The final ? few

After my return from Bardsey I took things easy for a while. On my trips round Cuerden Valley Park I could only add Marsh and Hedge woundwort. I was supposed to be leading a walk along the River Lostock on Saturday June 16 to find Banded Demoiselle for the British Dragonfly Society local group. A very wet day as well as low temperatures meant no-one turned up for this. A pity since the Cuerden Beer Festival was in full swing and they could have drowned their sorrows. The following day was much brighter and I saw several common blue and azure damselflies in tandem.

  Tuesday June 19 saw me joining the Lancashire Endangered Plants group on a search for geranium sylvaticum. 

This was in the Barnoldswick area of Lancashire along a disused railway track. We saw several groups of this flower as well as a hybrid water/wood avens. We passed the end of the Fouldridge canal tunnel on this trip as well.

 On our return walk we also had a twayblade and a little later Fox-and-Cubs

Severe rain limited my trips for a few days. They had caused severe flooding and some considerable damage. You can see some here in photos taken by some friends of mine.The first is the bank of the River Lostock, the second the River Ribble very full.

This was a little frustrating since I was now up to 690, and wondering if I should extend my target. 

Plants again came to my rescue since throughout the following week I saw  amongst others; nipplewort, meadowsweet, selfheal and hoary plantain. For a whole two days I was on 699 with my brother telling me there was brown hawker at Gait Barrows and another friend saying she had seen alkanet in South Wales, frustration continued.. On Wednesday June 27 I came out of the Cuerden Valley Park office and saw a flower I did not recognise, just in bloom. With the help of John Lamb and "Blamey, Fitter and Fitter" Wildflowers of Britain and Ireland, I identified it as Green Figwort - 

HOORAY - 700.

Picture by Alan Wright, Lancashire Wildlife Trust

But it's not even the end of June yet, and though a few folk have sent gifts to the Just Giving site here on the right  >>

  or at least a bit higher up on the right, I will carry on and try to reach ONE THOUSAND if some more would support either of the two charities