Author: Clare Shaw

It was an eventful early morning as we had late notification that the Borrowdale road from Keswick was closed. I made an extra-early start from home and took the narrow and very winding route via Buttermere. Reaching Newlands Hause, I found the first few metres of the descent into Buttermere valley was very icy, with what looked like a covering of snow on the road, but beyond that it was fine and I made the descent safely. Arriving at the Seatoller National Trust car park I found that the road was not in fact closed, and most people had arrived via Borrowdale, which was probably just as well. We walked a short distance down the Seathwaite road, crossing the bridge and immediately taking a gate into the woodland. As the woods have been quite extensively surveyed, we decided not to do a full species list, but just check the species noted in Ben Averis’s report, and any additional species of interest. As there were a couple of beginners or near beginners in the group, we started by looking at some common species and explaining some of the basics of bryophyte identification. Andy McLay soon joined us, having been notified that the road closure was a false alarm.

We started by looking at some rock faces near the north edge of the woodland. There was plenty of Saccogyna viticulosa, and a few cushions of Rhabdoweisia crenulata, the teeth at the tip of the leaf just about visible through a hand lens. Lower down the north-facing side of the outcrop there was some Plagiochila spinulosa. Sloping rocks had plenty of Hageniella micans, sometimes more green than the typical golden colour, and this species would prove to be abundant across the north end of the site, despite being nationally quite scarce. We soon found some small patches of Harpanthus scutatus, standing out with its vivid green colour. Bazzania trilobata started to appear on small boulders. One such boulder had some nice Orthocaulis attenuatus, the pale tips of its shoots (with immature pale green gemmae) visible through a mat of Dicranella heteromalla, while nearby there were shoots with more mature red gemmae.

At NY244137 was a large rotting log which proved an excellent habitat for some interesting species, including Dicranodontium denudatum, Scapania umbrosa, Lophozia incisa, Cephalozia curvifolia, and a couple of small patches of Harpanthus scutatus. Andy took a small sample of Cephalozia, which he thought might be C. catenulata (found here by Ben Averis in 2010). Unfortunately he found no fertile material and was unable to confirm this species. We thought we could see tiny red shoot tips through the Cephalozia, and hoped this might be Anastrophyllum hellerianum, but this was perhaps wishful thinking.

We had pinpointed a couple of sites where Adelanthus decipiens had been recorded in 2010, but were unable to refind it. Likely looking boulders were covered in Rhytidiadelphus loreus, and we wondered whether nitrogen enrichment was favouring the growth of this species to the detriment of rarer liverworts. During the lunchbreak near the northwest corner of the woodland, a patch of Anastrepta orcadensis was found on a boulder near the flush heading down to the wall, as well as some Mylia taylorii. Heading south and uphill we followed the wall through some large boulders. Here there was much more Mylia taylorii, forming lovely fat cushions, and quite good-sized, healthy looking patches of Bazzania tricrenata. Reaching the top of the ridge, which was rather dry, we headed south, away from the bend in the wall, down into a bit of a boulder field. Adelanthus decipiens had been recorded on the north face of an outcrop, so we scoured all the outcrops we could find, to no avail. Reaching a flush and beck at around NY243135, we did however find abundant Radula voluta in healthy mats on stones in and around the water. There was also a patch of Pseudohygrohypnum which turned out to be the rarer species, P. subeugyrium (confirmed by Tom Blockeel).

Further up the slope, Paul found a nice patch of Odontoschisma denudatum, with its pale gemmiferous tips.

Heading back up the slope towards the west wall, we reached an area of very large boulders and outcrops. Near here Richard found the first patch of Ptilium crista-castrensis, while Paul found a very distinctive patch of Lepidozia Pearsonii, its thin, threadlike shoots looking distinctly different to the commoner Lepidozia reptans. The outcrops had good cushions of Mylia taylorii and more Rhabdoweisia crenulata, as well as several cushions of Plagiochila punctata, but no Adelanthus decipiens and no Herbertus hutchinsiae. We wondered whether the fairly dry conditions, which left many liverworts looking a bit crisped, was making it hard to spot things.

