Clock Face Country Park

21st May 2011

Leader:  Barbara Allen.

Sixteen members witnessed the array of plants, insects and birds on the former site of Clock Face Colliery now a country park.

From the older plantings presumably by the National Coal board on the outskirts, Betula pendula (Silver Birch) conveniently planted near Betula pubescens (Downy Birch) making comparing easer, along with Ilex x altaclerensis (Highclere Holly), Syringa vulgaris (Lilac), Rhododendron ssp but also Cydonia (Quinces) and posibly Inula helenium (Elecampane),this will need further visits for conformation. All adding interest and maturity to the site.

Thanks to the diversity of the area some being more acid than others, boggy, baron, wooded and even having an excellent fishing pond this gave rise to over one hundred and fifty species recorded on the day. A quadrant of approximately one metre square was done on the top east side by some members, a rather fragile surface, yet surprisingly they found fifteen different species not counting mosses and surviving on millimetres of soil.

Many insects were pointed out to us from Common Blue and Peacock Butterflies, Silver Ground Carpet Moth also including the release of a Poplar Hawk Moth, even a small green beetle with a yellow petticoat apparently living off Alder trees. Birds like the Jay, Long-Tiled Tit and almost constantly in the background the song of a Willow Warbler adding to the ambience of the walk.

Amazingly the weather held which helped people appreciate our surroundings and with the individual expertise of members the meeting was enriched and all the more enjoyable.

Many thanks to all that attended and even help prepare for the meeting.

Barbara Allen.

			Common Blue	Elecampane?
Photographing Dame's Violet			Changing Forgetmenot	Alder beetle
		Common Blue	Comon Blue
Weld	Ragged Robin	Southern Marsh Orchid?	Mouse-ear Hawkweed	Lesser Bulrush
Lesser bulrush	Poplar Hawk moth		Alder Beetle