, Blackberry, Hawthorn, and Dog Rose. Added to the growing list was False Brome, Hybrid Crack and White Willows, Tufted Vetch, Common Polypody, Male and Broad Buckler Ferns, Meadow and Creeping Buttercups. The oak leaves were covered in Common Spangle and Silk Button Galls, as well as some Artichoke and Marble Galls, plus a few Oyster Gall Neuroterus anthracinus and Oak Apples (caused by the gall wasp Biorhiza pallida). We found a single flowering Common Toadflax and could examine both Broad-leaved and Hoary Willowherbs.
A birch had the Birch Polypore or Razorstrop Fungus Fomitopsis betulina (formerly Piptoporus betulinus). Added to the list were Tufted Hair Grass, Oregon Grape Mahonia aquifolium, Lilac, Elder, Raspberry, Common and Grey Alders (the latter with Alder Leaf Beetle) and Wild Angelica. Hogweed had leaf mines of either Phytomyza spondylii or Phytomyza pastinacae and also mildew Erysiphe heraclei. The oak acorns and the ground were covered in Knopper Galls, a species only in Britain since the 1960’s. Birds were scarce though we did have Magpie, Crow, Woodpigeon and Blackbird. It was warm and sunny enough at times for butterflies with five Green-veined Whites and three Speckled Wood in flight. Oak was mined by the moth Base-spotted Pigmy Stigmella basiguttella?
As we lunched on the long bench made from an old railway tower frame, we were showered by the falling yellow leaves, mainly of birch, as the drought brings on an early autumn. Wood Avens had the mildew Podosphaera aphanis var. aphanis and there was a spider Metellina segmentata.
A wet patch alongside the path had Brooklime Veronica beccabunga, what a great name! and Wavy Bittercress. We added to the growing list with Field Rose (easily told by the hips and its growth form), Creeping Cinquefoil, Great Plantain, Hybrid Black Poplar, Buckthorn Rhamnus cathartica (had moth leaf mine Stigmella catharticella), Rowan, Himalayan Balsam, and Blackthorn.
We turned on to a meadow (presumably with sown seed mix if you look at the species found) now largely planted up with native trees. The grassland had Common Fleabane, Red Bartsia, Hoary Ragwort, Daisy, Dandelion, White Clover, Creeping Thistle, Smooth Tare (4 seeds in pods), Tufted Vetch, Black Medick, Scented Mayweed. Grasses included Tufted Hair Grass, Perennial Rye Grass, Crested Dogstail, Common Bent, Timothy, Cocksfoot and we could compare the three rushes – Soft, Hard and Compact.
Trees and shrubs included Hazel, Field Maple, Scots Pine, Rowan, Guelder Rose (with fruit and leaves decimated by Viburnum leaf beetle), Apple, and Grey Willow. Bramble had the rust Phragmidium violaceum Violet Bramble Rust and we could compare Oxeye and Shasta Daisies.
Insects here included Honeybee, a queen Tree Bumblebee, Dronefly Eristalis tenax, a Brown Hawker Dragonfly whizzed past, the bluish-green leafhopper Cicadella viridis and single Small and Large White butterflies. Birdwise there was a Blackbird, and a Common Buzzard flew over.
At the pond was Broad-leaved Pondweed Potamogeton natans, Common Spike Rush, Reed, Redshank, Water Avens gone to seed, Bulrush Typha latifolia, Perforate St John's-wort Hypericum perforatum and its hybrid with Imperforate - Des Etangs' St John's-wort Hypericum maculatum × perforatum = H. × desetangsii. This area also contained the white form of Wild Radish, Birdsfoot Trefoil (non-native planted sativus), Fodder Burnet, Montbretia (Crocosmia), Strawberry, Tutsan, Common Knapweed, Common Mouse-ear, Broom, Gorse and Blackthorn (in fruit).
At the junction with the main path at SJ35007785 was Meadowsweet and a few Bilbao Fleabane Erigeron floribundus in flower, told by their reddish-tipped flowers and looking more similar to Canadian Fleabane rather than Guernsey Fleabane, it was not known in Britain until 1994, but it has spread rapidly.
Butterflies were flying as it warmed up with two Large White and single, Green-veined White and Speckled Wood. Lumpy Bracket fungus Trametes gibbosa was on a stump.
Going past the station car park, with planted form of Burnet Rose, we headed to the Memorial Hall and Woods, quickly finding a gone-to-seed Broad-leaved Helleborine Orchid, with about a dozen seen in total. Here too indicating ancient woodland were Wood Speedwell, Wild Strawberry, Wood and Remote Sedges. But also here were Mugwort, Pendulous Sedge, Common Knapweed, Aspen, Grey Poplar, Wall Lettuce, Wild Cherry, Larch, Paper Bark Birch Betula papyrifera, Beech, Sweet Chestnut, Petty Spurge, Selfheal, cultivated form of Yellow Archangel – argenteum, Osier, Wild and Bird Cherries, Common, Small-leaved and Caucasian Limes Tilia x euchlora. The pond had planted Water Lily.
The wood hosted a Queen Buff-tailed Bumblebee, three Speckled Wood, single Large and Green-veined Whites, two Blackbird and a Song Thrush. On a log was a Ganoderma fungus. In the middle of the wood Hybrid Woundwort (Hedge x Marsh) was in flower and next to it was a tall Marsh Thistle.
Previous LBS Trips to Hooton were in 1999 https://www.livbotsoc.org/1999-field-trips.html and 2011 https://www.livbotsoc.org/2011-field-trips.html.
Anderton Nature Park, Northwich 26 July 2025
This site is within parts of OS girds SJ6475, SJ6574, SJ6575 & SJ6675 all north of Weaver Navigation & Witton Brook which acts as the southern boundary. The pay & display car-park start point is at SJ648756, by the Anderton Boat-lift Visitor’s Centre. Our walk is all east of this location but shy of Haydas Pool beyond the eastern side of this park. The Weaver Navigation is linked via the Anderton Boat Lift to the Trent & Mersey Canal which arcs around & acts as a northern boundary of this park.
A significant area north of Northwich was reclaimed from the Lime, Clinker & Ash wasteland, including subsidence pools created by the 19th century Soda Industry here. The Anderton Nature Park itself was reclaimed from 1987, during the second phase of recovering the wider area. Overall, these parks with flashes amount to a significant semi-managed post-industrial area returned to nature for the benefit of the community.
The LBS visit was on Saturday 26th July 2025 starting at 10:30. A small group of five members, plus one young Manchester botanist attended. The weather was cloudy to start with, which became brighter later with temperatures rising from 16c to 20c during the afternoon.
We walked eastward through the wood along the main tarmac track downhill. Plant finds here, included: Aspen Populus tremula, Spindle Euonymus europaeus, Field Maple Acer campestre, Enchanter’s-nightshade Circaea lutetiana & Lords & Ladies Arum maculatum orange fruit spikes. Within & around the main meadow were flowering Field Scabious Knautia arvensis, Meadow Crane’s-bill Geranium pratense, Upright Hedge Parsley Torilis japonica, Timothy Phleum pratense & Red Bartsia Odontites vernus.
Unfortunately, the Shooting Club were using the small gunsite-range which encouraged us to move on from our short lunch break at the picnic tables near the Weaver Navigation. Finds eastwards along the navigation edge included: Autumn Hawkbit Scorzoneroides autumnalis, Prickly Sedge Carex muricata ssp. pairae, Gipsywort Lycopus europaeus, Lesser Water-parsnip Betula erecta, Hemp-agrimony Eupatorium cannabinum, Wild Angelica Angelica sylvestris, Hedge-row Crane’s-bill Geranium pyrenaicum, Orange Balsam Impatiens capensis, Branched Bur-reed Sparganium erectum, Wild Marjoram Origanum vulgare, Water Figwort Scrophularia auriculata, plus within the water were patches of Floating Pennywort Hydrocotyle ranunculoides.
We left the lower meadow along the woodland trackway by the Weaver Navigation finding: Grey Alder Alnus incana, Marsh Thistle Cirsium palustre, Tansy Tanacetum vulgare, Bittersweet Solanum dulcamara, Marsh Woundwort Stachys palustris, Wild Teasel Dipsacus fullonum & Common Valerian Valeriana officinalis. We ignored the footbridge over the Weaver Navigation, instead turned left uphill onto the woodland trackway to turn left. Here were patches of False Broom Brachypodium sylvaticum, then Early Goldenrod Solidago gigantea by the vehicle bridge. We then turned right, then immediately right again into the highlight small meadow which favours smaller plants, presumably due to the significant lime waste here. New finds here included: Wild Strawberry Fragaria vesca, Yellow-rattle Rhinanthus minor, c120 Fragrant Orchid sp. Gymnadenia sp. spikes now mostly going over, Fairy-Flax Linum catharticum, Thyme-leaved Speedwell Veronica serpyllifolia, Mouse-ear-hawkweed Pilosella officinarum, Common Centaury Centaurium erythraea & Hoary Ragwort Jacobaea erucifolia.
We returned westward along the higher trackway below this meadow, passing a triangular meadow on the right before we encountered on the left woodland edge the only Broad-leaved Helleborine Epipactis helleborine seen today. Along this track we also recorded Pale Sedge Carex pallescens as we returned to the main lower meadow, where we visited the gated Dragonfly Pool on the right by the Shooting Range – thankfully now quiet. We did spot a few Dragonflies & Damselflies, including a Brown Hawker, Common Darter & Blue-tailed Damselfly. Plants present were Grey Club-rush Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani the dominant vegetation at the pool edge & some Common Fleabane Pulicaria dysenterica behind us. After leaving, along this pool fence we saw a single flowering Ploughman’s-spikenard Inula conyzae before returning uphill to the main car-park by 15:40.
Butterflies seen included: Green Veined White, Small White, Large White, Speckled Wood, Meadow Brown, Red Admiral & frequent Gatekeeper.
Thanks to BSBI’s Martyn Stead for corrections & new identifications, plus helping with the young botanist revising for his BSBI FRISK test. A total of 180 taxa were recorded during this visit & my two earlier visits from mid-July.
Report by walk leader Robert Freeth.
This site is within parts of OS girds SJ6475, SJ6574, SJ6575 & SJ6675 all north of Weaver Navigation & Witton Brook which acts as the southern boundary. The pay & display car-park start point is at SJ648756, by the Anderton Boat-lift Visitor’s Centre. Our walk is all east of this location but shy of Haydas Pool beyond the eastern side of this park. The Weaver Navigation is linked via the Anderton Boat Lift to the Trent & Mersey Canal which arcs around & acts as a northern boundary of this park.
A significant area north of Northwich was reclaimed from the Lime, Clinker & Ash wasteland, including subsidence pools created by the 19th century Soda Industry here. The Anderton Nature Park itself was reclaimed from 1987, during the second phase of recovering the wider area. Overall, these parks with flashes amount to a significant semi-managed post-industrial area returned to nature for the benefit of the community.
The LBS visit was on Saturday 26th July 2025 starting at 10:30. A small group of five members, plus one young Manchester botanist attended. The weather was cloudy to start with, which became brighter later with temperatures rising from 16c to 20c during the afternoon.
We walked eastward through the wood along the main tarmac track downhill. Plant finds here, included: Aspen Populus tremula, Spindle Euonymus europaeus, Field Maple Acer campestre, Enchanter’s-nightshade Circaea lutetiana & Lords & Ladies Arum maculatum orange fruit spikes. Within & around the main meadow were flowering Field Scabious Knautia arvensis, Meadow Crane’s-bill Geranium pratense, Upright Hedge Parsley Torilis japonica, Timothy Phleum pratense & Red Bartsia Odontites vernus.
Unfortunately, the Shooting Club were using the small gunsite-range which encouraged us to move on from our short lunch break at the picnic tables near the Weaver Navigation. Finds eastwards along the navigation edge included: Autumn Hawkbit Scorzoneroides autumnalis, Prickly Sedge Carex muricata ssp. pairae, Gipsywort Lycopus europaeus, Lesser Water-parsnip Betula erecta, Hemp-agrimony Eupatorium cannabinum, Wild Angelica Angelica sylvestris, Hedge-row Crane’s-bill Geranium pyrenaicum, Orange Balsam Impatiens capensis, Branched Bur-reed Sparganium erectum, Wild Marjoram Origanum vulgare, Water Figwort Scrophularia auriculata, plus within the water were patches of Floating Pennywort Hydrocotyle ranunculoides.
We left the lower meadow along the woodland trackway by the Weaver Navigation finding: Grey Alder Alnus incana, Marsh Thistle Cirsium palustre, Tansy Tanacetum vulgare, Bittersweet Solanum dulcamara, Marsh Woundwort Stachys palustris, Wild Teasel Dipsacus fullonum & Common Valerian Valeriana officinalis. We ignored the footbridge over the Weaver Navigation, instead turned left uphill onto the woodland trackway to turn left. Here were patches of False Broom Brachypodium sylvaticum, then Early Goldenrod Solidago gigantea by the vehicle bridge. We then turned right, then immediately right again into the highlight small meadow which favours smaller plants, presumably due to the significant lime waste here. New finds here included: Wild Strawberry Fragaria vesca, Yellow-rattle Rhinanthus minor, c120 Fragrant Orchid sp. Gymnadenia sp. spikes now mostly going over, Fairy-Flax Linum catharticum, Thyme-leaved Speedwell Veronica serpyllifolia, Mouse-ear-hawkweed Pilosella officinarum, Common Centaury Centaurium erythraea & Hoary Ragwort Jacobaea erucifolia.
We returned westward along the higher trackway below this meadow, passing a triangular meadow on the right before we encountered on the left woodland edge the only Broad-leaved Helleborine Epipactis helleborine seen today. Along this track we also recorded Pale Sedge Carex pallescens as we returned to the main lower meadow, where we visited the gated Dragonfly Pool on the right by the Shooting Range – thankfully now quiet. We did spot a few Dragonflies & Damselflies, including a Brown Hawker, Common Darter & Blue-tailed Damselfly. Plants present were Grey Club-rush Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani the dominant vegetation at the pool edge & some Common Fleabane Pulicaria dysenterica behind us. After leaving, along this pool fence we saw a single flowering Ploughman’s-spikenard Inula conyzae before returning uphill to the main car-park by 15:40.
Butterflies seen included: Green Veined White, Small White, Large White, Speckled Wood, Meadow Brown, Red Admiral & frequent Gatekeeper.
Thanks to BSBI’s Martyn Stead for corrections & new identifications, plus helping with the young botanist revising for his BSBI FRISK test. A total of 180 taxa were recorded during this visit & my two earlier visits from mid-July.
Report by walk leader Robert Freeth.
Port Sunlight River Park 12 July 2025
Port Sunlight River Park was formed from a former tip that ran from 1995 to 2006. It rises 37 metres above the Mersey and gives spectacular views over the Mersey, the Wirral, Cheshire, and North Wales. It was completed in 2014 and there are nearly three miles of paths in the 30 hectares (74 acres). Some 15,000 trees have been planted as well as many wildflower seeds.
Initially three of us set out in the searing heat, though we were later joined by a fourth. At the starting point was purple-leaved Norway Maple, Hoary Mustard, and plenty of Hawkweed Oxtongue Picris hieracioides. We soon found Common Poppy, Apple Mint (which had mildew Neoerysiphe galeopsidis), Tansy, Nettle, Gorse, Broom, Teasel, Hogweed, Mugwort, Creeping Cinquefoil, Yarrow, Silverweed, Groundsel, Wild Carrot, Herb Robert, Mugwort, Petty Spurge, Common Catsear, lots of Buddleia, Bramble, Wood Avens, Spear Thistle, Common Knapweed, and Cotoneaster.