The light was starting to fade as we headed back downhill, and we decided to call it a day as visibility was becoming so poor. We returned towards the northern gate, following the contours below the steeper, rockier sections of the hillside. We passed a lovely, larger patch of Ptilium crista castrensis but didn’t see any new species on the return journey.

It had been a productive day and we’d seen lots of lovely species, some in surprising abundance. We were a little concerned about the species we had failed to re-find, and felt that it would be good to have a return visit to explore the lower section of Low Stile Wood, and perhaps High Stile Wood or the woodland south of Low Stile wood.

Text and photos: Clare Shaw

A small group (Clare Shaw, Kerry Milligan, Paul Ross, Judith Allinson, David Shaw) met at a parking layby on Leck Fell, just before Leck Fell House. We then trekked down the fell towards the beck, through deep heather and bracken, aiming for the less steep access point upstream of Ease Gill Kirk. The stream bed was totally dry, as the area is limestone and full of pot holes and sink holes, so the water drains away for long stretches.

In the overhand of a bank above the beck, Paul found a lovely patch of very fertile Seligeria recurvata, which we all admired. Rocks in and by the beck had Barbilophozia barbata and Barbilophozia atlantica with its distinctive red gemmae. A Grimmia growing on limestone, which seemed a candidate for G. dissimulata, turned out to be G. trichophylla.

We descended the beck into Ease Gill Kirk. Wet rock faces had abundant Chiloscyphus polyanthos, while a large boulder in the beck had Encalypta vulgaris (sadly without capsules) and a reddish Mnium marginatum.

A rock face and steep slope above the beck just upstream of Ease Gill Kirk had Marchesinia Mackai and Orthothecium intricatum, with Gymnostomum aeruginosum and Trichostomum crispulum and T. brachydontium at the base.

Judith and I left after lunch for the long-seeming trek back to the car across the difficult ground, but now with a steep uphill gradient to contend with.

After lunch a few more species were added to the list, including Dicranella rufescens and Metzgeria pubescens, adding up to a very respectable 98 species altogether.

Text: Clare Shaw

Peter Bullard and I met up with a larger group of lichenologists for our field trip to Alcock Tarn. Parking in free parking areas in quarries on the minor road above the A592, we walked up the road and were soon climbing in sunshine on a good track. Alcock Tarn is at the far end of the monad, so we had a whole monad of footpath and surrounding areas to record in a single recording sheet, always something of a relief. We soon stopped to admire lichens and bryophytes on small rock faces by the track, including Bryum capillare, Orthocaulis floerkei, Andreaea rupestris, Racomitrium fasciculare and Racomitrium heterostichum. The track itself had good quantities of Polytrichum piliferum, with its distinctive hyaline hair point, and small Oligotrichum hercyanum, quite a common moss but restricted to acid soils in upland districts, where it is often seen on footpaths and tracks. Always lovely to see, it is clearly recognisable under a hand lens by its frilled ruff of wavy ridges (lamellae), often hiding within the inrolled margins of the leaf. In the same family, we later found Pogonatum aloides and Pogonatum urnigerum, which was a good opportunity to compare the features of the different species.

The lichenologists were having a lengthy tutorial session, so Peter and I decided to move on up the track. We found further boulders and rock faces, with an interesting small, dark Marsupella emarginata, which we speculated might be var pearsonii. Sadly, later examination suggested that the commoner (even ubiquitous) var. emarginata was more likely, as the pigment was dark brown without clearly reddish tints, and there was no sign of any apiculate lobes. The same rock did however have a nice example of Scapania compacta and Andreaea rothii.

