welcome warblers and day at the dunes

Thursday 12 April was a quick visit to Anglezark. I was so glad I did. The area was alive with willow warblers and I also heard one garden warbler. Summer is definitely here (except for the weather) The picture is of a garden warbler from last year. A drab bird with a gorgeous song

Saturday 14 April. I had to cancel a trip to Crosby due to family commitments. Instead I went to meet St Anne. or rather Annie, Dunes officer for Lancashire Wildlife Trust, in St Annes. She had organised a search for lizards in the dunes.The sun was shining, if somewhat feebly, on some of the banks. These were said to be ideal places to see our quarry. Since it was still a little cold, we decided to take a walk in the dunes. I managed to see Marram grass, lyme grass, sea radish, common whelk shell, Isle of Man cabbage, meadow pipits, common mouse ear and dewberry, The other leader had gone on a lower path and as we met he pointed to a place where he had seen a common lizard. I stayed there for about ten minutes and managed to see a single juvenile. On our return to the car park we passed some creeping willow and early forget-me-not. We had another futile search on the bank, but since the sun was behind clouds and the temperature had dropped we decided to call it a day ( or morning)
The afternoon was spent practicing using flower keys on Cuerden Valley Park. Thanks to this I identified a wavy bitter-cress and found that the lords and ladies near the BHS pond was RARE lords and ladies arum italicum.

Challenge total now 320