New Year Plant Hunt - Uckfield North

Recently the weather has been very wet, turning many little weedy plants that were hanging on from the summer to mush. So when I did the 2024 BSBI New Year Plant Hunt, I was expecting another low result, much the same as last year. For my Uckfield (Sussex) hunt, I got an unexpectedly high result - 36 species - comparable to the few years prior to 2023. I think the difference was that we didn't get the hard frost and snow that we experienced last year.

Number of species vs year

Before I even got off Manor Park housing estate, I found nine species - the sort of unregarded weeds like Daisies, Dandelions etc. The flowers looked pretty miserable after all the rain but these adaptable little plants had battled through to count day.

Winter Heliotrope (Petasites fragrans) - London Road

One of my favourites is the patch of Winter Heliotrope (Petasites fragrans) just south of Ringles Cross. These flowers are both reliable and give a cheerful touch of pink on a dull day. As I worked my way down the London Road to the town, there were more battered little weeds.

Water Bent (Polypogon viridis) in the High Street

One plant that is thriving after all the wet weather is an alien grass - and the clue as to why is in the name - Water Bent (Polypogon viridis). 

Gorse (Ulex europaeus) in Church Street.

As I made my way along the High Street and into Church Street I found more plants in bloom including a Gorse (Ulex europaeus) opposite Holy Cross Church. In a nearby flower bed, I found the glamorous purple of Sweet Violet (Viola odorata) flowers.  I was particularly pleased because it has been lost from a couple of nearby sites due to a clean up in one case and invasive Three Cornered Leek (Allium triquetrum) in another.

Yellow Corydalis (Corydalis lutea) at Holy Cross Church

Sheltered nooks around Holy Cross Church have enabled plants such as Yellow Corydalis (Corydalis lutea) and Mexican Fleabane (Mexican Fleabane) to keep flowering.

Ivy (Hedera helix) at Holy Cross Church

A flowering Ivy (Hedera helix) is just one of the plants in the hedge at Holy Cross that will be keeping Bees, Hoverflies and even butterflies going through the winter.

Holly (Ilex aquifolium) in Bellmont Road

I spent some time examining a Holly (Ilex aquifolium) in Bellmont Road and was delighted to find some tiny flowers so I could include it in my count.

Hazel (Corylus avellana) catkins.

One of the Hazels (Corylus avellana) near the bypass always seems to be flowering at this time of year even when those by the river bridge have let me down. By the time I had got to it, the wind was whipping the catkins around like lambs tails.

Common Whitlowgrass (Erophila verna)

Before the hunt started a member of the Sussex Botanical Recording Society had asked for advice about where to look for wild plants in flower. The group provided suggestions like "urban", "building sites" and, in my case, "industrial estates". At Bellbrooke, I was able to add another handful to my score including the tiny Common Whitlowgrass (Erophila verna) shown. You will have to forgive the quality of the photo - I had to hold my phone against the bottom of a fence to get it and couldn't really see what I was doing.  After this, I headed home, pausing to note a couple more species from the front of the fire station.

Species in Bloom - wild flowers

Wild plants in bloom - 2024 hunt

Species found in bloom - naturalised

These are species that have "jumped the garden fence".

Naturalised plants in bloom - 2024 hunt

Big Garden Birdwatch 2023

I did this year's Big Garden Birdwatch from 8:20 to 9:20 am. The weather was cold (about 1-2 C) and dull.  The big difference this year is that I've been using feeders much more.  Previously we had one feeder for fatballs, a bird table and scattered some food on the paving or grass.  However due to increasing numbers of Pigeons monopolizing the supplies, I've more-or-less stopped using the bird table and ground and now have a total of four feeders:

• The original, with fat balls, in the Magnolia
• Mealworms in the Lilac at the front
• Sunflower hearts in the Crab Apple at the back
• Suet pellets in the Cornus Mass.

I imagined that this would encourage more birds into the garden and make them easier to spot.  However, during the count, I observed that most species come and go to the feeders quite quickly whereas before they would spend more time looking for morsels in our unruly garden.  

During the count, I recorded a total of 31 individuals from 11 species.

My Big Garden Bird Count scores.

Some results stood out. For example, the were two Goldfinches and one Coal tit.  Although these species have occasionally graced my count, their visits have be very irregular and fleeting, with the Goldfinches usually flying high above the garden and not landing (which means I can't include them in the count). Over the last few weeks these have become reliable visitors, coming to our feeders every day. 

Big Garden Bird Watch - How counts have changed since 2011

I did get more individuals than the last couple of years. It doesn't necessarily mean much because numbers have gone up and down so much over since I started doing the count.  However, the main boost was a group 12 of House Sparrows that spent a little time squabbling over the sunflower hearts and suet. 

Hopefully as we enter the hungry period when the birds have eaten most of the naturally occurring berries and seeds, the feeders will help keep our feathered friends going until Spring. 

New Year Plant Hunt 2023 - Uckfield North

2022 weather was a real rollercoaster with a drought, then incessant rain and, just before Christmas, hard frosts and snow and the Met Office has concluded it was the hottest year on record. So when I did the 2023 BSBI New Year Plant hunt I expected to find very few species in flower compared to previous years. Sure enough, this year, I found 22 species in bloom, much fewer than the 36 to 46 I found in each of the previous 3 years. 

Number of species vs Year.

For most of the species that I did find, there were far fewer plants in flower - for example, I usually expect to see Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) in flower in several places during my hunt, whereas this time I found just one.

Daisy (Bellis perennis) - Manor Park

My first find was at the front of next door-but-one's garden - a Daisy (Bellis perennis) battered, but enough to get me going.

Ivy (Hedera helix) - Manor Park

As I made my way through the estate, I found a variety of little weeds in bloom as well as Ivy (Hedera helix). 

Winter Heliotrope (Petasites fragrans) - London Road

The Winter Heliotrope (Petasites fragrans) on London Road had obligingly come into bloom in time for the hunt.

Wendy Tagg with Yellow Corydalis (Corydalis lutea) - High Street

The old walls at the top of the town are usually quite productive. However there were no flowers on the usually reliable Trailing Bellflower (Campanula poscharskyana) and there were just two little flowers on the Yellow Corydalis (Corydalis lutea).

Gorse (Ulex europaeus) - Bellbrook industrial estate

On the Bellbrook industrial estate the Gorse (Ulex europaeus) near the river Uck gave a nice splash of yellow.  

Alder (Alnus glutinosa) - Bellbrook industrial estate

Once again, I found red Alder (Alnus glutinosa) catkins lengthened and showing pollen. Trying to get a photo of them was a challenge as they danced in the breeze way above my head.

Ivy-leaved Toadflax (Cymbalaria Muralis) - Bellbrook industrial estate

There very few herbaceous plants in bloom but I found a Creeping Buttercup (Ranunculus Repens) in the sheltered spot behind the Barny's Playbarn sign and an Ivy-leaved Toadflax (Cymbalaria Muralis) tucked behind a wall.

Hazel (Corylus avellana) dancing over the River Uck

I meandered down to the river, where it is bridged by the High Street and found fully lengthened catkins catching the sunlight over the river. 

Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) - Southview Drive

After noting the Hazel (Corylus avellana), I headed home via Lime Tree Avenue, where I found some Cow Parsley (Anthriscus sylvestris) with sorry-looking flowers. A quick inspection of the base of a South-facing wall in Southview drive yielded a Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) and some Yarrow (Achillea millefolium).

Species found in bloom - wildflowers

Species found in Bloom - Naturalised

These are the garden plants that have 'jumped the garden fence'.