Higher up, the path crossed a small beck which provided some good bryophyte habitats. Where the beck went under the bridge there was plenty of golden Sciuro-hypnum plumosum, Hygrohypnum luridum with abundant sporophytes and Rhynchostegium riparioides. Further down the beck was Chiloscyphus polyanthos s.l. a lovely patch of shiny Bryum julaceum on a rock, while an old tree had Lejeunea lamacerina, Metzgeria furcata and Frullania dilatata. At this point we were joined by Georgia Stephens, the new Rainforest advisor with Plantlife, who had come to learn more about bryophytes in the region, so we ran through some of our finds and headed up to the tarn, where we stopped for lunch.

The tarn was enlarged in the 19^th century with a stone and earth dam and has a fair amount of infrastructure, including a concrete outlet. This had abundant golden Sciuro-hypnum plumosum, while in the wetter parts at the base we found Dichodontium flavescens, Pellia epiphylla, Conocephalum conicum, and a small Fissidens which turned out to be Fissidens bryoides. There was a boggy area around beck exiting the tarn, which we scoured for Sphagnum. We eventually found a few patches by the beck, and went through the Sphagnum Field Guide key, identifying S. palustre, S. rubellum and S. subnitens, growing with Aulacomnium palustre. Among the hummocks of molinia we also found Calypogeia arguta and Plagiomnium elatum.

The afternoon was wearing on so we headed back to the car, meeting some lichenologists on the way. We didn’t have a very long list, but we’d had a very pleasant afternoon and done a lot of useful revision and consolidation!

Text: Clare Shaw
Photos: Clare Shaw and Peter Bullard

Three of us from CLBG (joined by David Shaw, a new member from Silverdale) ventured into new territory with a trip to Birk Bank, on the slopes of Clougha Pike in VC60 (Lancashire!). Paul Ross had previously visited the site, finding Colura calyptrifolia and Lepidozia cupressina, and thought it warranted further exploration. With woodland, quarries, block scree, a stream and flushes, the target monad had a good range of habitats. The underlying geology is acidic gritstone, but there was clearly some base-rich influence coming from somewhere as the flushes had various calcicole species, further increasing the range of species.

From the car park on Rigg Lane, we followed a dilapidated boardwalk around a mire and a path up into woodland, where we started recording. A stand of gorse had some fine patches of Colura calyptrifolia with starry perianths, while the mature oak trees had Cryphaea heteromalla, Metzgeria furcata, M. violacea and M. consanguinea, Microlejeunea ulicina and Cololejeunea minutissima, Ulota phyllantha and Orthotrichum pulchellum. Heading uphill, the edges of a flush had Sphagnum denticulatum and S. palustre, with Odontoschisma sphagni seemingly growing directly in the flush. Tree stumps had good quantities of Tetraphis pellucida, Lepidozia reptans and Barbilophozia attenuata, and further up the slope was Bazzania trilobata. The woodland gave way to a large area of block scree, and here Kerry found a good patch of Lepidozia cupressina, at a different location to that found previously by Paul. On the way down, an undercut with expanses of bare soil had some bluish looking Calypogeia which disappointingly turned out to be C. fissa, and Dicranella heteromalla. Elsewhere, Calypogeia arguta and C. muelleriana were also found. At the base of the slope were several base-rich flushes, with Palustriella commutata, Pellia endivifolia and P. epiphylla, Dichodontium pellucidum and a small, light green Dichodontium which under the microscope showed all the characteristics of D. flavescens. The edge of a small stream had Riccardia multifida, with a small, interesting looking Fissidens growing through it, which was later identified by Sharon Pilkington as probably an atypical F. adianthoides. We had lunch on the banks of the main stream through the woodland, where Hyocomium armoricum was growing thickly.

After lunch, we followed the stream up into open hillside, where large boulders on the bank were thickly covered with Scapania umbrosa and Tritomaria exsectiformis, then took a path over a stile to further areas of scree and a north-facing slope where Mylia taylorii was growing. At that point we decided to call it a day, as we had plenty of species to take home and check. The final species list was tantalizingly close to 100 at 97. Perhaps we should just check through those packets again in case we missed anything … A return visit to other parts of the monad or adjacent squares would surely be worthwhile.
Text: Clare Shaw. Photos: Clare Shaw and Paul Ross

The weather forecast for 10 December was for non-stop double rain all day, so it was a small and determined group that met at Swindale, three of us looking at bryophytes (Ian, Kerry and Clare) and Caz and Chris looking for lichens. We headed up the valley along the road, wading at times through deep puddles, to reach the bridge by the stepping stones over Swindale Beck. then followed the path to Gouthercrag Gill.

