DHBlog017 · A round-up by Jean & Tom Smith
This year was the third year the group has taken part in the NYPH. Around eighteen people took part this year compared to thirty-five people in 2022 and thirteen people in 2021, so although this is down from last year when twenty-one participants were from two groups, we feel this is good considering there was only one day of good weather (2nd January) over the four days. This time there was one group of four (Robin and Carolyn’s group) and the remainder were in pairs or recording alone.
The weather leading up to the 2023 NYPH consisted of a cold early- to mid-December, then seemingly endless rainfall thereafter, up to and including 31st December (the first day of the 2023 hunt, included as it was a Saturday). Overall, this has all contributed to far fewer flowering plants being found in this year’s hunt.
Mariko's pictures from her visit to Wild Woodbury
On 1st January Mariko Whyte was passing by, so visited DWT Wild Woodbury and found 12 species in flower including Euphorbia helioscopia (Sun Spurge), Sherardia arvensis (Wild Madder), Ruscus aculeatus (Butcher’s Broom), Lamium purpureum (Red Dead-nettle) and Capsella bursa-pastoris (Shepherd's-purse).
For our own plant hunt on 2nd January, we decided to give Weymouth another try (having done our NYPH there in 2021), this time choosing SY6781, the square around Dorchester Road and Morrisons. We felt we should be also able to add to the general plant records for this square (30). Our route took us through a few different habitats including: woodland edge, pond/wet areas, road verges, urban. In total we recorded 89 plants of which 22 were in flower, in about 2 hours. Other wildlife sightings included: a Rabbit and a Green Woodpecker (both in the park and ride area) and then a male Brimstone in flight along Souter Way on the industrial/retail estate.
We got off to a good start from where we’d parked in Greenway Road. We soon found Bellis perennis (Daisy), Poa annua (Annual meadow grass), Lamium purpureum (Red Dead-nettle), Euphorbia peplus (Petty Spurge), Achillea millefolium (Yarrow), Capsella bursa-pastoris (Shepherd’s Purse) and Senecio vulgaris (Groundsel). We then walked along the bridleway and going under the Weymouth Relief Road and continued on to the Park and Ride and didn’t really see much for a long period, until seeing Jacobea vulgaris (Ragwort) in Souter Way. Here we stopped for lunch at McDonalds before continuing on towards the Rugby Club. We then turned west in to Monmouth Avenue and here with more sheltered conditions we found more flowering plants including: Pseudofumaria lutea (Yellow Corydalis), Euphorbia helioscopia (Sun Spurge) and Erigeron karvinskianus (Mexican Fleabane) among other species.
To finish our walk we returned to Greenway Road, via Dorchester Road and had some good road verges near the roundabout, where we found Leucanthemum vulgare (Oxeye Daisy) with just one flower.
When we got home, we started receiving reports from other DFG members. Jo Stephen found 12 species in flower at Winterborne Stickland. Tony Fulford spent three hours squelching around the marshes of Corfe Common and only finding Ulex europeaus (Gorse), Bellis perennis (Daisy), Tarxacum agg. (Dandelion) and some Vinca major (Greater Periwinkle) on the Common side of someone’s garden wall. Elsewhere, Mark Singleton also found Ulex europeaus (Gorse) in flower all over Canford Heath.
Robin and Carolyn’s group had 23 species altogether (many fewer than their list last year) over the Stratton and Charminster areas. These included Cardamine hirsuta (Hairy Bitter-cress), Lamium album (White Dead-nettle), Arabis hirsuta (Hairy Rock-cress), Viola reichenbachiana (Early Dog-violet), Potentilla sterilis (Barren Strawberry) and Veronica arvensis (Wall speedwell).
Sue and John East once again surveyed Hinton St Mary ST7816 covering the lanes. They saw 20 species in total with Senecio vulgaris (Groundsel) and Lamium purpureum (Red Dead-nettle) being the species in flower in the greatest numbers. Interesting finds included Viola tricolor (Wild Pansy), Knautia arvensis (Field Scabious), and Parietaria Judaica (Pellitory-of-the-wall). Although the same route was followed as last year, only 12 species were seen in both years.
Katie Crawford found 11 species flowering near Winspit on 1st January, including Anthemis (Chamomile), Stellaria media (Chickweed) and Vinca major (Greater Periwinkle).
On 2nd January, Rex Bale visited SZ0594 covering sections of the Bourne Valley Nature Reserve and Turbary Common and neighbouring streets, finding six species in total in flower including Cardamine hirsuta (Hairy Bitter-cress). Phil Smith reported a nil return on Cranborne Chase, Steve Masters reported seven flowering species from a rural walk, and Jon Crewe found four species in flower at Silverlake near Warmwell/Crossways.
Di Hall visited SY9387 by the River Frome (East of Wareham), finding Hedera hibernica (Ivy), Ulex europeaus (Gorse) and Stellaria media (Chickweed), so overall very little in flower.
This year we specifically asked for species lists, but only received a few (probably due to the lack of flowering plants!), so thanks to those who provided these. As a whole the group saw 46 species in flower, which is forty less than in 2022. What a difference a year makes!
