MeetingReport

BBS Spring Meeting 2012 28 March–4 April 2012

he 2012 Spring Meeting was held in v.-c Diane Dobson, Rachel Carter, Sharon Pilkington, 70, mainly in the northern Cumbrian David Long, Tom Blockeel, Gordon Rothero, plains, with one day in v.-c. 67 and Mark Hill and Les Knight report on the Spring Tincursions into v.-c. 69. The northern plains are Meeting 2012 in VC67 South , an under-recorded area as the more southerly VC69 Westmorland and VC70 Lake District National Park has been a favourite haunt of past bryologists. The base for the meeting was located in Caldbeck, a scenic area Bell, Joan Bingley, Tom Blockeel, Agneta Burton, with the Skiddaw massif providing a backdrop Rachel and Chris Carter, David Chamberlain, to the village. There was plenty to see for the Rod Corner, Jo Denyer, Diane Dobson, Jeff week, with Diane Dobson and John O’Reilly Duckett, Tom Edwards, Bob Ellis, Richard having organised a plethora of sites to visit, Fisk, Mary Ghullam, Jonathan Graham, Dave though as with most Spring meetings there were Hickson, Mark Hill, Nick Hodgetts, David a number of bryologists who skived off to other Holyoak, Peter Howarth, Alison Jukes, Sue and areas, which did add to the records for the vice Les Knight, Liz Kungu, Nick Law, Mark Lawley, counties. Theo Loizou, Peter Martin, Sara McBride, Andy The meeting was well attended, with over a McLay, John O’Reilly, Sharon Pilkington, Mark dozen bodies appearing at the car park by the Pool, Chris Preston, Clare Rickerby, Jeremy River Caldew on the first Wednesday. Participants Roberts, Linda Robinson, Gordon Rothero, for the week included Judith Allinson, Georgina Lucia Ruffino, Marie Saag Alice Skinner, 27 and Ambroise Baker, Jeff and Joyce Bates, David Jonathan Sleath, Robin Stevenson, Colin Wall

26 FieldBryology No109 | May13 Meeting report – BBS Spring Meeting 2012

and Katherine White. weary people who sank onto the steps, where We were fortunate with the weather for the there were Weissia controversa and Fossombronia week as it was for the most part balmy and pusilla. Marchantia polymorpha subsp. ruderalis* sunny, with the exception of Tuesday when snow was found by one of the buildings in the and high winds descended on our heads. cemetery. An asterix (*) in the following account indicates David Long’s group (David Bell, Peter a new or updated vice-county record. Howarth) braved the suburbs of (v.- c. 70) and on getting out of the car picked up WEDNESDAY 28th MARCH Marchantia polymorpha subsp. ruderalis* on A group went to Kingmoor Nature Reserve, the pavement near the Carlisle Infirmary. After a previously unrecorded site adjacent to an noting a few ruderals on the disused railway industrial complex in Carlisle. It comprises a sidings they crossed the remains of Hadrian’s range of mixed woodland plus rubble and some Wall alongside the River Eden. On damp wet ground – a variety of substrates which led sandstone by the river Fissidens crassipes was to a list of over 70 bryophytes for the combined noted and Bryum radiculosum*, Gyroweisia tenuis area, including three Rhytidiadelphus species in and Rhynchostegium murale found on old walls. close proximity affording useful comparisons. The tributary stream flowing through Engine The group then went to Carlisle cemetery Lonning Wood nearby had a good selection which is large and varied, with a small stream of woodland species; with Bryoerythrophyllum at the bottom end; the best finds were made by recurvirostrum and Cryphaea heteromalla epiphytic on the trunks of old Sambucus. Next vCarlisle cemetry: searching for those elusive ephemerals. they located (with some difficulty) Knowefield D. Dobson Wood and Hadrian’s Wood on the north side sLeft: a diligent Richard Fisk at Kingmoor. D. Dobson. of Carlisle, both of relatively low bryological Right: Mark Pool evaluating reverside epiphytes. S. Pilkington

