Kirkcudbrightshire Botany Group at Kirkdale, 9th May 2025
A group of 12 of us gathered at Kirkdale Bridge on yet another glorious sunny day as this spell of fine weather continued. Our aim was to record NX5152, last comprehensively recorded in 1980s and 1990s.
We crossed the A75 with care and soon reached the sanctuary of a steep wooded path down towards the shore. This is a lovely rich strip of woodland on a moderately base-rich substrate with a good number of Ancient Woodland Indicator species. Ramsons Allium ursinum was abundant together with Dog’s Mercury Mercurialis perennis. Notable was the frequency of Soft Shield-fern Polystichum setiferum, but there were also Broad Buckler-fern Dryopteris dilatata, Lady Fern Athyrium felix-femina and Scaly Male-fern Dryopteris affinis agg. Great Woodrush Luzula sylvatica and Hairy Woodrush L. pilosa were both present as well as Wood Sedge Carex sylvatica. There was a large stand of Wood Melick Melica uniflora and lower down we also found False-brome Brachypodium sylvaticum, the old flower spikes hanging over the track. As we admired them, Faith spotted that many of them were ominously tipped black with a lurking sheep tick ready for an unwary passerby to brush past. A particularly strongly-coloured patch of Pink Purslane Claytonia sibirica, caught our eye and there was one small patch of Town Hall Clock Adoxa moschatellina.
As we reached the open area below, we found Russian Comfrey Symphytum x uplandicum coming into flower and where the path reached the beach were several flowering plants of Sea Kale Crambe maritima.
The group split at this point and the more energetic opted to walk along the rocky beach south east towards Ravenshall Wood while the others chose the easier option of walking northwest towards Kirkdale Port and recording a new monad NX5053. The beach is largely bare of vegetation except along the top edge where there is a ruderal strip which grades into woodland. Notable is an abundance of Narrow-leaved Everlasting-pea Lathyrus sylvestris, not yet in flower, but present along the much of the length of both monads 5053 and 5052. This was accompanied by Sea Radish Raphanus raphanistrum ssp maritimum, brambles (another visit needed for these!) and Teasel Dipsacus fullonum. The beach was largely bare of vegetation but there was Sea Sandwort Honkenya peploides, Saltmarsh Rush Juncus gerardii, Rock Samphire Crithmum maritimum and Spear-leaved Orache Atriplex prostrata. At the Ravenshall Wood end of the monad, where the woodland met the beach, there was a freshwater area containing Common Reed Phragmites australis together with Lesser Pond-sedge Carex acutiformis. Another wetland area was found at the back of the beach in NX5053. This too had Common Reed Phragmites australis, this time accompanied by Great Horsetail Equisetum telmateia.
On the way back to the cars, using the track to the holiday cottage, Zoe spotted an unusual Potentilla which was clearly either Trailing Tormentil P. anglica or Hybrid Cinquefoil P. x mixta. A specimen was taken to send to the referee, Brenda Harold, who very speedily confirmed it as P. anglica, having ternate leaves, short runners and fertile pollen with a large grain size.
This was an excellent day with a lovely mix of woodland and coastal plants. My thanks to everyone who came along and for their contributions.
Sarah White
