More Flowers

The species team carried out the end of month flower walk, checking which flowers were in flower.  The total was 35 species.  Althought the weather remains cool to cold flowers are still opening their buds almost from one day to the next! 

The beginning of April sees the moor being checked for Yellow Rattle, from mid April the hunt is on for Early Purple Orchids which only grow in two areas of the reserve.  Not even a glimpse of purple until yesterday and there they were.

In the sun Orange Tip butterflies have been recorded and one of the food plants needed on which to lay their egg, is Cuckoo Flower, one egg to each plant.  Cuckoo Flower was in flower in the Scrapes, not many but a start.

Bird Cherry has been in buds for some weeks but suddenly the trees are now covered in white blossom.

Some of the cherry trees in the orchard are in flower, the apples and pears will flower later.

Primroses are showing their lovely lemon flowers across the reserve, most growing where you would expect them to grow, in 'nice' soil.  These ones caught my eye as they were growing down the vertical side of Risedale Beck and did not appear to have much soil at all.

Wood Sorrel likes to colonise the moss covered old logs left on log piles.

Having just checked the weather forecast for the next 10 days it does look like warmer temperatures, but very little rain.  This will encourage the grass to grow, so the strimmers and mowers will be out keeping the path edges trimmed neatly and ensuring the paths themselves are clearly marked.  Thanks to the volunteers in anticiaption of mowing!  More flowers will burst their buds and the May flower list will be considerably longer.  Thanks to the species team for their work.