Latest Wildflower walk - Saturday 30th July

Our fourth wildflower walk of the summer took us to Burray and South Ronaldsay to look at both the 'yellow dune' and the 'grey dune'.

Los Afficionados admiring Oysterplant at the Pool o'Cletts, Eastside, South Ronaldsay

No4 barrier, Burray

Immature dunes (or Yellow dunes) are the sandy areas closest to the shore. The plants that grow there are integral to the formation of the dunes – their roots and leaves trap and hold the sand and are the first stage in the process of stabilisation. At the Fourth barrier, where the dunes are sixty years old, there is little maturity. The barrier is still very dynamic and ‘yellow’ and consequently is covered with early stage plants such as Lyme-grass, Marram Grass, Sea Sandwort and Orache. We also saw Perennial Sowthistle, Prickly Sowthistle, Common Catsear and Curled Dock, typical of this habitat and help in the formation of the mature or Grey dune.

Seeding Sea Sandwort

Immature dunes and beach

Orache, Sea Rocket, Lyme-grass, Marram Grass, Oysterplant, Sea Sandwort, Curled Dock.

Sea Rocket, in white and lilac, tended to lie lower on the beach than the Oysterplant. Both species still showed well but the Oysterplant, which in Britain only occurs in Scotland, was just beginning to turn. Orkney is very important for this plant; the county is its national stronghold with South Ronaldsay and Sanday pre-eminent.

Leaves the size of small cabbages on this Oysterplant

Mature dunes (or Grey dunes) are stable dunes which are characterised by species such as Ladies Bedstraw and Yarrow. Our walk along the upper path took us across carpets of bedstraw and passed clumps of Yarrow in many assorted pastel colours – white, pinks, magentas and lilacs.

Yarrow's stunning colours

Bird’s-foot Trefoil was still in flower but at this time in the year, the leaves begin to dominate. Angelica was beginning to unfurl while the Hogweed was starting to seed. Spear Thistles and Creeping Thistles grew abundantly in the overgrazed dunes inside the fence. At the southern end of the dunes were massed clumps of Lesser Meadow-rue none of which was in flower although we saw its seed-pods. However our exertions across the sands were not in vain – on a small sandy headland, Orkney’s only patch of Sea Bindweed was in full flower and we were a very appreciative audience. This little patch is out on a limb – the next nearest in Scotland is on the links at Arbroath.

Sea Bindweed

Today's snap! - the perfect subject

Even though I see Oysterplant every year, I find it impossible not to take pictures.

Pool o'Cletts - South Ronaldsay

                                                        

Sand and shingle - the soft coast

The first of the habitats includes ten species that are commonly (more or less) found on many of Orkney's soft coasts - the least common is Oysterplant one of the county's flagship flowers that is really only locally common on Sanday and South Ronaldsay.

Plate 1
Oysterplant, Cleavers, Sea Rocket, Sea Campion, Curled Dock

Plate 2
Sea Sandwort, Orache sp, Silverweed, Perennial Sowthistle, Sea Mayweed


And this is how the text should look for one of the shore's prettiest flowers Sea Campion

Sea Campion (Silene uniflora)

Dead Man’s Bells, Dead Man’s Hatties, Witches’ Thimbles        

Campion family

Height to 20cm; flowers May to July. Very widespread and abundant in Orkney (25/28) and around Britain’s coasts (750/2852) but absent from most of the coastline of northeast England.

Restricted to the coast and occurring from sea level driftline to cliff top grassland, this white flowered perennial has waxy leaves and an inflated calyx. It is a sprawling plant and likely to be found cascading over shingle or tumbling down near-vertical cliff faces; the latter habit resulting in two of its vernacular names Dead Man’s Bells and Dead Man’s Hatties – so named because of the inherent danger in attempting to gather a posy. It was never picked and never brought into the house possibly to discourage children from endangering themselves on the cliffs. Because of its ability to tolerate high levels of nutrient enrichment, white cushions of Sea Campion may be abundant in seabird colonies.

Sand and shingle - the soft coast

 The Bight of Lotheran in Sanday