U3A Nature Walks - Dunscombe & Lincombe

U3A Nature Walks - Dunscombe & Lincombe

10.00am Wednesday 17th May 2023

In a "change to the advertised programme" this month's nature walk had 'guest' leaders from the U3A nature explorers group who planned to lead us to the National Trust site at Lincombe. 

We gathered in the overflow car park at the Donkey Sanctuary on a sunny morning and set off on a walk that would be one of two 'halves', firstly along the road to Dunscombe Manor and then turning off onto a track towards the coast and so to Lincombe.

Although the first part of our walk was along the road there was very little traffic so we were able to take our time and admire the many flowers, ferns and grasses growing on the hedgerow banks on both sides of the road. This kind of habitat tends to encourage species often found in woodland at this time of year and so the red, white and blue of red campion, greater stitchwort and bluebell were prevalent; its own tribute to the Coronation! An abundance of species here also included flowering hawthorn bushes, ground ivy, lesser stitchwort and herb Robert as well as significant amounts of barren brome grass and ferns such as harts-tongue, male-fern and polypody. 

With nesting activity under way we saw (or heard) ten species of bird with swallows overhead and wren, chaffinch, dunnock and house sparrow in the hedgerow along with a family of newly fledged robins. 

Leaving the road and taking the path to Lincombe we added lesser whitethroat to our list as it sang heartily from the top of hazel bush. The vegetation remained much as previously seen although wayfairing tree could now be found and tall fescue became the more dominant grass. 

The track started to narrow and gently descend downwards to the entrance to the sea cliffs at National Trust owned Lincombe and here the landscape changed dramatically with hedgerow and agricultural land giving way to cliff top grassland and scrub. The land here slopes steeply to the sea but the path follows a level route with higher inland grassland to the left and the more scrubby lower area to the right. 

Here gorse became more dominant with its lovely yellow flowers now beginning to fade but the abundance of other flowers provided a variety of other colour. Amongst more common species we also found quite a significant area of small-flowered buttercup, a patch of field madder and some yellow rattle. Bulbous buttercup does well in this type of habitat and was providing an impressive display of yellow. Round-leaved and cut-leaved cranesbill were also present and soft brome, Yorkshire fog and tor-grass also in evidence.

Before leaving this lovely spot we were able to add yellowhammer and blackcap to the list of birds seen during the morning.  We also saw three speckled yellow moths, a daytime flying species, and a speckled wood butterfly but it was a little early in the year to expect to see much insect interest. When we return in June as part of the Sid Valley Biodiversity Festival programme there will almost certainly be more butterflies than were in flight today. 

It was certainly a good morning for us 'list-makers' and the full list of species found can be seen here: Species List