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interest. For the afternoon they abandoned adjoining hectad (NY02) to look at Curwen suburbia to re-join the River Eden upstream at Park, a popular recreational area near the River Woods (v.-c. 70), with good exposures Derwent in Workington. With the river, a mill of sandstone on the wooded river banks. The stream, old walls, ruins and deciduous woodland, rocks supported several noteworthy species: there was plenty to see and a very respectable list Cirriphyllum crassinervium, Mnium marginatum, of common species was produced. Highlights Plagiomnium cuspidatum, and one shady included Gyroweisia tenuis, Orthotrichum sandstone face in particular supported Bryum cupulatum and some nice patches of Bryum sauteri* in a most unusual habitat, Fissidens exilis radiculosum* on mortared walls. and Tortula marginata*. Sharon Pilkington, Mark Pool, Nick Law and THURSDAY 29th MARCH others headed over to NY03 Workington to The River Petteril is a tributary flowing north survey Siddick Pond, a reed-fringed pool and wet to join the larger River Eden in Carlisle. David woodland. After some confusion on arrival, where Long’s group (David Bell, Agneta Burton, Clare the hosts were expecting a group of lepidopterists Rickerby, Mark Lawley, Peter Howarth) parked rather than bryologists, a respectable species list where it flows under the M6 after departing was produced for the site. Notables included Wreay Woods, a tranquil wooded glen, with Oxyrrhynchium speciosum*, Ditrichum gracile* mature mixed wooded slopes and sandstone and Marchantia polymorpha subsp. ruderalis*, all outcrops that is owned by the Wildlife wanted for v.-c. 70. Predictably, Mark found the Trust. They followed the east bank upstream latter in the car park on arrival. then the west bank downstream, ending up with In the afternoon the group moved on to an a mishap-free paddle to get back to the cars.

28 FieldBryology No109 | May13 wRight: Anomodon attenuatus at Eden Gorge. T. Blockeel vLeft: Richard Fisk showing Alison Jukes the Fissidens gracilifolius* . D. Dobson

Scleropodium cespitans grew on a silty Salix base, a fruitless search for another earlier record by and Fissidens crassipes and Hygroamblystegium D. Ratcliffe,Cinclidium stygium, we thought fluviatile* on waterside rocks. A small tributary this species might be lost from this site until a gully proved interesting, with Zygodon conoideus stem turned up unexpectedly in one of Sharon’s on fallen Acer twigs and Heterocladium moss packets afterwards. A large erratic in a field heteropterum and Tetrodontium brownianum on just outside the reserve also proved interesting, shady rock faces. Lophocolea fragrans was also supporting an assortment of unlikely bedfellows found on damp rock where the Tetrodontium including Hedwigia stellata, Porella platyphylla, was growing. Pterogonium gracile and Grimmia trichophylla. One of many sites to straddle more than one Lord and Lady Inglewood had kindly hectad during the week, Tarn Moss (visited allowed access to their Estate at Hutton in the by Sharon’s group) is a large, hydrologically Forest. Woods close to the house were the complex basin mire close to the A66 trunk road. most productive, with walls and water as well Dismissed by one top northern bryologist as as woodland; the overall list topped 100 species, likely to be rather dull, it nonetheless produced including six Fissidens species. Physcomitrium a good tally of species in the course of the pyriforme engendered lively discussion as to morning. There were no major finds but the whether it might actually be Entosthodon, group found a respectable number of but caution prevailed and Physcomitrium species, including S. magellanicum. was recorded. The most notable species were After lunch, two smaller groups travelled a Marchantia polymorpha subsp. ruderalis* and few kilometres east to Newton Reigny Moss, a Bryum ruderale*. charming and unusual wetland concealed in a dip On the way to Caldbeck, Tom Blockeel below a village. Past -digging has left a kind called in at the Whinlatter Forest Park near of wet ridge-and-furrow landscape colonised by Keswick NY22 and recorded in the conifer willows – so wellington boots were de rigueur. plantations. Predictably, Colura calyptrifolia was The site produced a long list of common species, found on a conifer twig, and also plentifully on with Calliergon cordifolium abundant in wet an unidentified deciduous roadside tree. The places, along with Plagiomnium elatum and forest flora consisted of common species, but masses of Climacium dendroides. Highlights Campylopus subulatus was found on stony ground included a small patch of Campyliadelphus elodes, by a path. Epiphytes included Orthotrichum last recorded in 1961 by Derek Ratcliffe. After striatum* and Frullania teneriffae, both on