A large Hypericum proved to be Tall Tutsan H. x inodorum (hybrid between Stinking Tutsan and Tutsan) and the smaller Tutsan was later found on the eastern side.
It was a good day for observing similar species side by side, with legumes in profusion we could compare White and Red Clovers, Meadow Vetchling, Common and Tufted Vetches, Birdsfoot Trefoil, Hairy Tare, Black Medick, Lesser Trefoil, Tall Melilot, and Broad-leaved Everlasting Pea.
Also in the grasslands were Broad-leaved and Curled Docks, Coltsfoot, Dovesfoot Cranesbill, Oxeye Daisy, Cleavers, Common Mallow, Lady’s Bedstraw, Common Fleabane, Creeping Thistle, Michaelmas Daisy, Smooth Hawksbeard, Smooth and Prickly Sowthistles, Meadow and Creeping Buttercup, Great Willowherb, Dandelion, Common Catsear, Lucerne, Montbretia, Common Fleabane, Red and White Campions and Scentless Mayweed.
Common Ragwort was actually not that common, the one in abundance was Hoary Ragwort Jacobaea erucifolia with its different look of narrower, greyish leaves, long cottony hairs below the leaves and a less compact flowering head.
Grasses were there in abundance with Barren Brome, Perennial Rye Grass, Annual Meadow Grass, False Oat Grass, Cocksfoot Grass, Common Bent, lots of Red Fescue, Sweet Vernal Grass, Crested Dogstail, Yorkshire Fog, Reed, Reed Canary Grass, and Meadow Foxtail still in flower under a picnic table. Other monocots present were Pendulous Sedge, False Fox Sedge and Jointed Rush.
One of the interesting things to note was the strange juxtaposition of plants of different habitats found growing together.
Also added to the list were Large Bindweed, Great and Ribwort Plantains, Chicory, Red Bartsia and Sea Buckthorn. There was even more Hawkweed Oxtongue Picris hieracioides, though surprisingly Bristly Oxtongue Helminthotheca echioides was rare, we found just two plants, though years ago it was the reverse.
Beyond the summit noticeboard around SJ34588505 there was a Mediterranean feel with Fennel, Crown Vetch Securigera varia and Italian Alder. Nearby was Wild Onion Allium vineale.
Heading down the slope we located Field and Great Horsetails, Dog Rose, Greater Birdsfoot Trefoil, and Common Sorrel. There was a flowering patch of Sulphur Cinquefoil Potentilla vecta “sulphurea” obviously of garden origin. Nearby was Hairy Sedge and further along the path some flowering Scarlet Pimpernel, also here were Spear Thistle and Oxeye Daisy. Many plants (and us!) showed signs of wilting in the heat and drought conditions.
The lake was just about dry but still had 95 Black-tailed Godwit, many resplendent in their chestnut breeding plumage, a couple of Coot, and a few gulls.
In this area was a lot of Reed, along with planted Dogwood and Wild Privet. Also found were Herb Robert, Wood Dock, Hedge Woundwort, Rosebay Willowherb, Wild Carrot, Wild Cherry, Russian Comfrey, Common Mouse-ear, Black Bryony and Tansy.
The Woodlands had Sycamore, Pine, Aspen, Apple, Ash, Oak, Hawthorn, Rowan, Goat, Grey, White, Osier, and Hybrid Crack Willows, Bramble, Downy and Silver Birch, Wood Avens, Blackthorn, Elm, Apple, Guelder Rose, Common Alder, White and Hybrid Black Poplar, Hazel and Oak. On trees were the lichens Xanthoria parietina, Lecanora chlarotera and Lecidella elaeochroma.
Looking down to the shore at Shorefields we observed Oystercatcher, 32 Curlew, over 200 Black-headed Gulls, two Cormorant, and a couple of Crow.
We could compare the look, and smell, of Black Horehound and Hedge Woundwort. Along the Mersey View Path we located Perforate St. John’s Wort, Tansy, lots of Field Forget-me-not, Birdsfoot Trefoil, Smooth Hawksbeard, Yellow-wort, Common Centaury, Rosebay, Great and Hoary Willowherbs, Purple Toadflax, Curled Dock (littoreus), Viper’s Bugloss, Green Alkanet, Hedge Mustard, Wood Avens, Garlic Mustard (still in flower), Lesser Burdock, Evening Primrose and Elder.
The area around the Café had planted Greater Knapweed, Hedge Bedstraw, Lady’s Bedstraw, Oxeye Daisy, Marjoram, Viper’s Bugloss, Red and White Campions, Wild Carrot, Fodder Burnet, Birdsfoot Trefoil, Also here were Red and White Clovers, Procumbent Pearlwort, Great Plantain, and Timothy.
We then went alongside the River Dibbin outflow and the former Bromborough Dock and then along the roadway back to the starting point we found more Wild Carrot, Wild Parsnip, Bristly Oxtongue, and Viper’ Bugloss.
Mildew Erysiphe heraclei was on the Hogweed, Oak mildew Erysiphe alphitoides on oak, Red Clover had Erysiphe trifoliorum, Tufted Vetch had Erysiphe baeumleri and both Black Horehound and Field Forget-me-not had Golovinomyces cynoglossi. Rust Bramble had the rust Phragmidium violaceum and Coltsfoot had the rust Puccinia poarum.
Birds Singing were Song Thrush, Greenfinch, Blackbird, Wren, Common Whitethroat, Blackcap, and Chiffchaff. Also present were Woodpigeon, Dunnock, Goldfinch, Blue Tit, two Kestrel together (one male), Magpie, Black-headed Gull, Feral Pigeon, two Linnet, two Stock Dove and Robin.
Insects We located Harlequin and 7 spot Ladybirds, Honeybee, Bumblebees, Silver Y moth, Grasshoppers, Hoverflies Eristalis pertinax and Batman Fly Myathropa florea.
Butterflies were abundant in the hot sunshine, and we found Large, Small and Green-veined Whites, Red Admiral, Small Skipper, Small Copper, Peacock, Speckled Wood, Meadow Brown, and Gatekeeper.
Port Sunlight River Park was formed from a former tip that ran from 1995 to 2006. It rises 37 metres above the Mersey and gives spectacular views over the Mersey, the Wirral, Cheshire, and North Wales. It was completed in 2014 and there are nearly three miles of paths in the 30 hectares (74 acres). Some 15,000 trees have been planted as well as many wildflower seeds.
Initially three of us set out in the searing heat, though we were later joined by a fourth. At the starting point was purple-leaved Norway Maple, Hoary Mustard, and plenty of Hawkweed Oxtongue Picris hieracioides. We soon found Common Poppy, Apple Mint (which had mildew Neoerysiphe galeopsidis), Tansy, Nettle, Gorse, Broom, Teasel, Hogweed, Mugwort, Creeping Cinquefoil, Yarrow, Silverweed, Groundsel, Wild Carrot, Herb Robert, Mugwort, Petty Spurge, Common Catsear, lots of Buddleia, Bramble, Wood Avens, Spear Thistle, Common Knapweed, and Cotoneaster.
A large Hypericum proved to be Tall Tutsan H. x inodorum (hybrid between Stinking Tutsan and Tutsan) and the smaller Tutsan was later found on the eastern side.
It was a good day for observing similar species side by side, with legumes in profusion we could compare White and Red Clovers, Meadow Vetchling, Common and Tufted Vetches, Birdsfoot Trefoil, Hairy Tare, Black Medick, Lesser Trefoil, Tall Melilot, and Broad-leaved Everlasting Pea.
Also in the grasslands were Broad-leaved and Curled Docks, Coltsfoot, Dovesfoot Cranesbill, Oxeye Daisy, Cleavers, Common Mallow, Lady’s Bedstraw, Common Fleabane, Creeping Thistle, Michaelmas Daisy, Smooth Hawksbeard, Smooth and Prickly Sowthistles, Meadow and Creeping Buttercup, Great Willowherb, Dandelion, Common Catsear, Lucerne, Montbretia, Common Fleabane, Red and White Campions and Scentless Mayweed.
Common Ragwort was actually not that common, the one in abundance was Hoary Ragwort Jacobaea erucifolia with its different look of narrower, greyish leaves, long cottony hairs below the leaves and a less compact flowering head.
Grasses were there in abundance with Barren Brome, Perennial Rye Grass, Annual Meadow Grass, False Oat Grass, Cocksfoot Grass, Common Bent, lots of Red Fescue, Sweet Vernal Grass, Crested Dogstail, Yorkshire Fog, Reed, Reed Canary Grass, and Meadow Foxtail still in flower under a picnic table. Other monocots present were Pendulous Sedge, False Fox Sedge and Jointed Rush.
One of the interesting things to note was the strange juxtaposition of plants of different habitats found growing together.
Also added to the list were Large Bindweed, Great and Ribwort Plantains, Chicory, Red Bartsia and Sea Buckthorn. There was even more Hawkweed Oxtongue Picris hieracioides, though surprisingly Bristly Oxtongue Helminthotheca echioides was rare, we found just two plants, though years ago it was the reverse.
Beyond the summit noticeboard around SJ34588505 there was a Mediterranean feel with Fennel, Crown Vetch Securigera varia and Italian Alder. Nearby was Wild Onion Allium vineale.
Heading down the slope we located Field and Great Horsetails, Dog Rose, Greater Birdsfoot Trefoil, and Common Sorrel. There was a flowering patch of Sulphur Cinquefoil Potentilla vecta “sulphurea” obviously of garden origin. Nearby was Hairy Sedge and further along the path some flowering Scarlet Pimpernel, also here were Spear Thistle and Oxeye Daisy. Many plants (and us!) showed signs of wilting in the heat and drought conditions.
The lake was just about dry but still had 95 Black-tailed Godwit, many resplendent in their chestnut breeding plumage, a couple of Coot, and a few gulls.
In this area was a lot of Reed, along with planted Dogwood and Wild Privet. Also found were Herb Robert, Wood Dock, Hedge Woundwort, Rosebay Willowherb, Wild Carrot, Wild Cherry, Russian Comfrey, Common Mouse-ear, Black Bryony and Tansy.
The Woodlands had Sycamore, Pine, Aspen, Apple, Ash, Oak, Hawthorn, Rowan, Goat, Grey, White, Osier, and Hybrid Crack Willows, Bramble, Downy and Silver Birch, Wood Avens, Blackthorn, Elm, Apple, Guelder Rose, Common Alder, White and Hybrid Black Poplar, Hazel and Oak. On trees were the lichens Xanthoria parietina, Lecanora chlarotera and Lecidella elaeochroma.
Looking down to the shore at Shorefields we observed Oystercatcher, 32 Curlew, over 200 Black-headed Gulls, two Cormorant, and a couple of Crow.
We could compare the look, and smell, of Black Horehound and Hedge Woundwort. Along the Mersey View Path we located Perforate St. John’s Wort, Tansy, lots of Field Forget-me-not, Birdsfoot Trefoil, Smooth Hawksbeard, Yellow-wort, Common Centaury, Rosebay, Great and Hoary Willowherbs, Purple Toadflax, Curled Dock (littoreus), Viper’s Bugloss, Green Alkanet, Hedge Mustard, Wood Avens, Garlic Mustard (still in flower), Lesser Burdock, Evening Primrose and Elder.
The area around the Café had planted Greater Knapweed, Hedge Bedstraw, Lady’s Bedstraw, Oxeye Daisy, Marjoram, Viper’s Bugloss, Red and White Campions, Wild Carrot, Fodder Burnet, Birdsfoot Trefoil, Also here were Red and White Clovers, Procumbent Pearlwort, Great Plantain, and Timothy.
We then went alongside the River Dibbin outflow and the former Bromborough Dock and then along the roadway back to the starting point we found more Wild Carrot, Wild Parsnip, Bristly Oxtongue, and Viper’ Bugloss.
Mildew Erysiphe heraclei was on the Hogweed, Oak mildew Erysiphe alphitoides on oak, Red Clover had Erysiphe trifoliorum, Tufted Vetch had Erysiphe baeumleri and both Black Horehound and Field Forget-me-not had Golovinomyces cynoglossi. Rust Bramble had the rust Phragmidium violaceum and Coltsfoot had the rust Puccinia poarum.
Birds Singing were Song Thrush, Greenfinch, Blackbird, Wren, Common Whitethroat, Blackcap, and Chiffchaff. Also present were Woodpigeon, Dunnock, Goldfinch, Blue Tit, two Kestrel together (one male), Magpie, Black-headed Gull, Feral Pigeon, two Linnet, two Stock Dove and Robin.
Insects We located Harlequin and 7 spot Ladybirds, Honeybee, Bumblebees, Silver Y moth, Grasshoppers, Hoverflies Eristalis pertinax and Batman Fly Myathropa florea.
Butterflies were abundant in the hot sunshine, and we found Large, Small and Green-veined Whites, Red Admiral, Small Skipper, Small Copper, Peacock, Speckled Wood, Meadow Brown, and Gatekeeper.
Hilbre 28 June 2025
The three islands are Hilbre, Middle Eye and Little Eye. They originally formed as part of the mainland but became tidal after the last Ice Age around 11,500 years ago. There have been Mesolithic and Neolithic finds, and they were also used by Romans. Later monks lived on the island and the name Hilbre is derived from the Anglo-Saxon saint St. Hildeburgh, a legendary figure associated with the island's early history and the monks who lived there. The name was originally Hildeburgheye, meaning Hildeburgh's Island. In 1856 the islands were sold to the Trustees of the Liverpool Docks, later the Mersey Docks and Harbour Board, who sold it to Hoylake Urban District Council in 1945. There are several buildings that tell the story of the island’s history. Hilbre Island
Hilbre consists of a ridge of Bunter sandstone of the Triassic period (180 million - 225 million years old). Footprints of crocodile-like animals, Chirotherium hilbrensis have been found. The soil is acidic as told by the heathland and bracken present. The exposed location and salt-laden air limit what can grow on the west side of the island.
Thirteen members and friends set off on the two-mile walk to the islands enjoying sunny but windy conditions. The trek across the sandflats was noticeable for the amount of lugworm burrows and casts as well as the abundance of Hydrobia snails.
Little Eye has little vegetation, but we did see Lyme Grass, Spear-leaved Orache, Sea Mayweed, Couch Grass, Sea Plantain, Curled Dock littoreus and Sea Purslane Atriplex portulacoides.
Middle Eye has lots of Bracken (on the east side) plus Common Ragwort, Curled Dock (littoreus), Grass-leaved Orache Atriplex littoralis, Spear-leaved Orache Atriplex prostrata, and a big patch of Sea Campion Silene uniflora. Long-bracted Sedge Carex extensa is at the edge of the path at the south end. Also seen were Sea Plantain, Thrift, Birdsfoot Trefoil, Yorkshire Fog, White Clover, Sea Beet, Danish Scurvy Grass, and Wood Sage. Rock Sea-spurrey Spergularia rupicola, is very much a western species, with Hilbre being the most easterly location in the centre of its range. Spergularia rupicola Lebel ex Le Jol. in BSBI Online Plant Atlas 2020
Between Middle Eye and Hilbre there are beds of seaweeds - Spiral, Channelled, Toothed and Bladder Wracks, with plenty of barnacles and especially abundant are Common Periwinkle Littorina littorea. In the pools were Intestine weed Ulva sp. and Shore Crabs. The strandline held seaweeds including Wireweed or Sargassum muticum, seawash balls (eggs of Whelks), Common Limpet, Razor shells (both Ensis ensis and Ensis siliqua), Common Cockle and the sand was coloured blue with the amount of Common Mussel shells.
