Ladies plant was in flower and Opposite-leaved Golden-saxifrage Chrysosplenium oppositifolium and 

 Wood-sorrel were seen. On the bank-side further up were Barren Strawberry and Ground-ivy 

 Glechoma hederacea. At Old Farm, the route dropped back north-eastwards across a field of ryegrass, 

 then followed a track below a line of copses. The first Blackthorn Prunus spinosa blossom was 

 appearing on the sunny sides of the hedges and pale yellow sallow blossom was attracting the bees. 

 A few very early Bluebells were already in flower. Tall seed heads of Small Teasel Dipascus pilosus 

 were showing above a patch of disturbed ground next to the track. The walk continued southwards up 

 a lane, with white Sweet Violets Viola odorata and a very early Greater Stitchwort in flower on the 

 banks. Another footpath crossed a field with Giant Puffballs Langermannia gigantea, before dropping 

 down into Seward's Gully, where flowering Moschatel Adoxa moschatellina and the leaves of Pignut 

 Conopodium majus were seen. The warm sunshine had brought out early butterflies and Brimstone 

 Gonepteryx rhamni, Comma Polygonia c-album, Peacock Inachis io and Red Admiral Vanessa 

 atalanta were all seen during the walk. 



Sunday 15 April 



There was a strong northerly breeze blowing on the afternoon of Sunday 15 April, bringing with it a few 

 short showers of rain and hail. Nevertheless, 23 members assembled by Clayfield Copse, next to 

 Caversham Park, to look at spring flowers on a walk led by Michael Keith-Lucas. No-one could have 

 been disappointed - most of the spring flowers that could have been expected were there and in flower, 

 giving proof, if any were needed, that it is not always necessary to travel far to visit good sites. Michael 

 explained how to distinguish between Common Dog-violet Viola riviniana and Early Dog-violet V. 

 reichenbachiana, how to separate the polyploid and diploid forms of Lesser Celandine, how to identify 

 male and female Dog's Mercury and Yew Taxus baccata, and why Sorbus torminalis is called in English 

 the Wild Service-tree. Differences between the floras of Blackhouse Wood, which is ancient woodland, 

 and Clayfield Copse, part of which was old park land which had been neglected and become 

 woodland, were noticed. The old park land still had some Lebanon Cedars Cedrus libani to emphasise 

 the point. Besides the Wild Service-tree, two other unusual members of the Rosaceae were noticed - 

 the Wild Pear Pyrus pyraster, and the Wild Apple Malus sylvestris subsp. sylvestris. Goldilocks 

 Buttercup Ranunculus auricomus and an unusual Comfrey, which when keyed out proved to be the 

 White Comfrey Symphytum orientale, were added to the list of species seen. Green Woodpeckers 

 Picus viridis were seen and heard throughout the aftemoon, and at one stage there were several voles, 

 scuttling among the fallen wood and leaf litter. 



Saturday 28 April 



Renee Grayer led 11 members on a field trip to Harefield Copse and Boxgrove Wood, Tilehurst on the 

 cold wet afternoon of Saturday 28 April. The walk started out from Little Heath at the junction of 

 Pincents Lane and City Road. The route followed a footpath through a horse-grazed field, where 

 Renee pointed out that the first field buttercups to come into flower in spring were Bulbous Buttercups 

 Ranunculus bulbosus, with reflexed sepals. The path led into Harefield Copse, where the Bluebells 

 were close to their best. Scattered amongst them were Yellow Archangel Lamiastrum galeobdolon, 

 Goldilocks Buttercup, Woodruff Galium odoratum and Wood Anemone Anemone nemorosa, with both 

 Early Dog-violet and Common Dog-violet in flower close to the path. A diversion along a smaller side 

 path revealed a big clump of Early-purple Orchids Orchis mascula and a number of Wild Service-trees. 

 Dropping down through the woods, Wych Elm Ulmus glabra and Southern Wood-rush Luzula forsteri 

 were seen. The bottom of the woods was wetter, with some particularly slippery clay patches on the 

 footpath. Here Moschatel, Enchanter's-nightshade Circaea lutetiana and Primrose were found, 

 together with Red Currant Ribes rubrum and Gooseberry R. uva-crispa bushes and another patch of 

 Early-purple Orchids. An abrupt boundary at a wood bank from carpets of Bluebells to a big patch with 

 no Bluebells hinted at a different history to the adjacent woodland. An area which had recently been 

 cleared of conifers was covered by a sea of Wood Spurge Euphorbia amygdaloides. On the climb back 

 up through the woods. Wood Melick Melica uniflora, Sanicle Sanicula europaea and Three-nerved 

 Sandwort Moehringia trinervia were added to the species tally. Blackcap Sylvia atricapilla and 

 Chiffchaff were heard. 



Saturday 12 May 



Julia Cooper and Trish Marcouse organised a visit to the Organic Research Centre at Elm Farm, 

 Hamstead Marshall on Saturday 12 May - a welcome dry and sunny day. Agro-ecology researcher Dr 

 Jo Smith introduced the 1 1 members present to the Centre and its activities 



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