FieldBryology No109 | May13 29 deciduous trees by the Whinlatter Pass road. on silty rocks in NY5242, growing with A. John O’Reilly went to Blackburn Wood in viticulosus, Bryoerythrophyllum recurvirostrum, the morning but found little of interest, with Homalia trichomanoides and Neckera crispa. Sphagnum angustifolium being the highlight. These were new locations. The species is now He went to Shank Wood in the afternoon, known from four monads along the river. We with again little of interest to record but noted failed to refindO. gracile or T. angustifolium. Microlejeunea ulicina. Hygroamblystegium fluviatile* was on rocks in Chris Preston and Mark Hill arrived at lunch the river and Oxyrrhynchium speciosum* on silty time and devoted the afternoon to the exploration ground. For the most part we recorded species of under-recorded hectad NY24. Vice- that were already known from the site, but county records included Bryum radiculosum*, Fissidens rufulus, Leucobryum juniperoideum, Brachythecium mildeanum* and Ditrichum Racomitrium affine, Schistidium apocarpum and gracile*. Wigton church has a window donated three epiphytes were new. by the town’s famous son, Melvyn Bragg; the The good weather continued and the churchyard produced Marchantia polymorpha prospect of a ‘mountain day’ appealed to a subsp. ruderalis* and Didymodon vinealis*. good number, in spite of the long drive into the northern Pennines. Moor House (v.-c.’s FRIDAY 30th MARCH 69 and 70) is an important National Nature Colin Wall, Tom Blockeel and Mark Hill Reserve occupying 9500 acres. The bryophytes explored the Eden Gorge from Baron Wood were last surveyed in detail in the 1960’s (Eddy NY5144 up to the Chain Rock cliffs NY5242. & Welch, 1969). The group were met by our The group started at Baronwood Farm, where ‘guide’ Jeremy Roberts on the approach from Tom found Riccia subbifurca* in a stubblefield. the west, enabling them to drive up the track to The Eden Gorge is bryologically well known as a Great Dun Fell (v.-c. 69), parking at over 700 site for Anomodon attenuatus and Thamnobryum m on the south-east flank. This compensated angustifolium, first found here by Mark Lawley for the long drive and gave easy access to the in 2008, and formerly for Orthodontium gracile, montane flushes and screes. An area of mine last seen by John Birks in 1968. Not knowing waste yielded little of note, but the neutral to where Lawley’s finds had been made, Tom found basic flushes on the north slope enabled the re- the Anomodon on a sycamore in NY5144 and finding of Blindia acuta, Chiloscyphus pallescens,