The crevices of the East side hold Sea Spleenwort Asplenium marinum, one of the special plants here, a regionally scarce species, and this is its only regular Merseyside site. Asplenium marinum L. in BSBI Online Plant Atlas 2020
In sandy pockets at the south end were Spear-leaved Orache, Sea Beet, and flowering Lyme Grass. In damper patches the vegetation was like a mini-saltmarsh with Glasswort, Greater Sea-spurrey, Sea Milkwort and Sea Plantain.
Heading up the walled pathway we located the star of the show, the Celtic Rock Sea Lavender Limonium britannicum ssp. celticum. This endemic plant is frequent on many parts of the western half of the island. Hilbre Island is a significant location for this rarity, with c.1100 plants, a substantial percentage (at least 10%) of the world's population that is found in less than ten sites from North Wales to Cumbria. It is doing well here, especially at the edge of the small retaining walls. Limonium britannicum subsp. celticum Ingr. in BSBI Online Plant Atlas 2020
Some nice eye-level botanising along the rising track found Sand Sedge, Common Centaury, Buck's Horn Plantain, Danish Scurvygrass and more Rock Sea-spurrey. Much higher up was Sheep’s Bit Jasione montana, Thrift, Sea Campion with stretches of Bracken, Heather, and Bell Heather. Surprisingly, Brookweed was in flower at the path edge.
The Western Cliffs have cliff-top vegetation characteristic of the submaritime heaths that you get in Western Britain. Typical species include Thrift, Buck's Horn Plantain, Danish Scurvygrass, Rock Sea-spurrey and locally the Celtic Sea Lavender was frequent.
In and around the Pond Sea Club Rush Bolboschoenus maritimus is dominant with a large patch of flowering Silverweed. Also here were Marsh Pennywort Hydrocotyle vulgaris, flowering Sea Milkwort, Brookweed Samolus valerandi, Saltmarsh Rush Juncus gerardii, Common Spike Rush, Creeping Thistle, Jointed Rush, Creeping Bent, Creeping Buttercup, White and Red Clovers. Unfortunately, there is a small amount of New Zealand Pigmyweed Crassula helmsii. In the afternoon, a pair of Mallard flew on to it from the east.
Generally, across the island we found Birdsfoot Trefoil, Sea and Buckshorn Plantains, Bracken, Cleavers, Smooth and Prickly Sow-thistles, Spear Thistle, Hogweed, Nettle. The Lady’s Bedstraw is the small coastal var maritimum. Also present was Perennial Rye Grass along path edges, Common and Brown Bents Agrostis capillaris, and A. vinealis were frequent and the abundant Red Fescue here consists of three subspecies ssp. rubra, juncea and littoralis. The Couch Grasses consisted of Sea Couch, Common Couch, and there hybrid E. x oliveri. We also located Lesser Hawkbit, Yarrow, Common Catsear, Hedge Mustard, Daisy, Creeping Cinquefoil, Ribwort Plantain, Sheep’ Sorrel and Bramble.
By the Shelter, Toilets, Telegraph Station etc. were Honeysuckle, Common Mallow, and the strong-smelling Apple Mint Mentha spicata × suaveolens = M. × villosa. Here too we could find Wall Flower, Lesser Swine Cress, Common Sorrel, Pellitory-of-the-wall, Sea Pearlwort Sagina maritima, Yorkshire Fog, Dandelion and Annual Meadow Grass. Other finds were Green Alkanet, Yarrow, Cocksfoot Grass, Hogweed, Common Chickweed, and Alexanders. The Tufted Vetch was in flower.
The path down to the slipway on the eastern side had Great Willowherb in flower; Pellitory of the Wall, Wall Flower, Rock Sea Spurrey, and in the crevices, more Sea Spleenwort.
The northern extremities by the old Lifeboat station had plentiful Sea Purslane and Celtic Rock Sea Lavender, but just one patch of Sea Arrowgrass.
The northernmost paddock wall had a long stretch of Duke of Argyll’s Tea Plant, with Spear Thistle, Birdsfoot Trefoil, and Common Ragwort, too. Other paddocks had Cocksfoot Grass, Yorkshire Fog, Bracken, old Bluebell, Tufted Vetch, Field Bindweed and one Hazel bush. The central paddocks had Sea Campion, Garden Privet, more Duke of Argyll Tea Plant, Alexanders, Creeping Cinquefoil and Gorse.
We visited the art exhibition on at the Buoy Master’s complex. After that we could take it easy on the benches, enjoying the sunshine (and shelter from the wind). Here were Aquilegia (Columbine), Red Valerian, and flowering Wall Flower. We then went to the high point at the World War Two Decoy control building and then to the Heligoland Trap area. We found Field Bindweed, Daffodil (supposedly brought here by medieval monks) and along the paths through the bracken were patches of Hoary Cress Lepidium draba gone to seed. Heading south towards the Bird Observatory we saw sheltering Blackthorn for migrant birds. In this area we had Common Sorrel, old Bluebell seedheads, more Wood Sage and an Apple tree that was wind-blasted flat to the ground.
The Patches of heathland by the Bird Observatory are characterized by Bell Heather & Ling Heather, with Tormentil and Heath Bedstraw.
Finally, we sat in the sun (and wind) waiting for the tide to drop enough to start heading back. The first part was dry but it was the section from Little Eye to West Kirby that was the wettest with the wind keeping the water close inshore and so we got wet feet on just this last stretch of the adventure. Everyone enjoyed their experience of being on Hilbre over the high tide.
Other things seen included Lichens Crabs Eye Lichen Ochrolechia parella, Caloplaca citrina and Caloplaca marina, Verrucaria maura, Physcia sp. and Xanthoria parietina.
Birds Breeding birds Rock Pipit (we must have seen about 8, they have been colour ringed as part of a study); Meadow Pipit, at least three pairs of Linnets and a Blackbird was singing. A Pied Wagtail had a beak full of food to take to a nest. Two swallows on the wing gave some splendid views as did a solitary Swift. Flying past were a few Cormorant, Sandwich Tern, and Common Tern. Gulls were plentiful with a few Black-headed Gull and Lesser Black-backed Gulls, but most (several hundred) were Herring Gulls. The return past Middle Eye had birds feeding at the water’s edge with 2 Grey Heron, ten Little Egret and around a hundred Oystercatcher.
Another highlight was the views of the important population of Grey Seals. We saw about a dozen in the water over the high tide, but I saw a haul-out of 120 on the recce visit on Thursday, thought the summer peak can be as many as 900. A few little froglets were around the pond.
Invertebrates A good sighting was the two Hummingbird Hawk Moths (one on Middle Eye and one on Hilbre). Butterfly migration was noticeable even with the strong wind with most on the more sheltered eastern side. The commonest was Large White with about a dozen seen and also about six Red Admiral. Also present were a couple of Small White, Small Tortoiseshell, a Common Blue and a Silver Y Moth. The Common Ragwort had the black and yellow Cinnabar Moth caterpillars. Other finds were Garden Snail and a few Harlequin & 7-spot Ladybirds. At the pool was a male Blue-tailed Damselfly. A spectacular sight was a male Emperor Dragonfly catching prey in flight.
Text and Photos Steve Cross
The three islands are Hilbre, Middle Eye and Little Eye. They originally formed as part of the mainland but became tidal after the last Ice Age around 11,500 years ago. There have been Mesolithic and Neolithic finds, and they were also used by Romans. Later monks lived on the island and the name Hilbre is derived from the Anglo-Saxon saint St. Hildeburgh, a legendary figure associated with the island's early history and the monks who lived there. The name was originally Hildeburgheye, meaning Hildeburgh's Island. In 1856 the islands were sold to the Trustees of the Liverpool Docks, later the Mersey Docks and Harbour Board, who sold it to Hoylake Urban District Council in 1945. There are several buildings that tell the story of the island’s history. Hilbre Island
Hilbre consists of a ridge of Bunter sandstone of the Triassic period (180 million - 225 million years old). Footprints of crocodile-like animals, Chirotherium hilbrensis have been found. The soil is acidic as told by the heathland and bracken present. The exposed location and salt-laden air limit what can grow on the west side of the island.
Thirteen members and friends set off on the two-mile walk to the islands enjoying sunny but windy conditions. The trek across the sandflats was noticeable for the amount of lugworm burrows and casts as well as the abundance of Hydrobia snails.
Little Eye has little vegetation, but we did see Lyme Grass, Spear-leaved Orache, Sea Mayweed, Couch Grass, Sea Plantain, Curled Dock littoreus and Sea Purslane Atriplex portulacoides.
Middle Eye has lots of Bracken (on the east side) plus Common Ragwort, Curled Dock (littoreus), Grass-leaved Orache Atriplex littoralis, Spear-leaved Orache Atriplex prostrata, and a big patch of Sea Campion Silene uniflora. Long-bracted Sedge Carex extensa is at the edge of the path at the south end. Also seen were Sea Plantain, Thrift, Birdsfoot Trefoil, Yorkshire Fog, White Clover, Sea Beet, Danish Scurvy Grass, and Wood Sage. Rock Sea-spurrey Spergularia rupicola, is very much a western species, with Hilbre being the most easterly location in the centre of its range. Spergularia rupicola Lebel ex Le Jol. in BSBI Online Plant Atlas 2020
Between Middle Eye and Hilbre there are beds of seaweeds - Spiral, Channelled, Toothed and Bladder Wracks, with plenty of barnacles and especially abundant are Common Periwinkle Littorina littorea. In the pools were Intestine weed Ulva sp. and Shore Crabs. The strandline held seaweeds including Wireweed or Sargassum muticum, seawash balls (eggs of Whelks), Common Limpet, Razor shells (both Ensis ensis and Ensis siliqua), Common Cockle and the sand was coloured blue with the amount of Common Mussel shells.
The crevices of the East side hold Sea Spleenwort Asplenium marinum, one of the special plants here, a regionally scarce species, and this is its only regular Merseyside site. Asplenium marinum L. in BSBI Online Plant Atlas 2020
In sandy pockets at the south end were Spear-leaved Orache, Sea Beet, and flowering Lyme Grass. In damper patches the vegetation was like a mini-saltmarsh with Glasswort, Greater Sea-spurrey, Sea Milkwort and Sea Plantain.
Heading up the walled pathway we located the star of the show, the Celtic Rock Sea Lavender Limonium britannicum ssp. celticum. This endemic plant is frequent on many parts of the western half of the island. Hilbre Island is a significant location for this rarity, with c.1100 plants, a substantial percentage (at least 10%) of the world's population that is found in less than ten sites from North Wales to Cumbria. It is doing well here, especially at the edge of the small retaining walls. Limonium britannicum subsp. celticum Ingr. in BSBI Online Plant Atlas 2020
Some nice eye-level botanising along the rising track found Sand Sedge, Common Centaury, Buck's Horn Plantain, Danish Scurvygrass and more Rock Sea-spurrey. Much higher up was Sheep’s Bit Jasione montana, Thrift, Sea Campion with stretches of Bracken, Heather, and Bell Heather. Surprisingly, Brookweed was in flower at the path edge.
The Western Cliffs have cliff-top vegetation characteristic of the submaritime heaths that you get in Western Britain. Typical species include Thrift, Buck's Horn Plantain, Danish Scurvygrass, Rock Sea-spurrey and locally the Celtic Sea Lavender was frequent.
In and around the Pond Sea Club Rush Bolboschoenus maritimus is dominant with a large patch of flowering Silverweed. Also here were Marsh Pennywort Hydrocotyle vulgaris, flowering Sea Milkwort, Brookweed Samolus valerandi, Saltmarsh Rush Juncus gerardii, Common Spike Rush, Creeping Thistle, Jointed Rush, Creeping Bent, Creeping Buttercup, White and Red Clovers. Unfortunately, there is a small amount of New Zealand Pigmyweed Crassula helmsii. In the afternoon, a pair of Mallard flew on to it from the east.
Generally, across the island we found Birdsfoot Trefoil, Sea and Buckshorn Plantains, Bracken, Cleavers, Smooth and Prickly Sow-thistles, Spear Thistle, Hogweed, Nettle. The Lady’s Bedstraw is the small coastal var maritimum. Also present was Perennial Rye Grass along path edges, Common and Brown Bents Agrostis capillaris, and A. vinealis were frequent and the abundant Red Fescue here consists of three subspecies ssp. rubra, juncea and littoralis. The Couch Grasses consisted of Sea Couch, Common Couch, and there hybrid E. x oliveri. We also located Lesser Hawkbit, Yarrow, Common Catsear, Hedge Mustard, Daisy, Creeping Cinquefoil, Ribwort Plantain, Sheep’ Sorrel and Bramble.
By the Shelter, Toilets, Telegraph Station etc. were Honeysuckle, Common Mallow, and the strong-smelling Apple Mint Mentha spicata × suaveolens = M. × villosa. Here too we could find Wall Flower, Lesser Swine Cress, Common Sorrel, Pellitory-of-the-wall, Sea Pearlwort Sagina maritima, Yorkshire Fog, Dandelion and Annual Meadow Grass. Other finds were Green Alkanet, Yarrow, Cocksfoot Grass, Hogweed, Common Chickweed, and Alexanders. The Tufted Vetch was in flower.
The path down to the slipway on the eastern side had Great Willowherb in flower; Pellitory of the Wall, Wall Flower, Rock Sea Spurrey, and in the crevices, more Sea Spleenwort.
The northern extremities by the old Lifeboat station had plentiful Sea Purslane and Celtic Rock Sea Lavender, but just one patch of Sea Arrowgrass.
The northernmost paddock wall had a long stretch of Duke of Argyll’s Tea Plant, with Spear Thistle, Birdsfoot Trefoil, and Common Ragwort, too. Other paddocks had Cocksfoot Grass, Yorkshire Fog, Bracken, old Bluebell, Tufted Vetch, Field Bindweed and one Hazel bush. The central paddocks had Sea Campion, Garden Privet, more Duke of Argyll Tea Plant, Alexanders, Creeping Cinquefoil and Gorse.
We visited the art exhibition on at the Buoy Master’s complex. After that we could take it easy on the benches, enjoying the sunshine (and shelter from the wind). Here were Aquilegia (Columbine), Red Valerian, and flowering Wall Flower. We then went to the high point at the World War Two Decoy control building and then to the Heligoland Trap area. We found Field Bindweed, Daffodil (supposedly brought here by medieval monks) and along the paths through the bracken were patches of Hoary Cress Lepidium draba gone to seed. Heading south towards the Bird Observatory we saw sheltering Blackthorn for migrant birds. In this area we had Common Sorrel, old Bluebell seedheads, more Wood Sage and an Apple tree that was wind-blasted flat to the ground.
The Patches of heathland by the Bird Observatory are characterized by Bell Heather & Ling Heather, with Tormentil and Heath Bedstraw.
