Fragaria 'Pink Panda'

I had a wonderful day with the SLFG  in glorious sunshine at Twyford Wood recording over two hundred plant taxa on a very gentle stroll along the paths and former runways in the north-west corner of the site. Most species were already known from the tetrad, but some species had not been recorded since 2020, including Ground-elder and Squirrel-tail Fescue 

There were a couple of additions to the site list including a surprising find of the cultivated Strawberry 'Pink Panda' in woodland near the car park. This appears to be the second record for the whole of the UK according to the BSBI database!

We also recorded all three of the Smooth Meadow-grasses. Narrow-leaved Meadow-grass, which is tall, early-flowering and has very narrow leaves was locally frequent, especially in the Butterfly Reserve. Spreading Meadow-grass was confirmed new to the site from a sample I took from one of the cracks in the main runway. It tends to be low-growing and often appears as single shoots, though these are generally connected by rhizomes.

Some of us were briefly diverted by the fauna, particularly Dingy Skipper, Grizzled Skipper and Green Hairstreak butterflies, as well as a fresh Broad-bodied Chaser. We were pleased to hear plenty of Willow Warblers, as well as a Cuckoo. Several members also heard a Grasshopper Warbler, though its song was intermittent and short-lived.