Sunday 23 November 2014

Arable at Overton

Despite dipping on 5 Woodlarks at Overton this morning and later finding out they appeared 10 minutes after I'd left, at least I was able to take the opportunity to look at a habitat I've hardy touched, which resulted in adding 21 taxa to SS48M taking it to 74 (perhaps this was the reason I dipped the Woodlarks!). The best of the arable species at SS458851 were Phascum cuspidatum var. cuspidatum, Microbryum davallianum and Totrtula modica. Species noted on the footpath running between the reserve and the fields SS454852 included Riccia sorocarpa, Scleropodium touretii, Scorpiurium circinatum and best of all a nice little patch of Tortula protobryoides.
Microbryum davallianum
Tortula protobryoides
Comparative sizes (L to R) of Tortula modica, Microbryum 
davallianum [6mm from roots to top of capsule] & T. protobryoides
Phascum cuspidatum var. cuspidatum

5 comments:

  1. Nice one Barry. I've never touched arable at all to date, so most of those species are unfamiliar to me.

    I'll post an update on the other Cosmeston species tomorrow...

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  2. I had the opposite experience when recording arable bryophytes for SBAL in ca2003 in SW-most VC35: stumbling across a small flock of Woodlark. As this was in the border zone between Gwent and Glamorgan nobody seemed to want to know about them - too far west for Chris Jones but east of the Rhymney.

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  3. Surprising what can be snapped with cheap 22mm manual lens reverse mounted on a macro lens - maybe worth suggesting to someone as a Christmas present?

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