Finally, we sat in the sun (and wind) waiting for the tide to drop enough to start heading back. The first part was dry but it was the section from Little Eye to West Kirby that was the wettest with the wind keeping the water close inshore and so we got wet feet on just this last stretch of the adventure. Everyone enjoyed their experience of being on Hilbre over the high tide.
Other things seen included Lichens Crabs Eye Lichen Ochrolechia parella, Caloplaca citrina and Caloplaca marina, Verrucaria maura, Physcia sp. and Xanthoria parietina.
Birds Breeding birds Rock Pipit (we must have seen about 8, they have been colour ringed as part of a study); Meadow Pipit, at least three pairs of Linnets and a Blackbird was singing. A Pied Wagtail had a beak full of food to take to a nest. Two swallows on the wing gave some splendid views as did a solitary Swift. Flying past were a few Cormorant, Sandwich Tern, and Common Tern. Gulls were plentiful with a few Black-headed Gull and Lesser Black-backed Gulls, but most (several hundred) were Herring Gulls. The return past Middle Eye had birds feeding at the water’s edge with 2 Grey Heron, ten Little Egret and around a hundred Oystercatcher.
Another highlight was the views of the important population of Grey Seals. We saw about a dozen in the water over the high tide, but I saw a haul-out of 120 on the recce visit on Thursday, thought the summer peak can be as many as 900. A few little froglets were around the pond.
Invertebrates A good sighting was the two Hummingbird Hawk Moths (one on Middle Eye and one on Hilbre). Butterfly migration was noticeable even with the strong wind with most on the more sheltered eastern side. The commonest was Large White with about a dozen seen and also about six Red Admiral. Also present were a couple of Small White, Small Tortoiseshell, a Common Blue and a Silver Y Moth. The Common Ragwort had the black and yellow Cinnabar Moth caterpillars. Other finds were Garden Snail and a few Harlequin & 7-spot Ladybirds. At the pool was a male Blue-tailed Damselfly. A spectacular sight was a male Emperor Dragonfly catching prey in flight.
Text and Photos Steve Cross
Thurstaston Common 21 June 2025
Thurstaston Common includes Thurstaston Hill, some 298 feet or 98 metres high and Thor’s Stone, a large sandstone outcrop. It is the best and largest remaining example of lowland heathland on Merseyside. It totals some 42 hectares (105 acres) and is manged by the National Trust and Wirral MBC. It lies on Triassic red sandstone that was formed between 251 and 199 million years ago. It has wet and dry heathland, acidic marshy grassland, sandstone outcrops and birch-oak woodland. Despite some conservation cattle grazing there is a problem of scrubbing over and drying out.
Eight members met at the car park (but later in the day were joined by two more). Two trees at the entrance had been burnt, as had significant areas of Thurstaston Hill. We headed towards School Lane finding Scaly Male Fern, Elder, Oak, Turkey Oak, Plum (in fruit), Bracken and Holly. Alongside the school was Self-heal, Black Medick, French Cranesbill, Ground Elder, Common Field Speedwell, Wood Dock, Foxglove and Purple Toadflax.
The woodland north of School Lane consisted of Silver and Downy Birch with some oak, in addition there was Sycamore, Grey Willow, Holly, Rowan, Whitebeam, Aspen and Scots Pine Pinus sylvestris. Slender Rush was common along the path edge. Also found were Purple Moor-grass, Broad-leaved Willowherb, Silverweed, Wavy Hair-grass Avenella flexuosa, Toad Rush, Soft Rush, Sweet Vernal Grass, Common Bent, Norway Spruce, and flowering Honeysuckle. Oak had Oak Mildew Erysiphe alphitoides.
Heading towards Benty Farm we had Barren Brome, Dog Rose, Common Ragwort, Creeping Cinquefoil, Hedge Woundwort, Red Campion, Wild Cherry, and Hogweed. Insects found included a Mirid Bug Miris striatus as well as pupa of Harlequin Ladybird and an adult 7-spot Ladybird. The Horse Chestnut leaves were full of the mines of the moth Horse-chestnut Leaf-miner Cameraria ohridella, which has increased dramatically since its arrival in Britain as recently as 2002. Near the farm were five Goldfinch, a Swallow, and a calling Great Spotted Woodpecker. Wood Avens had the Strawberry Powdery Mildew Podosphaera aphanis and birch had “Witches Brooms.” Heading south towards School Lane we found Creeping Buttercup, Daisy, Smooth Meadow Grass, Nipplewort, Black Bryony, and Blackthorn. On a Birch was Razor Strop or Birch Polypore fungus. By School Lane we had Fat Hen, Hedge Mustard, Dotted Loosestrife, Tansy, Foxglove and Bindweed.
We had lunch on rocks near Thor’s Stone and for company had Bell Heather, Hard Fern, Soft Shield-fern, Bilberry, and Heath Woodrush Luzula multiflora. A damp area just to the north had Common Cottongrass Eriophorum angustifolium, Bilberry, Wavy Hair-grass Avenella flexuosa, Heath Rush Juncus squarrosus, Cross-leaved Heath Erica tetralix and Purple Moor-grass Molinia caerulea. Heading north on to some dry heathland we found Heather Calluna vulgaris, Bell Heather Erica cinerea, Bilberry, Wavy Hair-grass Avenella flexuosa, Broom, Sheep Fescue Festuca ovina, and Sheep’s Sorrel. We could compare the greener, softer, and more compact Western Gorse Ulex gallii with the taller, greyer, and already gone to seed Gorse. The blue-form of Common Milkwort was almost lost amongst the thicker vegetation. Other later finds were Common Catsear, Perennial Sowthistle, Rough Meadow Grass (with its long ligule), Yew, Creeping Soft-grass, and a probable Hybrid Oak Quercus petraea × robur = Q. × rosacea, with its mix of characters.
Heading northwards along a newly made path the disturbance allowed Common Knotgrass, Pineappleweed, and Pale Persicaria Persicaria lapathifolia with its yellowish stem glands to be found. The damp areas alongside had Marsh Cudweed Gnaphalium uliginosum.
The wet heathland and hollows contained Cross-leaved Heath Erica tetralix, Purple Moor-grass Molinia caerulea, with Heath Rush Juncus squarrosus, Tormentil, Common Cottongrass, and Common Sedge Carex nigra. A good find for a lowland heath was Deer Grass Trichophorum germanicum, which I had never seen before. Also present were Haircap Moss Polytrichum sp., and Bogmoss Sphagnum sp. A damp hollow had Water-purslane Lythrum portula. I was the only one to see a shrew run quickly through the vegetation. A Meadow Brown butterfly and plenty of moths were flying in the rain, as were several biting flies.
Birds Also seen and heard were Blackbird, Song Thrush (3 singing), Chiffchaff (5 singing), Blackcap (5 singing), Dunnock, Robin, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Greenfinch, Wren, Woodpigeon and Crow. Insects Other insects found included Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus and Marble Galls on oak.
Thanks to John for leading the trip.
A 2021 paper by Hilary Ash, Barbara Greenwood and others on the 39 years monitoring programme here is at https://cdn.fieldstudiescouncil.net/fsj/fs2021_ash.pdf
Text and photos Steve Cross
Eight members met at the car park (but later in the day were joined by two more). Two trees at the entrance had been burnt, as had significant areas of Thurstaston Hill. We headed towards School Lane finding Scaly Male Fern, Elder, Oak, Turkey Oak, Plum (in fruit), Bracken and Holly. Alongside the school was Self-heal, Black Medick, French Cranesbill, Ground Elder, Common Field Speedwell, Wood Dock, Foxglove and Purple Toadflax.
The woodland north of School Lane consisted of Silver and Downy Birch with some oak, in addition there was Sycamore, Grey Willow, Holly, Rowan, Whitebeam, Aspen and Scots Pine Pinus sylvestris. Slender Rush was common along the path edge. Also found were Purple Moor-grass, Broad-leaved Willowherb, Silverweed, Wavy Hair-grass Avenella flexuosa, Toad Rush, Soft Rush, Sweet Vernal Grass, Common Bent, Norway Spruce, and flowering Honeysuckle. Oak had Oak Mildew Erysiphe alphitoides.
Heading towards Benty Farm we had Barren Brome, Dog Rose, Common Ragwort, Creeping Cinquefoil, Hedge Woundwort, Red Campion, Wild Cherry, and Hogweed. Insects found included a Mirid Bug Miris striatus as well as pupa of Harlequin Ladybird and an adult 7-spot Ladybird. The Horse Chestnut leaves were full of the mines of the moth Horse-chestnut Leaf-miner Cameraria ohridella, which has increased dramatically since its arrival in Britain as recently as 2002. Near the farm were five Goldfinch, a Swallow, and a calling Great Spotted Woodpecker. Wood Avens had the Strawberry Powdery Mildew Podosphaera aphanis and birch had “Witches Brooms.” Heading south towards School Lane we found Creeping Buttercup, Daisy, Smooth Meadow Grass, Nipplewort, Black Bryony, and Blackthorn. On a Birch was Razor Strop or Birch Polypore fungus. By School Lane we had Fat Hen, Hedge Mustard, Dotted Loosestrife, Tansy, Foxglove and Bindweed.
We had lunch on rocks near Thor’s Stone and for company had Bell Heather, Hard Fern, Soft Shield-fern, Bilberry, and Heath Woodrush Luzula multiflora. A damp area just to the north had Common Cottongrass Eriophorum angustifolium, Bilberry, Wavy Hair-grass Avenella flexuosa, Heath Rush Juncus squarrosus, Cross-leaved Heath Erica tetralix and Purple Moor-grass Molinia caerulea. Heading north on to some dry heathland we found Heather Calluna vulgaris, Bell Heather Erica cinerea, Bilberry, Wavy Hair-grass Avenella flexuosa, Broom, Sheep Fescue Festuca ovina, and Sheep’s Sorrel. We could compare the greener, softer, and more compact Western Gorse Ulex gallii with the taller, greyer, and already gone to seed Gorse. The blue-form of Common Milkwort was almost lost amongst the thicker vegetation. Other later finds were Common Catsear, Perennial Sowthistle, Rough Meadow Grass (with its long ligule), Yew, Creeping Soft-grass, and a probable Hybrid Oak Quercus petraea × robur = Q. × rosacea, with its mix of characters.
Heading northwards along a newly made path the disturbance allowed Common Knotgrass, Pineappleweed, and Pale Persicaria Persicaria lapathifolia with its yellowish stem glands to be found. The damp areas alongside had Marsh Cudweed Gnaphalium uliginosum.
The wet heathland and hollows contained Cross-leaved Heath Erica tetralix, Purple Moor-grass Molinia caerulea, with Heath Rush Juncus squarrosus, Tormentil, Common Cottongrass, and Common Sedge Carex nigra. A good find for a lowland heath was Deer Grass Trichophorum germanicum, which I had never seen before. Also present were Haircap Moss Polytrichum sp., and Bogmoss Sphagnum sp. A damp hollow had Water-purslane Lythrum portula. I was the only one to see a shrew run quickly through the vegetation. A Meadow Brown butterfly and plenty of moths were flying in the rain, as were several biting flies.
Birds Also seen and heard were Blackbird, Song Thrush (3 singing), Chiffchaff (5 singing), Blackcap (5 singing), Dunnock, Robin, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Greenfinch, Wren, Woodpigeon and Crow. Insects Other insects found included Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus and Marble Galls on oak.
Thanks to John for leading the trip.
A 2021 paper by Hilary Ash, Barbara Greenwood and others on the 39 years monitoring programme here is at https://cdn.fieldstudiescouncil.net/fsj/fs2021_ash.pdf
Text and photos Steve Cross
As I was early for the meeting I went up Thurstaston Hill and had excellent views and found Heath Groundsel Senecio sylvaticus
Birkdale Common LBS Trip 7 June 2025
On a wet day with some very heavy showers (though it did clear in the afternoon), eleven hardy souls, including two new members, met to explore Birkdale Common. The first find was Wild Onion Allium vineale at the meeting point.
Birkdale Common is an open space bounded to the east by Waterloo Road (A565), the west by Royal Birkdale Golf Course, south by school grounds and in the north by housing and gardens covering an area of about 10 hectares. It is made of blown sand and is some of the oldest duneland on the coast, having leached calcium over centuries creating a well-drained acidic soil and it is NVC Festuca ovina-Agrostis capillaris-Rumex acetosella (U1).
The centre is a dry, open acid grassland with dominant Sheep’s-fescue Festuca ovina and Common Bent, with much Field Wood-rush, plus some Sheep’s Sorrel. P. H. Smith recorded 59 plants, but only 6 non-natives. On the edges Perennial Rye-grass, False Oat Grass and Cock’s-foot are spreading in. The grassland was still mostly yellow-brown due to the drought and unfortunately, we saw no sign of the notable species Slender Parsley-piert Aphanes australis and the endangered Annual Knawel Scleranthus annuus.
Some “Sand Dune” species were also present - Marram, Creeping Willow, Rest Harrow, Birdsfoot Trefoil, Common Storksbill, Evening Primrose, Kidney Vetch, Sand Sedge, Biting Stonecrop, Lesser Hawkbit, Buckshorn Plantain, Early Hair-grass Aira praecox, Dewberry, Sea Radish, Smooth Hawksbeard and Dog Lichen Peltigera sp.
Also found were Annual Meadow Grass, Ribwort Plantain, Yarrow, Common Catsear, Fat Hen, Shepherd’s Purse, Dovesfoot Cranesbill, Lucerne, Common Knotgrass, Hedge Mustard, Pineappleweed, Common and Equal-leaved Knotgrasses, Soft Brome, Sweet Vernal Grass, and Wall Barley.
The northern edge by the gardens is different and has 52 taxa, half (26) are non-native, including Hybrid Bluebell, Ground Elder, Duke of Argyll’s Tea Plant, Large Bindweed, Garden Parsley Petroselinum crispum gone to seed and Michaelmas Daisy. But also present are Marram, Common Storksbill, Sea Radish, Barren Brome, Wild Onion, Bramble, and Asparagus. Caucasian Stonecrop Phedimus spurius (which has been here since 1951) was in leaf and there was also flowering White Stonecrop and Common Hibiscus Hibiscus syriacus.
Problem species encroaching are Sea Buckthorn Hippophae rhamnoides, Russian Vine Fallopia baldschuanica and Grey Poplar Populus x canescens.
Along the west edge are some 26 Black Poplar Populus nigra ssp. betulifolia and they have galls specific to this species and its hybrids - Poplar Spiral Gall Pemphigus spyrothecae, caused by aphids. Also present along this section were Hawthorn, Apple, Ivy, Grey and White Poplars, Oak, Ash, and Sycamore. We spotted flowering Red Campion, Bramble, Cocksfoot, Nettle, False Oat Grass, Ribwort Plantain, Sand Sedge, Elder, Lesser Hawkbit, Woody Nightshade (or Bittersweet), Barren Brome, Green Alkanet, Long-headed Poppy, Tutsan, Herb Robert, Smooth Meadow Grass, Pellitory of the Wall, and Ground Elder. Also present were Horse Radish, Rosebay Willowherb, Dryopteris Ferns and Field Horsetail.
The highlight of the trip was when Ellen found two flowering Hoary Cinquefoil Potentilla argentea near the entrance to the Royal Birkdale Golf Club at SD31921460 and on the return we found another twenty-five plants on the other side of the “road” around SD3192914592. This near-threatened species is rather scattered apart from a concentration in East Anglia. Potentilla argentea L. in BSBI Online Plant Atlas 2020 and https://bsbi.org/wp-content/uploads/dlm_uploads/Potentilla_argentea_species_account.pdf
Flowering further west were Smooth Hawksbeard, Common Catsear, Dewberry, Perennial Rye Grass, Sea Radish, Rest Harrow, Cocksfoot, Hogweed, Russian Comfrey, and Buckshorn Plantain.
