Early Summer
In my previous postAMP I listed a few flowers I’d spotted while completing the Wildflower Society diary earlier this year. Since then I’ve been out and about in Seaford, especially to the Last Meadow which is beautiful at this time of year. I’ve pootled down the road to Tidemills near Newhaven in East Sussex. I’ve been orchid hunting on Seaford Head nature reserve and in Kent, counting chalk grassland indicator species on the Seven Sisters, and I’ve been away in Ethel the camper van to France. Despite spotting hundreds of Lizard Orchids in France, I wasn’t able to record them for the WFS because the diary is UK only unfortunately!
I’ll write about my trips to Kent and France separately in their own posts. But in the meantime here’s a Green winged orchid Orchis morio on Seaford Head nature reserve in May where I also spotted Twayblade orchids Neottia ovata and Early Purple orchids Orchis mascula.
Pyramidal orchids Anacamptis pyramidalis were in abundance in the Last Meadow in June to July – see header image for this page. The two mating insects are Bloodsuckers aka Common red Soldier beetle.
I started to spot chalk grassland species on Seaford Head in May including Fairy flax Linum catharticum, Milkwort Polygala, and Salad Burnet Sanguisorba minor.
Early every July I spend a morning or two with Seaford Natural History Society counting chalk grassland flower species on National Trust land near the iconic white cliffs. The top of the Seven Sisters is a magical spot with views towards Belle Tout lighthouse in one direction and the Coastguard cottages at Cuckmere Haven in the other. There are often skylarks overhead and bird’s foot trefoil underfoot. Sometimes ponies come to see what we’re doing.
Round-Headed Rampion Phyteuma orbiculare is a chalk specialist which is also known as Pride of Sussex. I’ve never seen this perennial flowering en masse, but the colour makes the occasional flower that appears easy to spot.
Up on the Seven Sisters we also spotted: Bird’s-foot trefoil Lotus corniculatus, Eyebright Euphrasia, Rough or Lesser Hawkbit Leontodon hispidus or saxatilis amongst others.
Mike, my son Rowan and I walked along the top of the beach from Seaford to Newhaven past Tidemills where there are plenty of wildflowers to see in mid May. We spotted: Sea kale Crambe maritima, Thrift Armeria maritima, White campion Silene latifolia, Tree mallow Malva arborea, Common Broomrape Orobanche minor and Maritime bittersweet Solanum dulcamara var. maritima.
In the process of researching shingle plants I came across this interesting article from the University of Sussex regarding monitoring shingle biodiversity.
In the Last Meadow I often find an abundance of Vetches and Vetchlings and other peas, and recently I’ve found Tufted vetch Vicia cracca, Smooth Tare Vicia tetrasperma, Grass vetchling Lathyrus nissolia, Ribbed melilot Melilotus officinalis and Common vetch Vicia sativa.
The picture above shows a Marbled white butterfly which enjoy chalk grassland habitats, so are often seen where I live.
My flower count for the year so far is about 180 – not bad going I think!
Look out for my 2024 Orchid posts:
Read my Late Summer postAMP to see how the wildflower count progressed!