For my walk ... U3A Nature Walks: April 2023

U3A Nature Walks - Harcombe Lane

10.00am Wednesday 19th April 2023

It was the best part of ten weeks ago that the U3A nature explorers group visited Harcombe Lane so it was an ideal opportunity to see how spring had progressed when the nature walks group met there for their April outing. 

The weather was a bit grim as we gathered with overcast skies, a chilly wind and some light rain but thankfully it improved considerably as we made our way along the lane with the sun coming out and bringing some warmth which encouraged a few insects to emerge from hiding.

The northern, or sunny, side of the road is a continual stream of wild flowers along its length from the cross roads at the start to the cattle grid near Knowle House and with the trees yet to come in to leaf many were taking advantage of the light available to them before conditions become more shaded. As a result woodland species were in evidence with considerable amounts of dog's mercury, wood anemone, greater stitchwort, lesser celandine and wild garlic accompanied by lesser amounts of yellow archangel and garlic mustard (Jack-by the-hedge).

The Snod brook runs along the northern side of the road adding to its interest and finding an area of pink purslane was of particular interest to me as it was a species I have never encountered before and I always enjoy finding something new!

The southern side of the road is formed of a shaded high bank with trees and shrubs and here ferns are more dominant and common polypody, hart's-tongue and male fern can be seen. The flowers were less obvious here because they flower later being generally more shaded but dog's mercury is prevalent along with common nettle and cleavers neither of which is yet showing flowers.

The water run off from the bank collects in a shallow ditch which makes ideal growing conditions for the opposite-leaved golden saxifrage and it is thriving here along with some hemlock-water dropwort but that is yet to flower.

Once at the cattle grid the woodland influence ends and an open grassy area dominates and to the side of the path near the brook it is quite damp and home to a good colony of cuckooflower (or lady's smock) which is the food plant of the orange-tip butterfly but sadly there no orange-tips to be seen today.

In the sunshine along the road, however, the wild garlic in particular was attracting insects of various kinds with both red admiral and speckled wood butterflies present. The drone fly (Eristalis tenax) is a common spring species in damp woodland habitat and several were seen today along with a black and gold banded species of Syrphus hoverfly, probably Syrphus ribesii as it is more common in spring than the almost identical Syrphus vitripennis which tends to be a summer species. A buff-tailed bumble bee and a common carder bee were also giving the wild garlic the once over.

Lots of bird song accompanied us with robins, wrens and chaffinch all in good voice along with an enthusiastic chiffchaff. Overhead was a soaring buzzard along with the occasional roaming herring gull.

All things considered it was a really good outing for April despite the early weather and lots of interesting things were seen. You can see my species list here.