On the path heading WSW between Hillside and Royal Birkdale Golf Courses we found flowering Wall Barley (in the dog pee zone), Sea Radish, Dog Rose, Common Knotgrass, Black Medick, Elder, Ground Elder, Curled Dock, Gorse, Yorkshire Fog, Common Sorrel, Oxeye Daisy, Large Bindweed, Herb Robert, Cleavers, Gorse, Sweet Vernal Grass, both Meadow and Creeping Buttercups. Also present were Corsican Pine, Rosebay Willowherb, Silver and Downy Birches, Grey Willow, Great Willowherb, and Red Clover. In a damp spot to the north was Hard Rush, Marsh Horsetail, Compact Rush, and Yellow Iris. In this topsy turvey season Creeping Thistle was already in flower, and we also found Soapwort and Polypody Ferns. The Tree Lupins were in a sorry state probably due to the drought and the North American Lupin Aphid Macrosiphum albifrons, first found in this country in 1981 but now a major problem on lupins. Also present were flowering Soft Brome, Kidney Vetch, Red Fescue, Sheep’s Sorrel, and Sand Sedge.
Westwards toward the slacks through Gate 30 where lots of Meadow Buttercup, Marsh Horsetail, Clustered Dock, Perennial Sowthistle, Creeping Willow, Red and Yellow flowered Broom, and patches of the american Slender Rush could be found.
Entering Slack 13 through the gate it was devoid of vegetation where public pressure was heaviest on the south side, but we did find Grey Club-rush Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani side by side with Sea Club-rush Bolboschoenus maritimus to the west. Here too were Bulrush Typha, Reed Canary Grass, Water Mint, Lesser Spearwort, Marsh Pennywort, Tufted Vetch, Marsh Horsetail, Gypsywort, Glaucous Sedge, Jointed Rush, and Common Spike Rush. One Purple Loosestrife was in flower. On the east side it was dominated by a big patch of Flat-sedge Blysmus compressus at least 22 x 4 metres across. The survey of this species by Phil Smith Changing status of Blysmus compressus (Flat Sedge) in the Sefton Coast sand-dunes, north Merseyside, UK in British & Irish Botany is at
britishandirishbotany.org/index.php/bib/article/view/13/22
Nearby was some Common Cotton Grass Eriophorum angustifolium gone to seed and some flowering Marsh Bedstraw.
Heading back eastwards we found Broad-leaved Everlasting Pea, Perennial Sowthistle, White Clover, Cotoneaster and the Honeysuckle was in flower.
Along the path at the edge of Hillside Golf Course we found Plum, Creeping Willow (the silvery leaved var. argentea) and flowering Lady’s Bedstraw (the smaller var. maritimum). The Garlic Mustard was still in flower, as was Large Bindweed and the white form of Sea Radish. We also found a patch of Cypress Spurge, but just one Japanese Rose Rosa rugosa.
To finish off just before the Clubhouse a Weasel ran across the path.
Birds Jackdaw, Starling and Crow were on Birkdale Common. We had singing Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Common Whitethroat, Willow Warbler, Song Thrush, Blackbird, and Blackcap. Also present were Magpie, Greenfinch, Linnet, Blue Tit, Woodpigeon, Great & Blue Tits, Goldfinch, Robin; Herring and Lesser Black-backed Gulls flew over. At the lunch spot were two Swallow and nine Swift. Two Greater Spotted Woodpecker were also seen.
Invertebrates Bumble Bees just three species Red-tailed, Buff/White-tailed and Common Carder. Both adult and larval Seven Spot Ladybird, plus single Large Skipper, and Speckled Wood butterflies. There was one adult and several caterpillars of Cinnabar Moth. Gill found a Silver Hook Moth Deltote uncula. A patch of Garlic Mustard was totally covered in the Grenade Aphid or Garlic Mustard Aphid Lipaphis alliariae. Honeysuckle had leaf mines of the fly Chromatomyia lonicerae. Dark-lipped Banded Snails, Garden Snails and Black Slugs Arion ater agg. enjoyed the damp conditions.
Galls Long-headed Poppy had the gall Aylax papaveris on the pod making it look like a seed pod of Common Poppy. The Amphibious Bistort had red galls of the gall midge Wachtliella persicariae. A Grey Willow had a hairy gall of the sawfly Euura pedunculi. Common Catsear had enlarged stem galls of the gall wasp Phanacis hypochoeridis.
Mosses Juniper Haircap Polytrichum juniperinum on Birkdale Common and Sand-hill Screw-moss Syntrichia ruraliformis on the dunes.
Lichens Xanthoria parietina, Ramalina farinacea, Parmelia sulcata, Candellariella reflexa and Evernia prunastri.
Fungi White Poplar had orange rust Melampsora rostrupii, and a White Campion had the Anther Smut Microbotryum lychnidis-dioicae. The little brown fungus was Common Fieldcap Agrocybe pediades.
Much useful information was gleaned from the papers The botanical interest of Birkdale Common by Philip H. Smith, November 2010, and Vegetation recovery at Birkdale Common, Sefton Coast, north Merseyside - Philip H. Smith & Patricia A. Lockwood, May 2019.
On a wet day with some very heavy showers (though it did clear in the afternoon), eleven hardy souls, including two new members, met to explore Birkdale Common. The first find was Wild Onion Allium vineale at the meeting point.
Birkdale Common is an open space bounded to the east by Waterloo Road (A565), the west by Royal Birkdale Golf Course, south by school grounds and in the north by housing and gardens covering an area of about 10 hectares. It is made of blown sand and is some of the oldest duneland on the coast, having leached calcium over centuries creating a well-drained acidic soil and it is NVC Festuca ovina-Agrostis capillaris-Rumex acetosella (U1).
The centre is a dry, open acid grassland with dominant Sheep’s-fescue Festuca ovina and Common Bent, with much Field Wood-rush, plus some Sheep’s Sorrel. P. H. Smith recorded 59 plants, but only 6 non-natives. On the edges Perennial Rye-grass, False Oat Grass and Cock’s-foot are spreading in. The grassland was still mostly yellow-brown due to the drought and unfortunately, we saw no sign of the notable species Slender Parsley-piert Aphanes australis and the endangered Annual Knawel Scleranthus annuus.
Some “Sand Dune” species were also present - Marram, Creeping Willow, Rest Harrow, Birdsfoot Trefoil, Common Storksbill, Evening Primrose, Kidney Vetch, Sand Sedge, Biting Stonecrop, Lesser Hawkbit, Buckshorn Plantain, Early Hair-grass Aira praecox, Dewberry, Sea Radish, Smooth Hawksbeard and Dog Lichen Peltigera sp.
Also found were Annual Meadow Grass, Ribwort Plantain, Yarrow, Common Catsear, Fat Hen, Shepherd’s Purse, Dovesfoot Cranesbill, Lucerne, Common Knotgrass, Hedge Mustard, Pineappleweed, Common and Equal-leaved Knotgrasses, Soft Brome, Sweet Vernal Grass, and Wall Barley.
The northern edge by the gardens is different and has 52 taxa, half (26) are non-native, including Hybrid Bluebell, Ground Elder, Duke of Argyll’s Tea Plant, Large Bindweed, Garden Parsley Petroselinum crispum gone to seed and Michaelmas Daisy. But also present are Marram, Common Storksbill, Sea Radish, Barren Brome, Wild Onion, Bramble, and Asparagus. Caucasian Stonecrop Phedimus spurius (which has been here since 1951) was in leaf and there was also flowering White Stonecrop and Common Hibiscus Hibiscus syriacus.
Problem species encroaching are Sea Buckthorn Hippophae rhamnoides, Russian Vine Fallopia baldschuanica and Grey Poplar Populus x canescens.
Along the west edge are some 26 Black Poplar Populus nigra ssp. betulifolia and they have galls specific to this species and its hybrids - Poplar Spiral Gall Pemphigus spyrothecae, caused by aphids. Also present along this section were Hawthorn, Apple, Ivy, Grey and White Poplars, Oak, Ash, and Sycamore. We spotted flowering Red Campion, Bramble, Cocksfoot, Nettle, False Oat Grass, Ribwort Plantain, Sand Sedge, Elder, Lesser Hawkbit, Woody Nightshade (or Bittersweet), Barren Brome, Green Alkanet, Long-headed Poppy, Tutsan, Herb Robert, Smooth Meadow Grass, Pellitory of the Wall, and Ground Elder. Also present were Horse Radish, Rosebay Willowherb, Dryopteris Ferns and Field Horsetail.
The highlight of the trip was when Ellen found two flowering Hoary Cinquefoil Potentilla argentea near the entrance to the Royal Birkdale Golf Club at SD31921460 and on the return we found another twenty-five plants on the other side of the “road” around SD3192914592. This near-threatened species is rather scattered apart from a concentration in East Anglia. Potentilla argentea L. in BSBI Online Plant Atlas 2020 and https://bsbi.org/wp-content/uploads/dlm_uploads/Potentilla_argentea_species_account.pdf
Flowering further west were Smooth Hawksbeard, Common Catsear, Dewberry, Perennial Rye Grass, Sea Radish, Rest Harrow, Cocksfoot, Hogweed, Russian Comfrey, and Buckshorn Plantain.
On the path heading WSW between Hillside and Royal Birkdale Golf Courses we found flowering Wall Barley (in the dog pee zone), Sea Radish, Dog Rose, Common Knotgrass, Black Medick, Elder, Ground Elder, Curled Dock, Gorse, Yorkshire Fog, Common Sorrel, Oxeye Daisy, Large Bindweed, Herb Robert, Cleavers, Gorse, Sweet Vernal Grass, both Meadow and Creeping Buttercups. Also present were Corsican Pine, Rosebay Willowherb, Silver and Downy Birches, Grey Willow, Great Willowherb, and Red Clover. In a damp spot to the north was Hard Rush, Marsh Horsetail, Compact Rush, and Yellow Iris. In this topsy turvey season Creeping Thistle was already in flower, and we also found Soapwort and Polypody Ferns. The Tree Lupins were in a sorry state probably due to the drought and the North American Lupin Aphid Macrosiphum albifrons, first found in this country in 1981 but now a major problem on lupins. Also present were flowering Soft Brome, Kidney Vetch, Red Fescue, Sheep’s Sorrel, and Sand Sedge.
Westwards toward the slacks through Gate 30 where lots of Meadow Buttercup, Marsh Horsetail, Clustered Dock, Perennial Sowthistle, Creeping Willow, Red and Yellow flowered Broom, and patches of the american Slender Rush could be found.
Entering Slack 13 through the gate it was devoid of vegetation where public pressure was heaviest on the south side, but we did find Grey Club-rush Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani side by side with Sea Club-rush Bolboschoenus maritimus to the west. Here too were Bulrush Typha, Reed Canary Grass, Water Mint, Lesser Spearwort, Marsh Pennywort, Tufted Vetch, Marsh Horsetail, Gypsywort, Glaucous Sedge, Jointed Rush, and Common Spike Rush. One Purple Loosestrife was in flower. On the east side it was dominated by a big patch of Flat-sedge Blysmus compressus at least 22 x 4 metres across. The survey of this species by Phil Smith Changing status of Blysmus compressus (Flat Sedge) in the Sefton Coast sand-dunes, north Merseyside, UK in British & Irish Botany is at
britishandirishbotany.org/index.php/bib/article/view/13/22
Nearby was some Common Cotton Grass Eriophorum angustifolium gone to seed and some flowering Marsh Bedstraw.
Heading back eastwards we found Broad-leaved Everlasting Pea, Perennial Sowthistle, White Clover, Cotoneaster and the Honeysuckle was in flower.
Along the path at the edge of Hillside Golf Course we found Plum, Creeping Willow (the silvery leaved var. argentea) and flowering Lady’s Bedstraw (the smaller var. maritimum). The Garlic Mustard was still in flower, as was Large Bindweed and the white form of Sea Radish. We also found a patch of Cypress Spurge, but just one Japanese Rose Rosa rugosa.
To finish off just before the Clubhouse a Weasel ran across the path.
Birds Jackdaw, Starling and Crow were on Birkdale Common. We had singing Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Common Whitethroat, Willow Warbler, Song Thrush, Blackbird, and Blackcap. Also present were Magpie, Greenfinch, Linnet, Blue Tit, Woodpigeon, Great & Blue Tits, Goldfinch, Robin; Herring and Lesser Black-backed Gulls flew over. At the lunch spot were two Swallow and nine Swift. Two Greater Spotted Woodpecker were also seen.
Invertebrates Bumble Bees just three species Red-tailed, Buff/White-tailed and Common Carder. Both adult and larval Seven Spot Ladybird, plus single Large Skipper, and Speckled Wood butterflies. There was one adult and several caterpillars of Cinnabar Moth. Gill found a Silver Hook Moth Deltote uncula. A patch of Garlic Mustard was totally covered in the Grenade Aphid or Garlic Mustard Aphid Lipaphis alliariae. Honeysuckle had leaf mines of the fly Chromatomyia lonicerae. Dark-lipped Banded Snails, Garden Snails and Black Slugs Arion ater agg. enjoyed the damp conditions.
Galls Long-headed Poppy had the gall Aylax papaveris on the pod making it look like a seed pod of Common Poppy. The Amphibious Bistort had red galls of the gall midge Wachtliella persicariae. A Grey Willow had a hairy gall of the sawfly Euura pedunculi. Common Catsear had enlarged stem galls of the gall wasp Phanacis hypochoeridis.
Mosses Juniper Haircap Polytrichum juniperinum on Birkdale Common and Sand-hill Screw-moss Syntrichia ruraliformis on the dunes.
Lichens Xanthoria parietina, Ramalina farinacea, Parmelia sulcata, Candellariella reflexa and Evernia prunastri.
Fungi White Poplar had orange rust Melampsora rostrupii, and a White Campion had the Anther Smut Microbotryum lychnidis-dioicae. The little brown fungus was Common Fieldcap Agrocybe pediades.
Much useful information was gleaned from the papers The botanical interest of Birkdale Common by Philip H. Smith, November 2010, and Vegetation recovery at Birkdale Common, Sefton Coast, north Merseyside - Philip H. Smith & Patricia A. Lockwood, May 2019.
Formby (Lifeboat Road to Devil’s Hole) LBS Trip 30 May 2025
Steve Cross talked briefly about Pat Lockwood on this Memorial Walk (see notes and photographs elsewhere on the web site).
Starting at Lifeboat Road Car Park, 21 members and friends set off southwards towards the large blowout at Devil’s Hole. The first plant found was a patch of showy, Oriental Poppy Papaver setiferum (originally from SW Asia), also flowering was Red Fescue, Dog Rose (including whitish form), Dewberry, and Houndstongue. Going through the Picnic Area near the big notice board we saw Bugloss in flower then alongside the path westwards the hybrid poplar Balm of Gilead Populus x jackii was covered in galls of the fungi Taphrina populina. Heading south along the Lost Resort Trail we saw Elder in flower. Throughout the day we saw lots of larval, pupal, and adult 7 spot Ladybirds. Also here was flowering False Oat Grass, Prickly Sowthistle, Cleavers, Soft Brome, Hawthorn, Nettle, Common Storksbill, Lesser Trefoil, and Ribwort Plantain. Non-flowering plants included Evening Primrose and Hybrid Crack Willow. Crossing Lifeboat Road and then through the Corsican Pines Honeysuckle was in flower and had leaf mines of the fly Chromatomyia lonicerae. The White Poplar had Melampsora sp. rust.