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vFar left: Excitement at damp north wall was particularly productive. finding the first patch of Here Richard found Grimmia trichophylla, Sphagnum pulchrum on Zygodon viridissimus and new to the v.-c. Tortula Glasson. S. Pilkington marginata* (also found that day at another site v Dicranum undulatum - a by David Chamberlain, Liz Kungu and Chris highlight of Glasson Moss. S. Pilkington Preston, and on Sunday at Abbeytown). Other notable records were Marchantia polymorpha subsp. ruderalis*, Orthotrichum tenellum and Fissidens incurvus down by the River Irthing. Scarrow Hill and Pottscleugh Woods didn’t yield Sarmentypnum exannulatum, S. sarmentosum much of interest, though there was a nice find and Scapania uliginosa. A small colony of Meesia of Nowellia curvifolia and John found the new uliginosa was expertly pointed out by Gordon v.-c. record Lophocolea semiteres* in Pottscleugh Rothero to the group. A little Mylia taylorii gave Woods. an oceanic flavour to the screes, then the group crossed Little Dun Fell into Crowdundle Beck SATURDAY 31st MARCH (the vice-county boundary) where the promise The ‘Solway Mires’ are an extensive system of limestone bore rich fruit with Bryum elegans*, of lowland ‘mosses’ along the , Seligeria pusilla*, Didymodon ferrugineus, Entodon celebrated for fine Sphagnum communities, concinnus, Orthothecium intricatum, Plagiobryum particularly the local speciality Sphagnum zieri, Pseudoleskeella catenulata, Scapania aspera, pulchrum. Bowness Common SSSI is one of the Schistidium trichodon, Seligeria recurvata and most extensive, so groups were dispatched to two Tortella bambergeri on the dry slopes and different parts of it. A fairly large party went to outcrops on the v.-c. 70 side. Pete Martin found the western end of Bowness Common NY1859 Dicranodontium asperulum on Cross Fell. These and NY1959. Part of this vast and featureless rounded off wonderfully a memorable day. had recently been burnt, but although this A group including Robin Stevenson, Mary had damaged the heather it seemed to have Ghullam, Bob Ellis, Sue and Les Knight, had little effect on most bryophytes. We were Alison Jukes, Diane Dobson and Richard Fisk delighted to see good quantities of Sphagnum descended on the Naworth Estate. Robin, magellanicum, S. molle c.fr. and S. pulchrum, as Mary and Bob split off to do Scarrow Hill well as two tufts of Dicranum undulatum (D. and the steep-sided Pottscleugh Woods (with bergeri). Of the liverworts Cladopodiella fluitans, John O’Reilly) on the estate, whilst the others Kurzia pauciflora and Odontoschisma sphagni wandered around the castle and then went were plentiful; Mylia anomala, Odontoschisma down to the river. Richard Fisk found Fissidens denudatum and Riccardia latifrons were gracilifolius*, a new vice-county record, on a frequent; the only identifiableCephalozia wall by a stream coming down towards the was C. connivens. Most remarkably, we saw castle. Determined not to be distracted by the absolutely no Polytrichum commune (there were car park mosses we spent a while looking at the many hummocks of P. strictum) and hardly any limestone walls around the main house. The Sphagnum fallax.

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David Long and Gordon Rothero’s group went Mosses, where they found the usual swath of to the eastern part, near Lily Tarn (v.-c. 70) which Sphagnum species. Other species they found offered a variety of habitats. They were rewarded included Cryphaea heteromalla (on Willow), with 14 species of Sphagnum, notably S. fuscum, Odontoschisma denudatum, Kurzia sylvatica S. magellanicum, S. molle and fine stands of S. (quite abundant), Riccardia palmata, and the pulchrum, much admired. Kurzia pauciflora was notable species Pallavicinia lyellii, which was found on the Sphagnum, but the best find, well found on Molinia tussocks in the rand zone. spotted by Judith Allinson, was a small patch of A small group consisting of Mary Ghullam, Dicranum undulatum. Tree trunks in a nearby Bob Ellis, Robin Stevenson, Richard Fisk, scrubby Betula/Salix woodland were home to Sue Knight and Jonathan Graham went to Colura calyptrifolia, Metzgeria consanguinea and Drumburgh Moss NNR, one of the raised mires Microlejeunea ulicina. of the . The raised mire yielded After lunch the western party went to Sphagnum’s aplenty, including Sphagnum Abbeytown, in the same hectad, where Chris magellanicum. The alder wood and swamp around Preston found Tortula marginata* c.fr. on the site was also visited adding epiphytes such as sandstone in the churchyard. Some of the Ulota bruchii, U. phyllantha, Orthotrichum affine party had to return to Caldbeck for committee and O. pulchellum to the list. The notable species meetings. The rest went on to Salta NY04, O. striatum* was also recorded. admiring a fine colony of Bryum pallescens c.fr. Tom Blockeel, Nick Law and Colin Wall on a farmyard wall beneath a galvanized roof. visited a poorly recorded coastal hectad NX92 Salta Moss, where Derek Ratcliffe had seen south of Workington, of which less than 20% Calliergon giganteum and Sphagnum molle in the is land. A local nature reserve by a housing mid-1970s, had been burnt to a frazzle towards estate on the southern edge of Workington (the the end of the decade, and is now a sad wreck. Harrington Reserve) produced a good list of 64 Sharon’s group visited Glasson Moss NNR, taxa in spite of its small extent. It has a stream one of a series of raised mires near the Solway with small areas of willow carr and woodland. Firth. This moss has been worked for peat in the Highlights included Cololejeunea minutissima past, and navigating around the cuttings proved on sallow, Syntrichia papillosa on elder and to be an interesting challenge. Intact mire in the Physcomitrium pyriforme on mud. Afternoon middle produced some real delights, including visits to coastal slopes and a stream near Lowca Dicranum undulatum, Sphagnum pulchrum, boosted the day’s hectad total to 98 taxa. S. fuscum and lots of S. molle in full blush. Liverworts were also present in great abundance SUNDAY 1st APRIL and included Odontoschisma denudatum and A large party with minibus and two cars went to Lophozia incisa. Birch woodland at the edge Caudbeck Flow NY57, just south of Bewcastle. of the moss boosted the day’s total, whilst The site was somewhat disappointing because it Lophocolea semiteres* on a peaty path near the was relatively dry, not indeed what most of us cars was new to some people. would have called a flow. There were however, John O’Reilly and Jonathan Sleath went to a good many basic runnels, with Drepanocladus Wedholme Flow NNR, the third of the Solway cossonii, Palustriella falcata, Sarmentypnum

