As I sit in the office in Weymouth on a grey rainy afternoon, I am reminded of the warm sunny long days of summer looking through some of the photos I have taken of the flowers on Radipole and Lodmoor and though I would share some of the summer highlights.
First to be mentioned are Radipole’s orchid populations. Orchids are always a favourite with the visitors. We have four species in all: Bee Orchid first recorded in 2006 with a record number of 32 being counted in 2008.
Southern March Orchids have been recorded since records began at Radipole in 1976 and are a welcome sign of summer around the Buddleia Loop and the walk to the North Hide.
Southern Marsh Orchid top, Pyramidal Orchid middle and Common Spotted Orchid bottom.
A small group of Pyramidal Orchids are found on the path to the North Hide. Lastly, the Common Spotted Orchid which was recorded for the first time in 2010 on the Buddleia Loop with two plants appearing this year.
On Lodmoor we had our first record of Rosy Garlic. In the orchid meadow there is a small population of Ragged Robin with its ragged pink petals and on the Buddleia Loop there is the Greater Knapweed with its rayed petals and pretty seed heads.
Rosy Garlic above and Greater Knapweed below.
We also have the Golden Dock which is a Dorset scarcity. In fact there are only three places in Dorset where this plant occurs – Radipole Lake, Lodmoor and Overcombe. The Trifid Bur Marigold also occurs at Lodmoor and often grows close by the Golden Dock at Lodmoor.
Golden Dock above and Trifid Bur Marigold below.
As the year turns autumnal the hops on the Buddleia Loop start to flower as does the Ivy, a sure sign that autumn has arrived.
A love in... that's more like it! More of Naomi's (Angelica's) botanical discoveries can be found in the Weymouth Wetlands Natural History report 2010 along with all the bird data painstakingly compiled by Allan Neilson (and co-entered onto the data base by Chris Wyeth), mammals including Nick T's bat report, Luke's moths and ringing records and Allan and his transect team's butterflies. A comprehensive, professional publication available in no good bookshops apart from the VC... while stocks last!