The first stop was by the bridge over the gill. There were many Racomitrium species on rocks near the water, including R. aciculare by the water’s edge, R. lanuginosum, R. heterostichum and R. fasciculare (both checked microscopically); also Polytrichum piliferum and a small cushion of Grimmia donniana with a single capsule. Some good mossy boulders had Barbilophozia attenuata and a small patch of Lophozia sudetica, tentatively identified by the red back to the stem and bilobed leaves. Later, under the dissecting microscope, some nice red perianths were found. A few yards from the beck, a rock face with water running down it had a good range of tufa moss: Amphidium mougeotii, Gymnostomum aeruginosum and Anoectangium aestivum, as well as Palustriella commutata, Conocephalum salebrosum, Preissia quadrata and Fissidens taxifolius. There were healthy patches of Loeskeobryum brevirostre by the beck, and a small amount of Fontinalis antipyretica at the edge of the water.

We headed away from the beck, past flushes where Dichodontium palustre was growing with Philonotis fontana and small amounts of Sphagnum auriculatum and S. inundatum. Scrambling up a slope that proved to be a stable boulder field, we found large amounts of Barbilophozia floerkei. In this promising habitat we hoped to find more Atlantic species such as Anastrepta orcadensis, but the Barbilophozia was predominant. Some of the boulders had large quantities of Gymnomitrion obtusum and some Andreaea rupestris, whilst low crags had cushions of Bartramia pommiformis. At the top of the boulder field, Gouther Crag provided some shelter so we stopped for lunch and a welcome hot drink under a hawthorn which occasionally showered us with drips. Although the crags themselves were dry and largely unpromising, we found some different species on boulders below, including Plagiomnium affine, Plagiothecium denticulatum var. denticulatum, Ptilidium ciliare and a small, narrow-leaved Polytrichum that turned out to be Polytrichastum alpinum. The weather had been showery rather than the unremitting heavy rain that the forecast suggested, but it was still starting to soak into the ends of sleeves and it was a bit on the chilly side to be sitting, so we decided to descend the slope and walk briskly up the valley to look at some hazel woodland. On the way down we passed a large cushion of Tortella tortuosa and an enormous colony of Gymnomitrion obtusum. The hazel woodland produced a few more species including Ulota bruchii, Rhytidiadelphus triquetrus and Frullania tamarisci. It was encouraging to see that the hazels all had abundant young stems as well as older wood. Unfortunately by this stage the rain seemed to be getting heavier and we were getting colder, so we decided to head back. It was a lovely site, quiet and unspoilt, and would definitely be worth revisiting in better weather, perhaps exploring further up the valley and some of the other crags. There was enough variety here to suggest it might warrant further exploration.

Text and photos: Clare Shaw and Kerry Milligan

On the day before the trip date, the weather was appalling, with strong winds and relentless heavy rain, and the weather forecast was not amazing, so we set off for the day with some trepidation to see how the weather would evolve. There was a lot of standing water on the roads, with quite long stretches of the Burton road submerged, but two of us arrived safely at the meeting point on the A5084, near the small road to Stable Harvey (SD 28934 91049). There was a surprisingly good turnout, with eight people in the bryophyte group.

