Thistle BroomrapeToday's outing was very much a botanical sortie led by Eric and Joan. Our first port of call was the grassland of Quarry Moor Nature Reserve on the outskirts of Ripon. The site was based on magnesian limestone (an exposure can be seen) and boasts a great variety of plants. Management of the site is of importance to encourage flowers and prevent the spread of grasses and shrubs. This was in evidence. Hebridean sheep and rabbits graze the site and volunteers are involved in scrub clearance. From the botanical viewpoint it felt very much mid season between spring (the primroses and cowslips would have provided a colourful yellow carpet) and summer with its plethora of flowers. We saw a great many spikes of the Yorkshire specialty, Thistle Broomrape, whilst Bugle, Russian Comfrey, Guelder Rose and Speedwell were at their best. There was evidence of St John's Wort, Meadow Cranesbill and many more plants. Despite the cold weather of late 75 plants were recorded in flower.
On The Lane To Burton Leonard Lime Quarry
Following lunch taken in a variety of places we made our way to Burton Leonard limestone quarry. We experienced squally showers en route and extremely windy conditions interspersed with periods of calm and sunshine towards the end of the day. The limestone grassland was a treasure trove of plants. Twayblade, an early flowering orchid, was present in considerable numbers. The hillside was covered in Burnet Rose with one or two flowers emerging.
Common Spotted Orchid The Common Spotted orchids were just starting to flower. Other notable plants included Salad Burnet, Dog's Mercury, Hoary Rock Cress, Quaking Grass but no Rock Rose. 70 flowering plants were recorded on this site. The birds, although present evidenced by bird song, were not easy to identify as they made their short flights between bushes and trees in extremely windy conditions. 17 bird species were recorded including Swift, Dunnock,and Goldfinch. Alas no butterflies!
We returned to the picturesque village of Burton Leonard down a country road lined with Cow Parsley with vistas of the rich agricultural grassland of North Yorkshire.
A satisfying day out enjoyed by a party of 12. Thanks to Sue for driving and Joan and Eric for leading our walks.
Margaret