As well as a number of grasses and several wildflower species of mid to late summer display architectural qualities, these include plants such as hedge mustard, bristly ox-tongue, weld and members of the thistle, willow-herb and the carrot families.
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| • Common blue damselflies |
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| • Sea lavender at Isley Marsh. |
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| • Perennial flax. |
Chicory is another summer arrival, with unmistakable cornflower-blue flowers, which open and close in synchrony with the sun's rising and setting. Although chicory is not common, there are at least some sites locally where it can be found in groups. One place is alongside the Tarka Trail at Instow. Chicory plants have been cultivated for a long time as both the root and flower serve some culinary or medicinal purpose.
Enjoying a similar habitat to chicory is the more ubiquitous goats beard or jack-go-to-bed-at-noon, whose flowers peculiarly open during the morning hours.
I was pleased to find yellow bartsia along the trail, together with vipers bugloss, agrimony, soapwort and eyebright. Sea-lavender formed mats of lilac along the foreshore at Isley marsh and, in the reed-beds, there were common blue damselflies by the score. On a grassy bank nearer the mouth of the estuary there are many blue flowers of perennial flax, a lovely slender plant. Here there was also marbled white, ringlet and small skipper butterflies.
Adjacent, on the shingle foreshore, there was a gathering of circa 100 oystercatchers ...
One of the commonest butterflies at this time is the gatekeeper. It is another good year for migrant butterflies and moths ie. hummingbird hawkmoth, silver Y, clouded yellow etc. But the intense prolonged heat is beginning to test our trees and in some instances has triggered leaf-fall.
Contact Stewart Beer at: stewart.naturalist@btinternet.com