Sidmouth Nature

U3A Nature Explorers - Gilchrist Field 10.00am Wednesday 6th September 2023 The pond in Riverside Wood After the deluge from storm Antoni that forced the abandonment of the August nature exploration it was a joy to meet for the September event in warm sunshine!  A dozen or so of us met at the Livornia Road entrance to the Byes from where we set off across Margaret's Meadow to Gilchrist Field where our 'work' started in earnest. Being late summer much of the flora had turned to seed but there was still a good amount of greater bird's-foot trefoil about and amongst the vast number of the black heads of knapweed seeds there were still flowers of both common and greater knapweed. Adding to the purple array were a few remaining betony flowers, some rosebay willowherb and a single broad-leaved willowherb plant. Most of the trees and shrubs are now bearing fruits with berries obvious on rowan and hawthorn and a number of acorns could be found on both pendunculate and Turkey oa...