Spring Flowers at Brueton Park LNR

 

Recently D and I visited Brueton Park LNR in Solihull. It is a walk we often do at this time of the year when Wild Garlic is flowering.  The public footpath follows the River Blythe which is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).

I first discovered this walk some years ago when I used to do a wild flower survey for Plantlife.  The kilometre square I was allocated included Brueton Park and when I looked at the os map there was a public footpath which went straight across the square.

Cow Parsley was flowering everywhere you looked.

There were Buttercups everywhere too.

Brueton Park can get very busy at times but very few people seem to follow this public footpath. We only saw three other people in the two hours we were there.

Sadly most of the Wild Garlic had gone past its best.  It must have flowered particularly early this year perhaps because of the very warm dry weather we have been having.

Horse Chestnut candles were flowering and I noticed the stamens on some flowers were a different colour to others so I did some research and it is like Hawthorn and Forget me nots in that once pollinated the stamens change colour or it can be a sign of ageing in the case of Horse Chestnut.

I found Purple Toothwort in its usual place on a tree trunk which lies across the path.  It is a parasitic plant that has naturalised in Britain.

Germander Speedwell

Wild Garlic (Allium ursinum) has a number of country/local names e.g. Ramsons, Buckrams, Broad-leaved Garlic, Bear Leek, Bear's Garlic, Gipsy's Onion and Stinking Jenny.

Speckled Wood

After going through woodland the path crosses a field very close to the M42 and then into another wood.

This is the wood where we normally find Bluebells but again they had almost finished flowering.

Red Campion and Yellow Archangel (the latter an indicator of ancient woodland).

We didn't walk as far as normal because it was quite hot and we both needed a drink so we retraced our steps.

Photos that D took.

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D made the point that we only ever visit in May and it might be a good idea to return in the autumn to look for fungi and see the autumn colours.

Edith Holden of "Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady" fame often used to follow the River Blythe at Widney which is just a bit further on than the second wood we entered.  I like to think of her wandering these woods along the river and wonder what she would make of the huge electricity pylons and the M42!  

Last week we had a surprise visit from a Painted Lady butterfly nectaring on Climbing Hydrangea flowers in the garden. I think there has been an influx of this species in recent weeks.  So far this year pollinator species seen far exceed this time last year.

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Photos taken by me with the Panasonic Lumix FZ330 and those marked *D were taken by my son with the Canon SX50HS bridge camera. (I don't particularly rate my photos but if anyone wishes to use of mine or my son's I would be grateful for an email first - thanks).