Dungeness Point and Surrounds

A Dungeness Bird Observatory Trustee's meeting saw me heading down to Dunge, I decided to get there early and have a look around before the meeting was due to start but I knew the light was going to be against me. There were also a couple of plants that I wanted to see if possible and luckily Owen was on hand to offer me some directions (thanks mate) anyway I managed to see a few new plants all in the Dunge area which was excellent and add a few more to the old pan-list!

Californian Honeysuckle - Lonicera involucrate

Californian Honeysuckle - Lonicera involucrate

 This was present in a single large bush, sadly the railway have had a good go at bashing it though the plant does look healthy and is big enough to survive the onslaught I would imagine. I believe this to be the only site in Kent it is a decent looking plant when in flower. The next species I looked for was New Zealand Spinach at Dengemarsh on the MOD ground. There was a plant found this year on the ever changing shingle spit at Dungeness Point however this was swamped by storm flooding and appears to have gone. The plant photographed below was also present in 2014 and seems to be in an area which doesn't get too flooded. I did however get asked a few questions as to why I was snooping round the MOD fenceline but luckily c50 Asian guys flying insane kites and even more insane heights drew the security guards attention more than me looking for a plant!

New Zealand Spinach - Tetragonia tetregonioides

My final stop was to Greatstone Dunes where I had been tipped off about a couple of species I wanted to see, firstly was Sulphur Cinquefoil which I was worried might have perished after the cold snap and I was proved to be nearly right. The second species I wanted to look for was House Leek which I knew was in the area too, there were also a number of other flowers in the area such as Rose Campion, which I guess has been binned from someone's garden as well a plenty of other common shingle dune species. It was very nice to see lots of Wild Carrot which is the foodplant of the rare Sussex Emerald so fingers crossed the moths have or will find this area.

Sulphur Cinquefoil - Potentilla recta 

Sulphur Cinquefoil - Potentilla recta 

Sulphur Cinquefoil - Potentilla recta 

Sulphur Cinquefoil - Potentilla recta 

House Leek - Sempervivum tectorum

House Leek - Sempervivum tectorum

 The last thing I added to my pan species list was my first lichen! About time too...I have bought a few of the keys for bits and pieces like lichens so I am sure I will start to pick a few more species with plenty on offer. Anyway the first species I have managed to identify with a little help is Peltigera didactyla which is a common and widespread species. Hopefully I will pick a few more species this week but I imagine the plants will start to dry up with the cold snap we are experiencing at the moment but there is plenty of other stuff to look at.

Peltigera didactyla