32 FieldBryology No109 | May13 wTop: Breutelia chrysocoma at Bowscale Tarn. T. Blockeel wBottom: Sphagnum contortum at Swineside. D. Dobson

sarmentosum, Sphagnum subsecundum* (some tufts with deceptively pale stems) and Thuidium delicatulum. Sphagnum magellanicum grew close to some of the runnels, a distinctly different habitat from the flat on which it is normally found. Gordon found some good patches of Scapania aspera on stones in a flush and also found Anomobryum concinnatum*. After lunch, the party divided. One group went to Bewcastle, admiring the famous Celtic cross in the churchyard and going down to Kirk Beck. Schistidium platyphyllum was in good quantity on rocks in the beck (only a little S. rivulare). Liz Kungu found Ditrichum gracile*, Mnium stellare, Orthotrichum rivulare, Plagiomnium elatum and Thuidium assimile when she stayed on after the others had departed. David Long’s group were joined by Dr Rod Corner and made the long drive across to RAF Spadeadam and River Irthing near good omen on the grassy banks, followed by Spa (v.-c. 70), an area known for its limestone Schistidium platyphyllum and Fontinalis squamosa outcrops, for its extensive conifer afforestation in the stream, and Cololejeunea calcarea, (part of Kielder Forest) and for the numerous Hymenostylium recurvirostrum and Seligeria warning signs for the Spadeadam military range. pusilla on the rocks, while Campylopus atrovirens, This is an operational military site and Diane Lejeunea patens and Saccogyna viticulosa were had kindly arranged permission for the survey evidence of an oceanic influence. After lunch by though the visit necessitated some prior access the river, the group moved into a different square arrangements and some security vetting at the out onto a vast area of open blanket bog, which military HQ. Thereafter we were left to get on proved somewhat disappointing until it was with bryology, first on the north bank of the redeemed a little by a series of small bluffs and Irthing at Crammel Linn, which forms the vice- calcareous flushes by Rairing Syke. These did not county boundary with Northumberland. This quite come up to expectations, though Ditrichum area had attractive limestone outcrops, pools gracile* and Thuidium delicatulum grew in the and cascades. Entodon concinnus was the first calcareous grassland and Scorpidium cossonii,

