A small but hardworking group this morning.
David went off on his own, pruning vegetation, while Judith took Steve Joul to see some orchids before litter picking, and Brian and your correspondent went down to the Bog where we were joined by Sylvia, Steve, Geoff and finally Judith.
Clearing brambles
First task was to trample the bracken at the west end of the bog. We then settled down to clearing brambles and tree seedlings from the north east corner of the bog.
Bog Asphodel
It was a beautiful morning, the tranquil seclusion of the Bog enhanced by a proliferation of ringlet butterflies, the many flowers – heath spotted orchids, tormentil and bog asphodel among others – and the fine weather which improved throughout the morning.
Surface water on the bog
It was particularly pleasing to see that much of the Bog was very wet and had standing water on the surface – even at the north end. There is no doubt that the work done by BTCV three years ago in removing much of the purple moor grass was a large step forward in returning the area to a boggy state.
Newly arrived flag iris!
One pleasant surprise was to find a flag iris had appeared amongst the rushes on the southern side of the Bog. Let us hope that more arrive.
In the afternoon Steve took your correspondent to have a look at the orchids discovered by Judith. They were in a field which neither Steve nor your correspondent had come across before (which just goes to show that there is always more to learn and discover!) and there were very many of them.
Common spotted orchids
Steve was very excited by Judith’s discovery. They were common spotted orchids, distinguishable from the heath spotted orchids of the Bog by a small difference in the petals.
A very satisfying day!
Friends of Adel Woods 