North York Moors Weekend
On Saturday morning we walked from Ellerburn Church through the edge of Dalby Forest to Ellerburn Bank nature reserve. As expected there was a wide variety of plants with Dropwort, Salad Burnet, and a selection of orchids on the reserve itself and a thriving patch of Monk's-hood in the woods above Ellerburn. The morning had started sunny, but a slow-moving shower pursued us after lunch so we stopped off for a cup of tea before continuing to Fen Bog. The highlights here were a very co-operative Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary, and at least one pair of breeding whinchats. There was a range of bog plants including Common Butterwort, Bogbean, and Round-leaved Sundew. We finished the day with a very enjoyable meal in the George & Dragon in Kirkbymoorside.
On Sunday, fortified by full English breakfasts, we had a circular walk along part of Newton Dale. Again plenty of plants with some very good boggy patches in the bottom of the dale with Ragged Robin, Greater Bird's-foot-trefoil, Bog Stitchwort, Marsh Bedstraw and the very attractive Wood Club-rush.
Below is a selection of images from the weekend.
Andrew Chadwick, June 2016