FieldBryology No109 | May13 33 S. revolvens, Seligeria recurvata and Sphagnum the Swineside Valley on the eastern side of flexuosum in the flushes. Finally we moved back the Skiddaw massif. This is a valley with a to the army HQ and explored the nearby King diversity of habitats including river, scree, mire, Water valley where Colura calyptrifolia on Sorbus grassland, calcareous and acid flushes and up and Loeskeobryum brevirostre were the highlights. the Grainsgill Beck valley an old mine with Tom Blockeel and Nick Law spent the day at mine spoil and other features. Although no Bowscale Tarn in the Mosedale Valley NY3331. wow factor species were found a respectable The tarn lies at 475m and is backed by a series 85 species were recorded. The group started up of fine N- to NE-facing crags rising to 600m. the Grainsgill Beck, with riverine species such We were fortunate that the light was bright and as Platyhypnidium riparioides, Brachythecium clear at this beautiful site, but Wordsworth’s rivulare and Hyocomium armoricum recorded. ‘undying fish that swim through Bowscale-tarn’ The mine areas were searched looking for elusive were not to be seen. Most of the rock is acid and mine specialities but none were found. The group this limited the bryophyte flora, but we recorded eventually ended up in the main valley looking at Anthelia julacea, Gymnomitrion obtusum, G. the scree slope and mire system the other side of crenulatum, Andreaea alpina, Rhabdoweisia the track to the River Caldew, where Jo pointed fugax, Grimmia donniana, Entosthodon obtusus, out Sphagnum contortum. Cynodontium bruntonii and Sarmentypnum sarmentosum. A special delight was Oedipodium MONDAY 2nd APRIL griffithianum, growing on soil in recesses on the The Geltsdale RSPB reserve SE of Brampton crags with gemmae and immature sporophytes. overlaps v.-c.’s 70 and 67 and was the main The v.-c. record Grimmia incurva* was found destination for a large group who were expertly on a large boulder amongst small scree by Pete guided by John O’Reilly. It is an extensive but Martin who visited the site on 29th. relatively unexplored area of acid moorland with A group including Diane Dobson, Judith calcareous streams and flushes in the valleys. Allinson, David Hickson, Alison Jukes, Jo We started by exploring the Black Burn valley Denyer, Lucia Ruffino, Peter Martin, Jonathan including an attractive wooded ravine, where Sleath and Agneta Burton headed off up Hyocomium armoricum and Nardia compressa

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vLeft: Bowscale Tarn. T. Blockeel; rAbove left: Moerckia flotovianaat Geltsdale. J. Denyer; rAbove right: BBS’s newest member of the group looking on in Geltsdale. J. Denyer were recorded. Thereafter the party spilt up, Hedwigia integrifolia, Heterocladium wulfsbergii, with David Long’s group crossing into v.-c. 67 Riccardia palmata, Plagiothecium curvifolium, to study flushes above High Midgeholme where Barbilophozia hatcheri, Metzgeria violacea and John O’Reilly had found Moerckia flotoviana. Tortella bambergeri. By the end of the day it After some searching this was re-found. John was decided we all deserved a treat and thus we O’Reilly did a tetrad further up the Black Burn headed off to the tea shop in the car park for hot in the afternoon on the v.-c. 67 side at Butt of drinks and cake. Black Burn, where he found Fissidens celticus* (new to 67), Fontinalis antipyretica var gracilis TUESDAY 3rd APRIL and Dicranum fuscescens. David Bell, Rod Corner, Clare Rickerby, Peter Alison Jukes, Keith Watson, Dave Hickson, Howarth, David Long and Gordon Rothero, Richard Fisk, Mark Lawley, Mary Ghullam, Bob in spite of warnings of wintry weather, went Ellis and Diane Dobson visited Gowbarrow Park on a mission to try to re-find the threatened on the shores of Ullswater. This is a National Leiocolea rutheana in one of its two sites in the Trust site which incorporates the famous Aira north of on Helton Fell (v.-c. 69) east of Force waterfall. The group headed up the river Ullswater. Sadly, this search was unsuccessful and to the falls noting the riverine species Isothecium its survival there looks unlikely. Nevertheless, in holtii and Hygroamblystegium fluviatile* (the the vicinity of Jeanie Brewster’s Well, Gordon latter surprisingly not noted in the v.-c. before refound Jamesoniella undulifolia, growing with being found in a number of locations during the Mylia anomala on hummocks of Sphagnum in Spring Meeting). The group split after lunch, a rich flush. Gordon also found Barbilophozia with one group heading up to the crags above the kunzeana* new to v.-c. 69, growing as scattered falls. The new v.-c. record Bryum elegans* (also stems in a large Sphagnum hummock at the found up at Moorhouse NNR on Friday) was same site. Trichocolea tomentella grew nearby. found by Mark Lawley. Other notable species As snowflakes started to fall, they beat a retreat included Fissidens celticus, Hedwigia stellata, to a lower altitude at Askham (v.-c. 69), where

