I’ve been out to Flat Holm lots of times, firstly
volunteering as an enthusiastic 17 year
old, then following that whenever I had the chance. It is a fascinating place, packed
with history and lots of gulls too. According to the information there are 20,000
nesting pairs, all toing and froing from ‘chippy ally’ in Cardiff back out to
the island.
The grand total of bryophytes recorded on Flat Holm was,
until recently one…or maybe it was two, either way I felt confident that even I
could make a useful contribution. So I jumped at the chance to go with SEWBREC
for their BioBlitz back in August 2017.
The islands varied past land use means there is plenty of
hard-core paths, tarmac, derelict buildings, concrete and limestone block structures,
but there are very few – well almost no, natural water features. I have found
only one persistent ‘drip’ that lasts year round, in the appropriately, if not
enthusiastically named ‘dripping cove’,
where with some luck you will also find a small patch of Eucladium verticillatum hanging onto the underside of the cliff
face. The very overgrown WWII defence
ditch around the lighthouse also provides one of the few sheltered spots on the
island capable of producing any humidity, and the limestone/soil banks are home
to plenty of Fissidens taxifolius var.
taxifolius and the trees and shrubs ideal habitats for any epiphytes. I’m
sure that there is plenty more to find in the right season or with an expert
eye, but until then here are the limited ‘highlights’ of the summertime trip;
Brachythecium populem, Barbula unguiculata,
Bryum argenteum, Eucladium verticillatum, Fissidens
taxifolius var. taxifolius, Hypnum lacunosum, Kindbergia praelonga, Metzgeria furcate,
Orthotrichum diaphanum, Plagiomnium affine, Rhynchostegiella tenella,
Rhynchostegium megapolitanum, Syntrichia ruralis subs. ruralis, Tortula
moralis, Trichostomum brachydontium and Wessia brachcarpa var oliqua.
As always I was very grateful for Georges and Sam’s help
with confirming some of the IDs and pointing out where I had gone hopelessly wrong, it really is the only way to learn when you
are starting out – so hats off to them again. New years resolution is to be
able to confidently record in a local area without making too many mistakes.........
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| One small area of Eucladium verticillatum forming near a persistent drip in the 'Dripping cove'. |
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| Flat Holm Island (image copyright of RCAHMW) |
Well done Gareth helping to get this much neglected lump of rock on the map, there are some useful records there. The island really needs a good winter bash and visit any time in the next couple of months would im sure prove to be productive. The south-facing cliffs by the lighthouse look like they have potential hold a of the coastal specialities and is a must area to check. Even Weissia leveri is a possibility.
ReplyDeleteHi Barry, I hope to be back to do a bit of volunteering for them so ill have another look, hopefully this winter. Mind you wouldn't fancy the boat trip today..bit choppy !
ReplyDeleteYes good work Gareth, and thanks for bringing the samples round. If the winter is a bit too choppy for a visit I think Mar/Apr would be a good time for the bryos. Let me know if you're going and I'll try and tag along if I can.
ReplyDeleteWell done Gareth. I share your new year's resolution 😁
ReplyDelete