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A good turn-out of conservation volunteers
at our Swineholes Wood nature reserve enjoy a
well-earned coffee break at a weekend work
party
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Foxgloves. These albino Foxgloves make a
striking and unexpected display on a northern
aspect of our windswept moorlands
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Swineholes Wood conservation volunteers
turn out in all kinds of weather!
Sarah carries out repairs to one of the many
internal dry-stone walls
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Foxglove detail. If you've never used a
hand lens, when it comes to small flowers, a whole
new world awaits you. Note the incredible
patterning down the throat of this single foxglove
flower, but even better, try looking at a germander
speedwell flower or wood sorrel with a x10
lens.
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Plant Sale 2008 - Plant Sale customers
searching for bargains at our fifteenth annual
Plant sale which raised over £1100.
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At the end of our Rambling round the
Roaches walk in June 2008, participants scan the
landscape for a final view of the peregrine
falcons.
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Toothwort. Seldom found here in the
Moorlands, this is a parasitic plant devoid of
chlorophyll which parasitises on the roots of
usually lime or hazel, but this one was living off
sycamore in the Warslow area.
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Shetland ponies grazing at Swineholes Wood
nature reserve. Thanks to their effective grazing
on species like purple moor-grass and rushes,
plants like heath bedstraw, tormentil and the rare
common cow-wheat and marsh violet have made
wonderful arrays of colour on the reserve this
summer. In turn this attracts bees, butterflies and
other invertebrates providing the bird populations
with an abundant food source.
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Tree Sparrows. Few colonies remain now in
the Staffordshire Moorlands. We are aware of ones
in the Onecote, Bagnall and Birchall, Leek areas
but would be interested to hear of any others.
(Please ring 01538 300264)
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Marsh Arrowgrass. This is becoming
increasingly rare but it has been spotted,
sometimes growing in great abundance, on five
separate roadside verges as a result of the six
year long Verge Survey that has been running in the
Staffordshire Moorlands. The flowers are normally
fairly insignificant; our photographer did well to
find this particular specimen.
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Musk Mallow. Another rare plant in our
area. The fruits, as illustrated, are disc-shaped
'rounde and flat, made lyke little cheeses' as
described by an early English botanist!
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Agrimony. Though common in the south, this
plant is scarce further north. It has small yellow
flowers arranged on a tall, narrowing, tapering
spike. Our specimen was discovered near Wetton
Mill.
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Giant Bellflower. This tall, handsome,
brilliant blue flower can be found at several
locations in the Manifold Valley. It is a plant of
northern England which is often found in woods or
shady hedgebanks.
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Pink Purslane. These drifts of pink
purslane were found in a paddock at Alstonfield
when the adjacent verge was being surveyed. A
magnificent sight with dappled sunlight filtering
through the leaf canopy.
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Bee Orchid. It's amazing what pops up
sometimes. Regular walkers to the Tunnel Pool area
of Leek don't remember seeing these here
before.
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Dawdling by the Dove, June 2007. Dawdlers
examine aquatic creatures found in the River Dove
on a lovely summer evening, while others enjoy a
paddle!
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Horsetail. This belongs to one of our
oldest groups of plants. There are several
different species found in our locality along with
occasional hybrids. This close-up shot holds its
own fascination for some of us!
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Staffordshire Wildlife Trust conservation
volunteers repair drystone walls at our Rod Wood
nature reserve.
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Tree roots. It's usually the branches of
veteran trees that become gnarled in this way, not
the roots
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