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in the old churchyard a limestone tombstone Nowellia curvifolia, Odontoschisma denudatum was festooned with Leucodon sciuroides, and in and Calliergon cordifolium. Mary Ghullam found the chinks between the sandstone blocks of the Lophocolea semiteres* growing rather atypically church wall, Polytrichastrum alpinum grew in a on a living birch. The group braved bone-chilling most unusual habitat. However, the undoubted winds in the exposed marshy grassland just long highlight, only confirmed later, was the discovery enough to findPlagiomnium elatum. of Orthotrichum consimile* by David Bell on Tom Blockeel visited Orton Moss NY35, a Sambucus in the nearby woodland. former raised mire now covered by mixed acid Sharon’s group visited Finglandrigg Wood woodland, parts of it wet with sallow’s and birch. NNR (NY2857) a former raised mire now Calliergon cordifolium was common in the wet supporting a mosaic of (very) wet woodland, areas and there were seven species of Sphagnum, wet heath and marshy grassland. Despite bitter including S. russowii, but otherwise the flora temperatures and strong winds the group found consisted mainly of common acidophiles. One 87 species. The wet woodland proved to be patch of Cololejeunea minutissima was found on especially productive, yielding Orthotrichum sallow. striatum* (Mark Pool’s speciality for the week), Diane’s group headed off to Watchtree Nature Metzgeria consanguinea, Neckera pumila, Reserve. This was part of an old airfield that

sWhat we woke up to on Tuesday! (Northern Fells). D. Dobson

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was used as a burial site for the foot and mouth and successful week with tea and cake. Everyone disaster and then turned into a wind farm and was very appreciative of Diane’s meticulous nature reserve. The group started off in the organisation. morning along one of the old runways recording Mark Lawley, Clare Rickerby, Andy McLay, ruderal species such as Barbula convoluta, B. Lucia Ruffino went to Wythop Wood, a Forestry unguiculata, Didymodon fallax, D. insulanus and Commission site on the shores of Bassenthwaite. the notable species Didymodon tophaceus. They Two hectads, NY22 and NY23 were covered then headed into the various bits of woodland with 57 and 93 species found respectively. Here on site, where Alison Jukes finally saw a patch the notable epiphytes Cryphaea heteromalla, of Cryphaea heteromalla. Lunch was had at Orthotrichum pulchellum, Cololejeunea the reserve centre where hot drinks and cakes minutissima and Orthotrichum striatum* were available from the centre were used to revive the recorded. group. With the weather conditions worsening Recording for BRECOG continued apace, into bitter winds and horizontal snow only a few Jeff Bates carried on all week with various hardy souls braved the afternoon to add a few companions at different times. The team of more species to the count. apprentices from the Scottish Wildlife Trust who Mark Lawley visited Miltonrigg Wood, a joined this BBS meeting came to Finglandrigg Woodland Trust site with an area of ancient Woods to help with BRECOG and learn the woodland to the east of Brampton. He refound procedure; Sara McBride and her companions the notable species Dicranum tauricum, that was group were very stimulating companions and are last recorded in 2002 and also Ulota drummondii. rapidly becoming proficient bryologists. Mark Hill collated the records and calculated WEDNESDAY 4th APRIL that in total there were 5027 records, of which On the final day we woke again to find a 2888 were of separate species in a hectad. 28 covering of snow on the ground. The fells were hectads were visited, with an average of 103 beautiful in the sunshine, the relief picked out by species in each. the snow on the exposed slopes. It was fortunate Many thanks to all who came to the meeting, that our destination was a lowland wood, where to those who inputted the records for each site, to the bryophytes were still visible. Messengermire those who confirmed identification and to those Wood proved to be a fairly typical coniferous who contributed to this report. Many thanks to woodland. Microlejeunea ulicina grew just inside Mark Hill who collated all the records. the gate, and there was a good range of other epiphytes, though none in great quantity. Ditch Diane Dobson sides yielded Hookeria lucens, and David Hickson e [email protected] found a soil mound which added variety. The next site, Catlands quarry, was more References exposed, cold and windy, but not snow- Eddy, A. & Welch, D. (1969) Bryophyte species-list for the covered; the list of mainly calcicoles included Moor House National Nature Reserve in Upper Teesdale. plentiful Entodon concinnus. After that the small Transactions of the Natural History Society of Northumberland, remaining group retired to Mae’s Tearoom to Durham & Newcastle upon Tyne 17: 47-56. thaw out and celebrate the end of a very intensive

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