As the dunes opened up, we had flowering Dog Rose, Dewberry, Common Storksbill, Rest Harrow, Sand Sedge edged the path and also present were Wild Parsnip, Creeping Willow & Wild Cherry.
There was a big patch (c. 100 x 20 metres) of c. 1000 plants of Tuberous Pea Lathyrus tuberosus, Lathyrus tuberosus L. in BSBI Online Plant Atlas 2020, an introduction from Europe and West Asia, with its rounder leaves than the similar Broad-leaved Everlasting Pea.
We caught a glimpse of a Common Lizard. The National Trust have cut down the Sea Buckthorn, but not yet burned it. We found some flowering Creeping Thistle, Tufted Vetch and one Wild Parsnip. As we got on to damper paths there was Cocksfoot Grass, White Clover, and plenty of Bulbous Buttercup still in flower.
We traversed the lower area that had been dug for sand and at a small slack on the left was flowering Lesser Spearwort, Common Spike Rush, Hard Rush, and present to was Marsh Pennywort and Greater Willowherb.
Further south past another reworked slack (National Trust conservation work) was full of Brookweed. Also around here was flowering Lesser Hawkbit and I manged to get mixed up at first with the Meadow Vetchling and Greater Birdsfoot Trefoil that were growing together. On slightly raised dunes was the lemon-yellow flowers of Mouse ear Hawkweed and here even the Yellowwort Blackstonia was droughted!
Further on we encountered more Red Fescue, lots of Common Centaury in bud, Field Woodrush, Common Milkwort (eventually finding blue, pink, and white forms), and some old Carline Thistle heads.
An old narrow slack and path had rushes (Hard Rush, Common Spike Rush), Glaucous Sedge, Southern Marsh Orchids and a candidate Northern Marsh Orchid with dark colour and the diamond-shaped lip. Around a handy bench and its surround, we had lunch, on the bench were the lichens Xanthoria parietina and Physcia sp. and Robert was sat next to some Sticky Storksbill.
As we set off south again there was plenty of Spreading Meadow Grass Poa humilis. The three common dune mosses Whitish Feather-moss Brachythecium albicans, Sandhill Screw-moss Syntrichia ruraliformis and Great Plait-moss Hypnum (cupressiformis) lacunosum were present, though I did not get a chance to talk about them.
Continuing south we entered the remains of the former dwelling (Mount Pleasant) on Alexandra Road where Lilac, Garden Privet and Soapwort were around the edge and in what had been the interior of the house were Sand Sedge, Red Fescue, Common Birdsfoot Trefoil, Rest Harrow, Mouse-ear Hawkweed, Blue Fleabane, Biting Stonecrop, Buckshorn Plantain, Common Storksbill, and Hogweed etc. White, Grey, Balm of Gilead and Black Poplars were also present. Common Catsear have stem galls of the gall wasp Phanacis hypochoeridis. There were also loads of seedheads of Hybrid Bluebell plus Sea Buckthorn, Buckshorn Plantain, Asparagus, and flowering Biting Stonecrop.
A patch of garden origin Purple Crane's-bill G. × magnificum = Geranium ibericum × platypetalum was colourful. South past the Lost Resort sign we came across Cladonia lichens, Carline Thistle, Sand Sedge etc. Just by Albert Road was a big patch of Lily of the Valley, still just in flower. We turned east on Albert Road and then back south. Here we found Evening Primrose, Dog Lichen Peltigera sp., Crack Willow and Hawthorn. Here the drought had meant the Sand Catstail had gone over. As we approached the Devil’s Hole we located Oak, more Lily of the Valley, White Willow, Sycamore, Evening Primrose, Sycamore and Dewberry.
We met Phil Smith and two more members before taking the precarious steep climb down into the Devil’s Hole. A 1941 German bomb supposedly started the blowout and eventually it has grown to around four hectares and is the biggest in the country. When it got down to the water table it started to be colonised by plants.
Phil and the late Pat Lockwood have been studying this site since 2003 and by 2025 had found 187 vascular plants. Thirty-eight of these are regionally or nationally notable taxa (20% of the total), while only 8.6% of the plants were non-native. There are large populations of Red-listed Grass-of-Parnassus Parnassia palustris, Early Marsh-orchid Dactylorhiza incarnata subsp. coccinea and Marsh Helleborine Epipactis palustris. The wetter older parts of the two slacks were colonised by 15 taxa of Salix (willow), including up to 142 bushes of the nationally rare hybrid Salix × friesiana a hybrid between Salix repens var argentea (Creeping Willow) and Salix viminalis (Osier). Phil showed us graphs of the variation in water levels recorded here.
The steep sides had Marram, remains of Thyme-leaved Sandwort and Mouse-ears, Smooth and Prickly Sowthistle and even one flowering Evening Primrose.
The basin with its dune slack flora had willows (mostly Creeping) but also White Willow plus several hybrids. Also present were Creeping Bent, Jointed Rush, Brookweed, Tufted Forget Me Not, Coltsfoot, Amphibious Bistort, Cuckoo Flower, White Clover, Curled Dock, Common Catsear, Silverweed, Birdsfoot Trefoil and Wild Parsnip. Reed is starting to spread but has been mown to try and control it. Small-fruited Yellow-sedge Carex viridula was also found and in leaf was the logo of the Liverpool Botanical Society – Grass of Parnassus.
There were plenty of leaves of Marsh Pennywort and Water Mint. Flowering were Lesser Spearwort, Brookweed, Common Spike Rush, and Glaucous Sedge. Bog Pimpernel had red leaves where dried and green where moist and quite a few were in flower. A lone Sea Mouse-ear was still in bloom, and we found some Confused Eyebright.
Common and Seaside Centauries were located, the latter in flower. Also, at this site (though we did not see any) is the Intermediate Centaury Centaurium intermedium – an endemic to the Sefton Coast in the Formby area and only found at three sites, the only place in the world! Centaurium intermedium (Wheldon) Druce in BSBI Online Plant Atlas 2020
A drier hillock had Yellowwort Blackstonia, Wild Carrot, Dune Fescue (gone orange-brown already) and Sand Catstail with flowering Rest Harrow, Sand Sedge and Common Birdsfoot Trefoil.
We found plenty of Pyramidal Orchid, Southern Marsh Orchid, Early Marsh-orchid Dactylorhiza incarnata subsp. coccinea, several Bee Orchids and the Marsh Helleborine was in flower bud. Steve Hurley found Melampsora rust on the Sothern Marsh Orchid.
Phil showed us the ladder like inner structure of the Blunt-flowered Rush Juncus subnodulosus. Juncus subnodulosus Schrank in BSBI Online Plant Atlas 2020
The drier dune on the west side had Common Milkwort (white, pink, and blue), Heath Dog Violet, Sticky Storksbill, Wild Carrot, Dune Fescue, Sand Catstail, a single Carline Thistle and a lot more of the latter on a dry hillock in middle of marsh. Yellow Rattle and the tiny, white flowered Fairy Flax was scattered along the northern edge. Toad Rush, Daisy and Common Fleabane were in the damper areas and the north side had a few patches of Round-leaved Wintergreen Pyrola rotundifolia subsp. maritima with several in flower.
Climbing back out of the hole we headed straight back north through the dunes finding Rosebay Willowherb, Common Storksbill and more Asparagus. By Formby Rifle Range was Black Poplar and Green Alkanet. Along the main path was plenty of Perennial Rye Grass. Portland Spurge was found just south of Lifeboat Road.
We took a detour to the Lifeboat Road overflow car park to see the remains of the tiny, red, Mossy Stonecrop Crassula tillaea, https://plantatlas2020.org/atlas/2cd4p9h.f69 Here too was Burnet Rose, Snowberry and Dogwood.
Birds Common Whitethroat, Reed Bunting, Linnet, Woodpigeon, Crow, Wren, Magpie, Willow Warbler, Pheasant, Goldfinch, Willow Warbler, Grasshopper Warbler and Kestrel.
Invertebrates Dark-lipped Banded Snail, Garden Snail. At least Four-spot Chaser Dragonfly at Devil’s Hole. Cinnabar Moth. Pill Woodlouse Armadillidium vulgare. Four Small Heath Butterfly. Yellow Shell Moth. Two Speckled Wood at Raven Meols. A flock of 45 Sanderling flew north just as we were exiting the Hole and a Shelduck flew over the dunes.
A Red Fox was at the car park while we waited for people to arrive.
Text and photos Steve Cross
Steve Cross talked briefly about Pat Lockwood on this Memorial Walk (see notes and photographs elsewhere on the web site).
Starting at Lifeboat Road Car Park, 21 members and friends set off southwards towards the large blowout at Devil’s Hole. The first plant found was a patch of showy, Oriental Poppy Papaver setiferum (originally from SW Asia), also flowering was Red Fescue, Dog Rose (including whitish form), Dewberry, and Houndstongue. Going through the Picnic Area near the big notice board we saw Bugloss in flower then alongside the path westwards the hybrid poplar Balm of Gilead Populus x jackii was covered in galls of the fungi Taphrina populina. Heading south along the Lost Resort Trail we saw Elder in flower. Throughout the day we saw lots of larval, pupal, and adult 7 spot Ladybirds. Also here was flowering False Oat Grass, Prickly Sowthistle, Cleavers, Soft Brome, Hawthorn, Nettle, Common Storksbill, Lesser Trefoil, and Ribwort Plantain. Non-flowering plants included Evening Primrose and Hybrid Crack Willow. Crossing Lifeboat Road and then through the Corsican Pines Honeysuckle was in flower and had leaf mines of the fly Chromatomyia lonicerae. The White Poplar had Melampsora sp. rust.
As the dunes opened up, we had flowering Dog Rose, Dewberry, Common Storksbill, Rest Harrow, Sand Sedge edged the path and also present were Wild Parsnip, Creeping Willow & Wild Cherry.
There was a big patch (c. 100 x 20 metres) of c. 1000 plants of Tuberous Pea Lathyrus tuberosus, Lathyrus tuberosus L. in BSBI Online Plant Atlas 2020, an introduction from Europe and West Asia, with its rounder leaves than the similar Broad-leaved Everlasting Pea.
We caught a glimpse of a Common Lizard. The National Trust have cut down the Sea Buckthorn, but not yet burned it. We found some flowering Creeping Thistle, Tufted Vetch and one Wild Parsnip. As we got on to damper paths there was Cocksfoot Grass, White Clover, and plenty of Bulbous Buttercup still in flower.
We traversed the lower area that had been dug for sand and at a small slack on the left was flowering Lesser Spearwort, Common Spike Rush, Hard Rush, and present to was Marsh Pennywort and Greater Willowherb.
Further south past another reworked slack (National Trust conservation work) was full of Brookweed. Also around here was flowering Lesser Hawkbit and I manged to get mixed up at first with the Meadow Vetchling and Greater Birdsfoot Trefoil that were growing together. On slightly raised dunes was the lemon-yellow flowers of Mouse ear Hawkweed and here even the Yellowwort Blackstonia was droughted!
Further on we encountered more Red Fescue, lots of Common Centaury in bud, Field Woodrush, Common Milkwort (eventually finding blue, pink, and white forms), and some old Carline Thistle heads.
An old narrow slack and path had rushes (Hard Rush, Common Spike Rush), Glaucous Sedge, Southern Marsh Orchids and a candidate Northern Marsh Orchid with dark colour and the diamond-shaped lip. Around a handy bench and its surround, we had lunch, on the bench were the lichens Xanthoria parietina and Physcia sp. and Robert was sat next to some Sticky Storksbill.
As we set off south again there was plenty of Spreading Meadow Grass Poa humilis. The three common dune mosses Whitish Feather-moss Brachythecium albicans, Sandhill Screw-moss Syntrichia ruraliformis and Great Plait-moss Hypnum (cupressiformis) lacunosum were present, though I did not get a chance to talk about them.
Continuing south we entered the remains of the former dwelling (Mount Pleasant) on Alexandra Road where Lilac, Garden Privet and Soapwort were around the edge and in what had been the interior of the house were Sand Sedge, Red Fescue, Common Birdsfoot Trefoil, Rest Harrow, Mouse-ear Hawkweed, Blue Fleabane, Biting Stonecrop, Buckshorn Plantain, Common Storksbill, and Hogweed etc. White, Grey, Balm of Gilead and Black Poplars were also present. Common Catsear have stem galls of the gall wasp Phanacis hypochoeridis. There were also loads of seedheads of Hybrid Bluebell plus Sea Buckthorn, Buckshorn Plantain, Asparagus, and flowering Biting Stonecrop.
A patch of garden origin Purple Crane's-bill G. × magnificum = Geranium ibericum × platypetalum was colourful. South past the Lost Resort sign we came across Cladonia lichens, Carline Thistle, Sand Sedge etc. Just by Albert Road was a big patch of Lily of the Valley, still just in flower. We turned east on Albert Road and then back south. Here we found Evening Primrose, Dog Lichen Peltigera sp., Crack Willow and Hawthorn. Here the drought had meant the Sand Catstail had gone over. As we approached the Devil’s Hole we located Oak, more Lily of the Valley, White Willow, Sycamore, Evening Primrose, Sycamore and Dewberry.
We met Phil Smith and two more members before taking the precarious steep climb down into the Devil’s Hole. A 1941 German bomb supposedly started the blowout and eventually it has grown to around four hectares and is the biggest in the country. When it got down to the water table it started to be colonised by plants.
Phil and the late Pat Lockwood have been studying this site since 2003 and by 2025 had found 187 vascular plants. Thirty-eight of these are regionally or nationally notable taxa (20% of the total), while only 8.6% of the plants were non-native. There are large populations of Red-listed Grass-of-Parnassus Parnassia palustris, Early Marsh-orchid Dactylorhiza incarnata subsp. coccinea and Marsh Helleborine Epipactis palustris. The wetter older parts of the two slacks were colonised by 15 taxa of Salix (willow), including up to 142 bushes of the nationally rare hybrid Salix × friesiana a hybrid between Salix repens var argentea (Creeping Willow) and Salix viminalis (Osier). Phil showed us graphs of the variation in water levels recorded here.
The steep sides had Marram, remains of Thyme-leaved Sandwort and Mouse-ears, Smooth and Prickly Sowthistle and even one flowering Evening Primrose.
The basin with its dune slack flora had willows (mostly Creeping) but also White Willow plus several hybrids. Also present were Creeping Bent, Jointed Rush, Brookweed, Tufted Forget Me Not, Coltsfoot, Amphibious Bistort, Cuckoo Flower, White Clover, Curled Dock, Common Catsear, Silverweed, Birdsfoot Trefoil and Wild Parsnip. Reed is starting to spread but has been mown to try and control it. Small-fruited Yellow-sedge Carex viridula was also found and in leaf was the logo of the Liverpool Botanical Society – Grass of Parnassus.
There were plenty of leaves of Marsh Pennywort and Water Mint. Flowering were Lesser Spearwort, Brookweed, Common Spike Rush, and Glaucous Sedge. Bog Pimpernel had red leaves where dried and green where moist and quite a few were in flower. A lone Sea Mouse-ear was still in bloom, and we found some Confused Eyebright.
