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We started off at the Ferrybridge car park with a look at the waders feeding on the mudflats.
Most were Ringed Plovers but there were also a few Dunlins and 4 Sanderlings.
Later a couple of immature Mediterranean Gulls turned up.
Crossing over to Ham Beach we found the Sea Holly plants in full flower. A great many other flowers were found as well including Sea Radish, Wild Carrot and suprisingly, a large Wild Privet Bush. Reaching the Rodwell Trail we soon found a few examples of the very rare Bithynian Vetch, along with some very bright Everlasting Pea and a few tiny Hedgerow Cranesbills. We tried to find some of the Little Robin that grows here but the plants we found may have just been small Herb Robert or perhaps a hybrid. Walking back we found a real treat, a patch of Corn Marigold growing in disturbed soil near the roadside. This is a very rare plant in South Dorset, occasionally found at the edges of fields and in meadows around the chalk downs. |
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Birds Kestrel Ringed Plover Dunlin Sanderling Mediterranean Gull Great Black-backed Gull Herring Gull Black-headed Gull Common Tern Rock Pipit Swift Goldfinch Starling |
Insects Green-veined White Meadow Brown Gatekeeper 6-spot Burnet Moth |
Plants Annual Seablite Birdsfoot Trefoil Bithynian Vetch Blackthorn Bramble Common Ragwort Common Reed Common Storksbill Common Toadflax Corn Marigold Hawthorn Hedgerow Cranesbill Herb Robert Horsetail Kidney Vetch Marjoram Marsh Samphire Perrenial Sow-thistle Portland Spurge Restharrow Ribwort Plantain Rock Samphire Sea Beet Sea Couch Grass Sea Holly Sea Mayweed Sea Radish Shrubby Seablite Teasel Thrift Viper's Bugloss Wall Barley White Stonecrop Wild Carrot Wild Clary Wild Privet Wild Thyme Woody Nightshade |