Well the days may have seemed long and often dreary but it didn’t stop On the Verge members getting outside and noticing signs of life!
We started off the year joining in with the BSBI New Year Plant Hunt
This important citizen science plant count at the New Year records any wild flowers in bloom. The data from this survey helps give an insight on how global warming is affecting plants, and the insects, birds and other creatures that rely on them.
We started off in the Pump Field and Martello Fields where the first flowers were predictably Daisy and several flowers from the Dandelion family. We were also delighted to spot red dead nettle which is a brilliant flower for early bumble bees. In the pavement edges of the slightly more sheltered town centre edges of the Crouch we found some more species. Many may be thought of as “weeds” but these can still be a valuable source of food and shelter for insects.
It was great to see so many people helping with our survey, and in total we found 13 species of flowers including creeping buttercup, bulbous buttercup, common chickweed, daisy, dandelion, fat hen, groundsel, pellitory of the wall, petty spurge, red dead nettle, shepherds purse, smooth sowthistle and yarrow
We would like to keep adding to this list so please let us know if you do spot any more flowers. Let us know the date and location, and provide a photo if possible.
By the end of January we had added some more flowers to our list. Annual wall rocket was in flower along the pavement cracks of College road, borage was flowering in Corsica Road and Annual mercury and primroses appeared in the Crouch.
The pretty little Ivy leafed toadflax was first spotted in flower on wall in Bramber road and celandines started to come out in in Sutton Road verge. One of our members told us about the Winter Heliotrope in the woodland near Foster close. During a walk up there to look, I also spotted many birds including a woodpecker!
Near Blatchington pond there was a wonderful array of snowdrops and crocuses and the usual mallards and moor hens were joined by a splendid grey wagtail with a beautiful yellow bib.
This is really what it’s all about! Getting outside and looking and listening to see how the flowers and wildlife can find space in our town.
Do let us know what you have spotted. You can send us an email, or post on the Renaturing Seaford website or on other social media using the #Seafordontheverge hashtag
Don’t miss our wild flower talk coming up in February. Details below