Common and Seaside Centauries were located, the latter in flower. Also, at this site (though we did not see any) is the Intermediate Centaury Centaurium intermedium – an endemic to the Sefton Coast in the Formby area and only found at three sites, the only place in the world! Centaurium intermedium (Wheldon) Druce in BSBI Online Plant Atlas 2020
A drier hillock had Yellowwort Blackstonia, Wild Carrot, Dune Fescue (gone orange-brown already) and Sand Catstail with flowering Rest Harrow, Sand Sedge and Common Birdsfoot Trefoil.
We found plenty of Pyramidal Orchid, Southern Marsh Orchid, Early Marsh-orchid Dactylorhiza incarnata subsp. coccinea, several Bee Orchids and the Marsh Helleborine was in flower bud. Steve Hurley found Melampsora rust on the Sothern Marsh Orchid.
Phil showed us the ladder like inner structure of the Blunt-flowered Rush Juncus subnodulosus. Juncus subnodulosus Schrank in BSBI Online Plant Atlas 2020
The drier dune on the west side had Common Milkwort (white, pink, and blue), Heath Dog Violet, Sticky Storksbill, Wild Carrot, Dune Fescue, Sand Catstail, a single Carline Thistle and a lot more of the latter on a dry hillock in middle of marsh. Yellow Rattle and the tiny, white flowered Fairy Flax was scattered along the northern edge. Toad Rush, Daisy and Common Fleabane were in the damper areas and the north side had a few patches of Round-leaved Wintergreen Pyrola rotundifolia subsp. maritima with several in flower.
Climbing back out of the hole we headed straight back north through the dunes finding Rosebay Willowherb, Common Storksbill and more Asparagus. By Formby Rifle Range was Black Poplar and Green Alkanet. Along the main path was plenty of Perennial Rye Grass. Portland Spurge was found just south of Lifeboat Road.
We took a detour to the Lifeboat Road overflow car park to see the remains of the tiny, red, Mossy Stonecrop Crassula tillaea, https://plantatlas2020.org/atlas/2cd4p9h.f69 Here too was Burnet Rose, Snowberry and Dogwood.
Birds Common Whitethroat, Reed Bunting, Linnet, Woodpigeon, Crow, Wren, Magpie, Willow Warbler, Pheasant, Goldfinch, Willow Warbler, Grasshopper Warbler and Kestrel.
Invertebrates Dark-lipped Banded Snail, Garden Snail. At least Four-spot Chaser Dragonfly at Devil’s Hole. Cinnabar Moth. Pill Woodlouse Armadillidium vulgare. Four Small Heath Butterfly. Yellow Shell Moth. Two Speckled Wood at Raven Meols. A flock of 45 Sanderling flew north just as we were exiting the Hole and a Shelduck flew over the dunes.
A Red Fox was at the car park while we waited for people to arrive.
Text and photos Steve Cross
Following photos of the group by Phil Smith
Hightown 27 April 2025
Thirteen intrepid explorers, including five new members, traversed the streets, saltmarsh, rubble, reedbed and dunes of Hightown. It was also a recording session for the City Nature Challenge 2025 on INaturalist, so a brief introduction to this was also given.
Starting with the obligatory look at the Hop plants by the hotel and railway, we found all the usual pavement and ruderal plants along Lower Alt Road. Black Medick was checked for the tiny point on the leaf apex. By the Alt Centre and then down to the Alt were Pink Sorrel, plenty of Sea Radish, Wild Onion, Tansy, Black Horehound, Twiggy Spurge, Euphorbia x pseudovirgata = Euphorbia esula × waldsteinii, originally seen here over 30 years ago by Vera Gordon and continuing to thrive.
As the tide was high, we kept to the path around the back of the reed bed and found the Common Meadow-rue Thalictrum flavum in leaf. Singing here was a Common Whitethroat, two Reed Warblers, a male Reed Bunting, Blackcap, Chiffchaff and Sedge Warbler. Other birds seen included House Sparrow and Meadow Pipit.
Adjacent to the gardens of Hightown are a lot of non-native plants, some of which are becoming a problem - White Poplar, Hoary Cress, Hybrid Bluebell, Snow in Summer etc.
Dune plants found included Bulbous Buttercup (with its bent back sepals), Wild Parsnip, Field Horsetail, Kidney Vetch, Portland Spurge, Buckshorn Plantain, Birdsfoot Trefoil, Sea Holly, Carline Thistle, Sea Bindweed, and nice to see (though hard to find) were the tiny Early Forget-me-not, Common Milkwort and Spring Vetch. Common Gromwell Lithospermum officinale, is not common at all and even declining, see Lithospermum officinale L. in BSBI Online Plant Atlas 2020, though here it can be readily found, even if just in leaf, though we could also still see some of the obvious white seeds. Green-winged Orchid was in flower at the Sailing Club Garden.
When the sun came out and it got warmer, we saw plenty of butterflies – 3 Large White, 3 Green-veined White, a Small White, a female Orange Tip, 2 Speckled Wood, 5 Small Tortoiseshell, 4 Peacock, a Holly Blue and a Wall Brown.
The rubble area had Sea Mayweed, Rock Samphire, Sea Beet, Danish Scurvy Grass, Sea Purslane, but not a single Yellow-horned Poppy. Sea Sandwort Honckenya peploides was high up on the shore, and the Sea-milkwort Lysimachia maritima lower down.
South of Blundellsands Sailing Club were Curled Dock ssp. littoreus, False Fox Sedge, Long-bracted Sedge Carex extensa and flowering Sea Arrow Grass Triglochin maritima & Celery-leaved Buttercup. The bed of Sea Club-rush Bolboschoenus maritimus was looking worse for wear with the high tides. The saltmarsh also held Common Cord Grass Spartina anglica and Sea Aster. The endemic, distinctive-leaved Isle-of-Man Cabbage Coincya monensis subsp. monensis was found on the dune slope.
Identification of Scurvy Grass (Cochlearia) in N.W. England has long been problematic with plants not pure C. anglica or C. officinalis but the hybrid C. x hollandica; however, some plants conform to C. atlantica. Further details can be found in the paper by Eric Greenwood and Hugh McAllister at https://britishandirishbotany.org/index.php/bib/article/view/128
Steve Hurley found rust on Rumex - Puccinia phragmitis, which alternates generations with Reed and on Sea Aster leaves was the rust Puccinia extensicola.
The Reed Bed by the Sailing Club showed signs of erosion, with the mass of rhizomes showing how quickly it can dominate an area. The Peat Beds had Royal Fern Osmunda regalis rhizomes and there were tree stumps and timber of birch & oak around 5000 years old. Gut (Intestine) Weed Ulva sp covered the bricks and even some areas of peat.
Shore birds included Oystercatcher, Shelduck and a single Ruff. Lyme Grass and Sea Rocket were on the dune at the edge of the reed bed. At the reedbed, we could compare Garden Angelica Angelica archangelica with Giant Hogweed Heracleum mantegazzianum, as well as another large poisonous plant in Hemlock Water Dropwort.
Even when waiting for a train at the station, I added a Zebra Jumping Spider that was on my boot.
Thirteen intrepid explorers, including five new members, traversed the streets, saltmarsh, rubble, reedbed and dunes of Hightown. It was also a recording session for the City Nature Challenge 2025 on INaturalist, so a brief introduction to this was also given.
Starting with the obligatory look at the Hop plants by the hotel and railway, we found all the usual pavement and ruderal plants along Lower Alt Road. Black Medick was checked for the tiny point on the leaf apex. By the Alt Centre and then down to the Alt were Pink Sorrel, plenty of Sea Radish, Wild Onion, Tansy, Black Horehound, Twiggy Spurge, Euphorbia x pseudovirgata = Euphorbia esula × waldsteinii, originally seen here over 30 years ago by Vera Gordon and continuing to thrive.
As the tide was high, we kept to the path around the back of the reed bed and found the Common Meadow-rue Thalictrum flavum in leaf. Singing here was a Common Whitethroat, two Reed Warblers, a male Reed Bunting, Blackcap, Chiffchaff and Sedge Warbler. Other birds seen included House Sparrow and Meadow Pipit.
Adjacent to the gardens of Hightown are a lot of non-native plants, some of which are becoming a problem - White Poplar, Hoary Cress, Hybrid Bluebell, Snow in Summer etc.
Dune plants found included Bulbous Buttercup (with its bent back sepals), Wild Parsnip, Field Horsetail, Kidney Vetch, Portland Spurge, Buckshorn Plantain, Birdsfoot Trefoil, Sea Holly, Carline Thistle, Sea Bindweed, and nice to see (though hard to find) were the tiny Early Forget-me-not, Common Milkwort and Spring Vetch. Common Gromwell Lithospermum officinale, is not common at all and even declining, see Lithospermum officinale L. in BSBI Online Plant Atlas 2020, though here it can be readily found, even if just in leaf, though we could also still see some of the obvious white seeds. Green-winged Orchid was in flower at the Sailing Club Garden.
When the sun came out and it got warmer, we saw plenty of butterflies – 3 Large White, 3 Green-veined White, a Small White, a female Orange Tip, 2 Speckled Wood, 5 Small Tortoiseshell, 4 Peacock, a Holly Blue and a Wall Brown.
The rubble area had Sea Mayweed, Rock Samphire, Sea Beet, Danish Scurvy Grass, Sea Purslane, but not a single Yellow-horned Poppy. Sea Sandwort Honckenya peploides was high up on the shore, and the Sea-milkwort Lysimachia maritima lower down.
South of Blundellsands Sailing Club were Curled Dock ssp. littoreus, False Fox Sedge, Long-bracted Sedge Carex extensa and flowering Sea Arrow Grass Triglochin maritima & Celery-leaved Buttercup. The bed of Sea Club-rush Bolboschoenus maritimus was looking worse for wear with the high tides. The saltmarsh also held Common Cord Grass Spartina anglica and Sea Aster. The endemic, distinctive-leaved Isle-of-Man Cabbage Coincya monensis subsp. monensis was found on the dune slope.
Identification of Scurvy Grass (Cochlearia) in N.W. England has long been problematic with plants not pure C. anglica or C. officinalis but the hybrid C. x hollandica; however, some plants conform to C. atlantica. Further details can be found in the paper by Eric Greenwood and Hugh McAllister at https://britishandirishbotany.org/index.php/bib/article/view/128
Steve Hurley found rust on Rumex - Puccinia phragmitis, which alternates generations with Reed and on Sea Aster leaves was the rust Puccinia extensicola.
The Reed Bed by the Sailing Club showed signs of erosion, with the mass of rhizomes showing how quickly it can dominate an area. The Peat Beds had Royal Fern Osmunda regalis rhizomes and there were tree stumps and timber of birch & oak around 5000 years old. Gut (Intestine) Weed Ulva sp covered the bricks and even some areas of peat.
Shore birds included Oystercatcher, Shelduck and a single Ruff. Lyme Grass and Sea Rocket were on the dune at the edge of the reed bed. At the reedbed, we could compare Garden Angelica Angelica archangelica with Giant Hogweed Heracleum mantegazzianum, as well as another large poisonous plant in Hemlock Water Dropwort.
Even when waiting for a train at the station, I added a Zebra Jumping Spider that was on my boot.
Dibbinsdale 10 May 2025
On a warm sunny day, a large group of 24 (including several new members) toured the largest (and richest) block of ancient semi-natural woodland on Merseyside and we saw a total of fifteen Ancient Woodland Indicator species. We also visited the wetlands and a meadow.
Leaving Bromborough Rake Station, we found the usual ruderals plus Elder, Cow Parsley, Cleavers, Bramble, Nettle, Ivy, Ground Elder and Wood Avens.
At Marford’s Wood we found Wood Dock, Enchanter’s Nightshade, Lesser Celandine, Oak, Ash, Wych Elm, Holly, Hazel, Sycamore and Hawthorn. There were masses of Wood Anemone (unfortunately all gone to seed), Bluebell Hyacinthoides non-scripta, Greater Stitchwort, and Wood Speedwell, plus Soft Shield Fern and some unfurling Hartstongue Fern. Down into the valley towards Lady’s Bridge, we found Wood Sorrel, Wavy Bittercress and Hogweed.
The valley floor had flowering Marsh Marigold and Pendulous Sedge, also here were Reed, Common Alder, Nettle, Golden Scaly Male Fern, Broad Buckler-fern, and along the path edge Remote Sedge and Wood Sedge, and just before the bridge we found some Dog's Mercury Mercurialis perennis. A Hazel had purple centres on some of its leaves.
The area around Lady’s Bridge produced Ground Elder, Crack Willow, and Himalayan Balsam. Flowering here were Wavy Bittercress and Creeping Buttercup. Broad-leaved Dock had the Fungus Ramularia rubella.
The pool area had old stems of Purple Loosestrife, plus flowering Yellow Iris, and Cuckoo Flower. A swarm of hundreds of Common Toad tadpoles filled the water, and a male Mallard swam on the surface. In leaf were Hedge Bindweed, Greater Willowherb, Greater Plantain and Wild Angelica. An old root plate had Creeping Thistle plus a Celery-leaved Buttercup in bloom. Flowering nearby was Clustered Dock and Wavy Bittercress. Also, here we found Ground Elder, Reed, Common Alder, Wood Avens, Golden Male Fern, Pendulous Sedge, Field Rose, Meadowsweet and Water Mint. A nice find here by Ben was Bog Stitchwort Stellaria alsine.
Heading up to Bodens Hey Meadow, where there was not too much in flower except Meadow Buttercup, Hairy Sedge Carex hirta, Field Wood-rush and Sweet Vernal Grass. Growing here too was the semi-parasitic Yellow-rattle, plus Meadowsweet, Catsear, Ribwort Plantain, Common Knapweed, Cocksfoot Grass, and Hogweed. We also scanned the horizon to see the diversity of trees from a distance and could easily see Hawthorn, Crack Willow, sallows, Oak, Beech, and Silver Birch.
Along the path edge were flowering Red Campion, plentiful Germander Speedwell, and Wood Avens. Also present were Wild Cherry, Reed Canary Grass, Apple, Cleavers, Norway Maple, and sallows (Goat and Grey). Buttercups full of micromoths turned out to be Plain Pollen-moth or Plain Gold Micropterix calthella, not Cocksfoot Moth as I had originally thought.
At the Bridge Area we saw Common Comfrey, Marsh Marigold, Cuckoo Flower (or Lady’s Smock) and Common Alder. Meadowsweet had the mildew Podosphaera spireae, and Wild Angelica was in leaf on the bridge itself.
Heading into Bromborough Wood along the main path, I found Three-nerved Sandwort Moehringia trinervia, and nearby, and quite apt after the recent election of a new pope, was a Cardinal Beetle Pyrochroa coccinea.
Ash-Wych Elm woodland covers most of the site with an abundance of Ash, Pedunculate Oak and Sycamore. Wych Elm, Holly, and Beech are also frequently and birch and Rowan on the more acidic soils. Hornbeam Carpinus betulus and Horse Chestnut have been planted in certain parts of the wood and Hazel, Hawthorn and Elder are the predominant shrub species in the understorey.
