Wild Flower Meadows

 

I love walking through tall grass in a meadow and this small patch next to the old buslink is rich in flowers which attract butterflies and bees in the summer.  For several years I have seen a pyramid orchid (below) in the same spot beside one of the footpaths, and looked out for it flowering again each year.

 

 

In 2012 I was surprised to see broomrape (below), a parasitic plant without any green pigment to create food, which lives on the roots of other plants.  I happened to meet one of the ecologists working on the Woodside Link who had also noticed this unusual plant and we chatted about the richness of grasses and wild flowers in this area that will go under the road.

 

 

I have also recorded butterfly sightings here on www.bigbutterflycount.org for several years and the number vary considerably depending on the weather.  Here are two I have seen: common blue (female), and large skipper.

 

 

But the most wonderful surprise was when I came upon bee orchids hidden in the tall grasses right beside the buslink. 

 

 

These are a rare and protected species so I reported them to the CBC Ecologist and the site is meant to be being protected, except that the marker posts around the site keep disappearing, or being blown down by the strong winds.  I am told by the Principal Project Manager that 'It is still the intention to translocate the orchids to the agreed receptor site as part of the site clearance works undertaken by the main contractor, probably within the next 3-4 months.'  So they will have flowered once again before that happens.  Keep your eyes open for them!

 

Of course, nothing can be seen of them right now but the first flower to bloom in this meadow is coltsfoot and you can see it everywhere poking through the matted grasses.  The leaves don't appear till later and then they can been seen everywhere as they are very large, heart-shaped leaves.

 

 

There are plans to sow wild flower seeds in what was the copse alongside the buslink, and alongside the Woodside Link.  I hope coltsfoot will be included, as they are such a cheerful sign of spring, as well as clover on which the butterflies are feeding.

 





While it won't look like this anymore, we are promised there will be wildflower meadows in the new landscaping for the Woodside Link.  I look forward to seeing several varieties of orchids amongst the flowers, and lots of different grasses when the area is restored to nature.