Wild West Yorkshire nature diary, Monday 26th April 1999
ROUGH GRASSLAND framed by golden Gorse is what you see from the car, you need to stroll around the common to see the intimate side of its wide open spaces. My walking group picks out seven species of fungi on the turf, some of them associated with the dung of the gipsy horses that are tethered here.
Dipping a net in the little pond in a hollow I find three varieties of water snail, caddis larvae in cases they have built of plant fragments and a female Smooth Newt.
In addition to spiky Soft RushJuncus effusus, which is smooth to the touch and has continuous pith inside, we find two miniature species of rush. One I guess is Field Woodrush, the other, which grows in wetter places has two little clubs of flowers on each plant.
There is a luxuriant growth of Watercress in an old stone-framed spring-head. We sample one or two of the peppery-tasting leaves.
ROUGH GRASSLAND framed by golden Gorse is what you see from the car, you need to stroll around the common to see the intimate side of its wide open spaces. My walking group picks out seven species of fungi on the turf, some of them associated with the dung of the gipsy horses that are tethered here.
Dipping a net in the little pond in a hollow I find three varieties of water snail, caddis larvae in cases they have built of plant fragments and a female Smooth Newt.
In addition to spiky Soft Rush Juncus effusus, which is smooth to the touch and has continuous pith inside, we find two miniature species of rush. One I guess is Field Woodrush, the other, which grows in wetter places has two little clubs of flowers on each plant.
There is a luxuriant growth of Watercress in an old stone-framed spring-head. We sample one or two of the peppery-tasting leaves.