Is everyone enjoying this taste of summer today? With temperatures hitting 22C, a warm breeze and not a cloud in the sky, lets hope it continues. However, despite the glorious weather today, it’s been a very slow spring this year so far. The cold temperatures, torrential rain and high winds have delayed bird migration, insect emergence and plants flowering. Last week though, I finally got out to record some insects and today I took the opportunity to get out and look at what is flowering out on site.
Oxeye daisy, or Leucanthemum vulgare, is a common plant at Langford and produces lovely displays across the Phase 1 grassland when in full flower.
Photo courtesy of Ben Hall, rspb-images.com
The familiar meadow buttercup, or Ranunculus acris, is now in flower on the public footpath and throughout the site.
Common vetch, Vicia sativa, with it’s deep pink flowers is out now, again on the Phase 1 grassland. Look also for the distinctively shaped leaves and the tendrils that are used to climb or sprawl over other plants.
Garlic mustard, or Alliaria petiolata, is a tall plant up to 1m in height. It is flowering now with small white petalled flowers. It takes it’s name from it’s garlic-like smell when crushed.
Another red/pink flower is red clover, Trifolium pratense, which is just starting to flower in the last few days on phase 1 and around the public footpath. An extremely common species related to the familiar white clover.
Photo courtesy of Andy Hay, rspb-images.com
Look for dense clumps of germander speedwell, Veronica chamaedrys, on the public footpath by the woodland. The flowers are a stunning deep blue colour and the species can be separated from similar speedwells by the two opposite rows of dense hairs running down the stem.
In the next few weeks, look out for more species coming into flower including black and greater knapweed, lady's bedstraw, kidney vetch and grass vetchling.
I also saw my first holly blue, or Celastrina argiolus, butterfly of the year today on the public footpath....
Photo courtesy of Richard Revels, rspb-images.com