Further on was quite a bit of flowering Sanicle Sanicula europaea, a rare species on Merseyside. Here too were planted Beech, Hornbeam and what seemed to be a Large-leaved Lime. By the Dibben was the blue-flowered Brooklime Veronica beccabunga next to the violet-flowered Wood Speedwell Veronica montana.
By some fallen logs were patches of Yellow Pimpernel and Lesser Celandine in flower. The log on which we sat for lunch had a Two-banded Longhorn Beetle Rhagium bifasciatum, and a patch of Great Woodrush Luzula sylvestris. Just one Moschatel, Town Hall Clock or Five-faced Bishop Adoxa moschatellina was found thanks to the searching skills of Ben.
Towards Otter Bridge Tunnel were some Opposite-leaved Golden-saxifrage Chrysosplenium oppositifolium, more Wood Speedwell & Sanicle Sanicula europaea as well as Great Horsetail and Dog’s Mercury. On the recce, I had Barren Strawberry Potentilla sterilis here, but we did not see it on the day. The Gooseberry had both spines and fruit.
At the Otters Bridge area (when the railway was built, workers saw otters here), we had Remote and Pendulous Sedge, Cuckoo Flower or Lady’s Smock, Hemp Agrimony, and Wavy Bittercress and the non-native Himalayan Balsam. Along the river walls was lots of Snakeskin Liverwort Conocephalum conicum. On the east side of the tunnel, on a small wall at the edge of Patrick’s Wood (CWT Reserve), was Wood Speedwell, Opposite-leaved Golden Saxifrage Chrysosplenium oppositifolium, Wavy Bittercress and one Common Figwort plant.
Babbs Meadow, now a reed swamp, had Reed, Meadowsweet, Reed canary-grass, Great Horsetail Equisetum telmateia, Yellow Flag Iris, and Wild Angelica. The wetter, boggier areas had Opposite-leaved Golden Saxifrage, Brooklime, Marsh Marigold, and Himalayan Balsam. Curled Dock, Waterpepper Polygonum hydropiper, Common Starwort and Bittersweet were on the drying mud. Also here was flowering Marsh Marigold and Raspberry. A Sycamore had aphids Drepanosiphum platanoides (winged adults and nymphs), the red coloured mite galls Aceria cephalonea and Sycamore Felt mite gall Aceria pseudoplatani.
As we approached Brotherton Park, we saw Rhododendron, Enchanter’s Nightshade, Horse Chestnut, and Wood Avens. Wood Dock had fly larva mines of a Pegomya sp.
The path towards St Patrick's Well was cut through 220-million-year-old Triassic desert sandstone during the Ice Age to form the steep valley sides and cliffs. There are plenty of lichens, moss, and liverworts, including Great Scented Liverwort or Snakeskin Liverwort Conocephalum conicum, and Pellia sp. Great Woodrush Luzula sylvatica (with white hairy edges), was locally abundant, and Wood Melick Melica uniflora was here too. The wet underhangs also had Opposite-leaved Golden Saxifrage Chrysosplenium oppositifolium, Hard Fern Blechnum spicant and Lady-fern Athyrium felix-femina and the woodland edge had Dog’s Mercury and Enchanter’s Nightshade.
In the St. Patrick's Well Area were the usual woodland plants plus Herb Robert, Field Maple, Horse Chestnut, Wilson’s Honeysuckle, Pendulous Sedge, Yew, Ramsons Allium ursinum. At the well was Conocephalum conicum, Mind your own Business Soleirolia soleirolii, Opposite-leaved Golden Saxifrage Chrysosplenium oppositifolium, Hard Fern and Broad-leaved Willowherb. The quarry is covered in Snakeskin Liverwort Conocephalum conicum, but it shows the tree root systems well, too.
We visited the rarely open walled garden and had a well-earned rest there, and I saw a Holly Blue butterfly and, in the courtyard, had flowering Scarlet Pimpernel. Surprisingly scarce at this site was Common Dog Violet and, on the path, back to the station, a lot of Wood Anemone leaves were already going yellow due to the drought. Honeysuckle, Dog’s Mercury, Wood Dock, Ramsons and Self-heal were also present.
Birds – We saw and heard Nuthatch, Stock Dove, Woodpigeon, Goldfinch, Great Spotted Woodpecker and Jay. Singing Blackcap and Chiffchaff, plus common residents such as Crow, Jackdaw, Magpie, Robin, Blackbird, Song Thrush, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Dunnock, and Wren. On the water were Moorhen and Mallard. A female Mallard had seven small ducklings, but they were disturbed by an uncontrolled dog splashing in the water. A singing Cetti’s Warbler was by the reed bed.
Insects, a female Dock Leaf Beetle Gastrophysa viridula was full of eggs. On the recce, I had the hoverflies Sunfly Helophilus pendulus and Eristalis pertinax and found an Alder Fly. Butterflies – seen were Large, Small and Green-veined Whites plus Speckled Wood.
Fungi were hard to find in the dry conditions, but we did find Ramularia rubella on Broad-leaved Dock, Uromyces dactylidis on leaves of Lesser Celandine, and Turkeytail Trametes versicolor. After a lot of searching the Arum Rust Puccinia sessilis was eventually found on Ramsons.
Lichens Though dried up the ten species found were Parmelia sulcata, Oak Moss Evernia prunastri, Xanthoria parietina, Caloplaca sp., Physcia adscendens, Lecidella elaechroma, Lecanora chlarotera, Parmotrema perlatum and Flavoparmelia caperata.
Moss Wood Bristle-moss Lewinskya affinis, Swan-neck Thyme Moss Mnium hornum and Bank Haircap Polytrichastrum formosum were seen.
Liverworts: Greater Scented Liverwort or Snakeskin Liverwort Conocephalum conicum, Pellia Liverwort Pellia sp.
Algae Trentepohlia sp. Orange Algae free living (also found in many crustose lichens), the colour is due to carotenoid pigments.
On a warm sunny day, a large group of 24 (including several new members) toured the largest (and richest) block of ancient semi-natural woodland on Merseyside and we saw a total of fifteen Ancient Woodland Indicator species. We also visited the wetlands and a meadow.
Leaving Bromborough Rake Station, we found the usual ruderals plus Elder, Cow Parsley, Cleavers, Bramble, Nettle, Ivy, Ground Elder and Wood Avens.
At Marford’s Wood we found Wood Dock, Enchanter’s Nightshade, Lesser Celandine, Oak, Ash, Wych Elm, Holly, Hazel, Sycamore and Hawthorn. There were masses of Wood Anemone (unfortunately all gone to seed), Bluebell Hyacinthoides non-scripta, Greater Stitchwort, and Wood Speedwell, plus Soft Shield Fern and some unfurling Hartstongue Fern. Down into the valley towards Lady’s Bridge, we found Wood Sorrel, Wavy Bittercress and Hogweed.
The valley floor had flowering Marsh Marigold and Pendulous Sedge, also here were Reed, Common Alder, Nettle, Golden Scaly Male Fern, Broad Buckler-fern, and along the path edge Remote Sedge and Wood Sedge, and just before the bridge we found some Dog's Mercury Mercurialis perennis. A Hazel had purple centres on some of its leaves.
The area around Lady’s Bridge produced Ground Elder, Crack Willow, and Himalayan Balsam. Flowering here were Wavy Bittercress and Creeping Buttercup. Broad-leaved Dock had the Fungus Ramularia rubella.
The pool area had old stems of Purple Loosestrife, plus flowering Yellow Iris, and Cuckoo Flower. A swarm of hundreds of Common Toad tadpoles filled the water, and a male Mallard swam on the surface. In leaf were Hedge Bindweed, Greater Willowherb, Greater Plantain and Wild Angelica. An old root plate had Creeping Thistle plus a Celery-leaved Buttercup in bloom. Flowering nearby was Clustered Dock and Wavy Bittercress. Also, here we found Ground Elder, Reed, Common Alder, Wood Avens, Golden Male Fern, Pendulous Sedge, Field Rose, Meadowsweet and Water Mint. A nice find here by Ben was Bog Stitchwort Stellaria alsine.
Heading up to Bodens Hey Meadow, where there was not too much in flower except Meadow Buttercup, Hairy Sedge Carex hirta, Field Wood-rush and Sweet Vernal Grass. Growing here too was the semi-parasitic Yellow-rattle, plus Meadowsweet, Catsear, Ribwort Plantain, Common Knapweed, Cocksfoot Grass, and Hogweed. We also scanned the horizon to see the diversity of trees from a distance and could easily see Hawthorn, Crack Willow, sallows, Oak, Beech, and Silver Birch.
Along the path edge were flowering Red Campion, plentiful Germander Speedwell, and Wood Avens. Also present were Wild Cherry, Reed Canary Grass, Apple, Cleavers, Norway Maple, and sallows (Goat and Grey). Buttercups full of micromoths turned out to be Plain Pollen-moth or Plain Gold Micropterix calthella, not Cocksfoot Moth as I had originally thought.
At the Bridge Area we saw Common Comfrey, Marsh Marigold, Cuckoo Flower (or Lady’s Smock) and Common Alder. Meadowsweet had the mildew Podosphaera spireae, and Wild Angelica was in leaf on the bridge itself.
Heading into Bromborough Wood along the main path, I found Three-nerved Sandwort Moehringia trinervia, and nearby, and quite apt after the recent election of a new pope, was a Cardinal Beetle Pyrochroa coccinea.
Ash-Wych Elm woodland covers most of the site with an abundance of Ash, Pedunculate Oak and Sycamore. Wych Elm, Holly, and Beech are also frequently and birch and Rowan on the more acidic soils. Hornbeam Carpinus betulus and Horse Chestnut have been planted in certain parts of the wood and Hazel, Hawthorn and Elder are the predominant shrub species in the understorey.
Further on was quite a bit of flowering Sanicle Sanicula europaea, a rare species on Merseyside. Here too were planted Beech, Hornbeam and what seemed to be a Large-leaved Lime. By the Dibben was the blue-flowered Brooklime Veronica beccabunga next to the violet-flowered Wood Speedwell Veronica montana.
By some fallen logs were patches of Yellow Pimpernel and Lesser Celandine in flower. The log on which we sat for lunch had a Two-banded Longhorn Beetle Rhagium bifasciatum, and a patch of Great Woodrush Luzula sylvestris. Just one Moschatel, Town Hall Clock or Five-faced Bishop Adoxa moschatellina was found thanks to the searching skills of Ben.
Towards Otter Bridge Tunnel were some Opposite-leaved Golden-saxifrage Chrysosplenium oppositifolium, more Wood Speedwell & Sanicle Sanicula europaea as well as Great Horsetail and Dog’s Mercury. On the recce, I had Barren Strawberry Potentilla sterilis here, but we did not see it on the day. The Gooseberry had both spines and fruit.
At the Otters Bridge area (when the railway was built, workers saw otters here), we had Remote and Pendulous Sedge, Cuckoo Flower or Lady’s Smock, Hemp Agrimony, and Wavy Bittercress and the non-native Himalayan Balsam. Along the river walls was lots of Snakeskin Liverwort Conocephalum conicum. On the east side of the tunnel, on a small wall at the edge of Patrick’s Wood (CWT Reserve), was Wood Speedwell, Opposite-leaved Golden Saxifrage Chrysosplenium oppositifolium, Wavy Bittercress and one Common Figwort plant.
Babbs Meadow, now a reed swamp, had Reed, Meadowsweet, Reed canary-grass, Great Horsetail Equisetum telmateia, Yellow Flag Iris, and Wild Angelica. The wetter, boggier areas had Opposite-leaved Golden Saxifrage, Brooklime, Marsh Marigold, and Himalayan Balsam. Curled Dock, Waterpepper Polygonum hydropiper, Common Starwort and Bittersweet were on the drying mud. Also here was flowering Marsh Marigold and Raspberry. A Sycamore had aphids Drepanosiphum platanoides (winged adults and nymphs), the red coloured mite galls Aceria cephalonea and Sycamore Felt mite gall Aceria pseudoplatani.
As we approached Brotherton Park, we saw Rhododendron, Enchanter’s Nightshade, Horse Chestnut, and Wood Avens. Wood Dock had fly larva mines of a Pegomya sp.
The path towards St Patrick's Well was cut through 220-million-year-old Triassic desert sandstone during the Ice Age to form the steep valley sides and cliffs. There are plenty of lichens, moss, and liverworts, including Great Scented Liverwort or Snakeskin Liverwort Conocephalum conicum, and Pellia sp. Great Woodrush Luzula sylvatica (with white hairy edges), was locally abundant, and Wood Melick Melica uniflora was here too. The wet underhangs also had Opposite-leaved Golden Saxifrage Chrysosplenium oppositifolium, Hard Fern Blechnum spicant and Lady-fern Athyrium felix-femina and the woodland edge had Dog’s Mercury and Enchanter’s Nightshade.
In the St. Patrick's Well Area were the usual woodland plants plus Herb Robert, Field Maple, Horse Chestnut, Wilson’s Honeysuckle, Pendulous Sedge, Yew, Ramsons Allium ursinum. At the well was Conocephalum conicum, Mind your own Business Soleirolia soleirolii, Opposite-leaved Golden Saxifrage Chrysosplenium oppositifolium, Hard Fern and Broad-leaved Willowherb. The quarry is covered in Snakeskin Liverwort Conocephalum conicum, but it shows the tree root systems well, too.
We visited the rarely open walled garden and had a well-earned rest there, and I saw a Holly Blue butterfly and, in the courtyard, had flowering Scarlet Pimpernel. Surprisingly scarce at this site was Common Dog Violet and, on the path, back to the station, a lot of Wood Anemone leaves were already going yellow due to the drought. Honeysuckle, Dog’s Mercury, Wood Dock, Ramsons and Self-heal were also present.
Birds – We saw and heard Nuthatch, Stock Dove, Woodpigeon, Goldfinch, Great Spotted Woodpecker and Jay. Singing Blackcap and Chiffchaff, plus common residents such as Crow, Jackdaw, Magpie, Robin, Blackbird, Song Thrush, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Dunnock, and Wren. On the water were Moorhen and Mallard. A female Mallard had seven small ducklings, but they were disturbed by an uncontrolled dog splashing in the water. A singing Cetti’s Warbler was by the reed bed.
Insects, a female Dock Leaf Beetle Gastrophysa viridula was full of eggs. On the recce, I had the hoverflies Sunfly Helophilus pendulus and Eristalis pertinax and found an Alder Fly. Butterflies – seen were Large, Small and Green-veined Whites plus Speckled Wood.
Fungi were hard to find in the dry conditions, but we did find Ramularia rubella on Broad-leaved Dock, Uromyces dactylidis on leaves of Lesser Celandine, and Turkeytail Trametes versicolor. After a lot of searching the Arum Rust Puccinia sessilis was eventually found on Ramsons.
Lichens Though dried up the ten species found were Parmelia sulcata, Oak Moss Evernia prunastri, Xanthoria parietina, Caloplaca sp., Physcia adscendens, Lecidella elaechroma, Lecanora chlarotera, Parmotrema perlatum and Flavoparmelia caperata.
Moss Wood Bristle-moss Lewinskya affinis, Swan-neck Thyme Moss Mnium hornum and Bank Haircap Polytrichastrum formosum were seen.
Liverworts: Greater Scented Liverwort or Snakeskin Liverwort Conocephalum conicum, Pellia Liverwort Pellia sp.
Algae Trentepohlia sp. Orange Algae free living (also found in many crustose lichens), the colour is due to carotenoid pigments.
