Ashington and environs

Meeting date: 3 June 2006

(Leader: Alan Knapp)

The Venerable Knapp had spent many solitary hours in his cell planning the day’s perambulations and it was time well spent indeed.  The thirteen pilgrims who converged on Ashington were divided into three groups, equipped with maps and recording cards, and instructed to go forth and multiply the records for this relatively unvisited 10km square.  The author found himself in excellent company – Rita, Dawn, Ernie and Tony, all of whom showed superhuman tolerance of their leader’s lust for speed and largely refrained from any semblance of gloating as they pointed out all the species he had missed in his misguided haste to cover as much ground as possible.  And lo! it came to pass that the dispersed bands did return at length and did exchange notes, as they ate of their packed luncheons in the shade of verdant shrubs.  Each tetrad yielded around 150 species and each group had found some special plants, such as Lathyrus nissolia (Grass Vetchling) and Sorbus torminalis.  A more sociable afternoon followed as we united to attack a fourth tetrad which included some interesting woodland with Carex pallescens (Pale Sedge).  The day proved extremely productive in terms of records (in excess of 600) as well as extremely enjoyable.