Sunday, 28 April 2019

Loton Deer Park, Alberbury 27th April 2019

At our most recent meeting we joined forces with the Alberbury community for the annual nature walk to Loton Deer Park.  We were all guests of Sir Michael Leighton who has looked after the deer park as a haven for wildlife all his life and who joined us for the morning along with birders and entomologists.  The blustery weather kept birds and insects quiet but we saw lots of nice plants in the varied habitats of the park.  We started in the shelter of the broadleaved woodland where everyone's favourites Tammus communis, Black Bryony and Ranunculus auricomis agg. Goldilock's Buttercup were gracing the side of the path as we wound our way up to the deer park past the quarry.

The top find in the deer park was this Potentilla argentea, Hoary Cinquefoil (spotted by Penny).  It is not very common in Shropshire but was known from this site.  It was nestled amongst the Erodium cicutarium, Common Stork's-bill and other ephemerals on the track side.



The finale was a rare treat for a Botanical Society outing as there were refreshments afterwards at the village hall including bacon butty, tea and cakes all made by the local community and in aid of the Cardeston Church Faulty Tower Appeal.