With the benefit of local knowledge from Rob, we decided to have a quick look at the quarry where some of us were parked. It was indeed a good site and the bare quarry floor was almost entirely carpeted in bryophytes, including Philonotis fontana, small amounts of Dichodontium palustre, Didymodon insulanis, Campylium stellatum, Cratoneuron filicinum, Calliergonella cuspidata and quite a surprising amount of Palustriella commutata (not as regularly pinnate as you would normally expect, but showing all the other features – plentiful rhizoids and paraphylla, curved leaves etc.). We had two beginner bryologists joining the group for the first time, so this was a good opportunity for teaching / revising some common species. The walls of the quarry also had quite a good variety of species: large quantities of Kindbergia praelonga in one corner, also Schistidium crassipilum and some small cushions of fruiting Ptychomitrium polyphyllum. At the far entrance there was further evidence of base-rich substrate, with Tortella tortuosa and Ctenidium molluscum. It was nice to see a good cushion of the tufa moss Gymnostomum aeruginosum, as well as Ptilidium ciliare and a small patch of Scapania compacta.

After a good explore of this area we thought it was time to head for the mires on Blawith common. We splashed up the Stable Harvey road, stopping to admire some lovely patches of the lichen Pannaria conoplea on an old ash (see lichen report!). The lower stretches of the road pass through open woodland with birch and some old ash and oak. Spotting a waterfall just off the road, we headed off to explore. The waterfall had Chionoloma tenuirostre, Metzgeria conjugata and a few nice cushions of Amphidium mougeotii (another tufa moss), but sadly no Jubula hutchinsiae, which has however been recorded in this tetrad. A veteran oak overhanging a rock face had a big cushion of prolifically fruiting Leucobryum at its foot – the capsules (with a white calyptra and distinctive but small bump at the base) pointed to L. glaucum as L. juniperoideum is more rarely seen fruiting and the capsules are slightly different. A sample was examined in case it was L. albidum, but it was confirmed by Tom Blockeel as L. glaucum. Hanging off the rock face, on a mat of decaying vegetative matter, was a small amount of Lophozia incisa. There was also some nice, gemmiferous Lophozia ventricosa on a tree root, Gymocolea inflata on a rock and a potential Rhytidiadelphus subpinnatus. We had lunch near the waterfall, then headed back to the road under a grey sky and light drizzle. Some flat rocks near the road had Polytrichum pilliferum, Racomitrium lanuginosum and Pogonatum urnigerum with Bryum alpinum and Breutelia chrysocoma in seepages. By the road edge there was some gold-tinted Sphagnum inundatum.

A little way up the road, we finally reached the mire, which at first was rather poor, mainly Molinia and Myrica gale with only small amounts of Sphagnum beneath. We collected a couple of Sphagnum species, then headed across the road to a better site, where there were cushions of Polytrichum strictum and Aulocomium palustre, as well as several Sphagnums: S. capillifolium subsp. capillifolium, S. auriculatum, S. fallax, S. inundatum, S. palustre, S. papillosum and S. russowii. There were patches of Odontoschisma Sphagni and one patch of Mylia anomala, with only a few shoots showing clusters of gemmae after the heavy rain. Straminergon stramineum was poking its head out of some of the mounds. A small escarpment of rocks above the mire had Andreaea rothii and Ptilidium ciliare.

A cold wind was starting to blow, so we decided to beat a retreat. It was an enjoyable day, and undoubtedly far better than any of us had been expecting.

Text and photos: Clare Shaw

Another blazing hot day was forecast, this time with the possibility of thunderstorms, so it wasn’t entirely surprising that I was the only bryologist that was up for the exposed slog up to Brown Cove in conditions where all the bryophytes would likely be too dessicated to identify. Fortunately there was a good lichen turnout and I was promised that there was some water still in Brown Cove, so we set off with hopeful hearts.

We hadn’t gone far before I spotted one of the papillose, Canescentia group of Racomitrium by the side of the track, which I later identified as R. elongatum. As we ascended the track there were small ditches and drainage channels running off the hillside which did indeed still have some water, and where Philonotis fontana, Dichodontium palustre and Scapania undulata flourished. We stopped for a water break – and to examine a large rock by the path – which had Andreaea rupestris and A. rothii, Racomitrium fasciculare and possible Racomitrium heterostichum. Sadly no Gymnomitrion, which surprisingly seemed to be absent from the whole site.

We passed the old dam and considered the enormous hole and the poor quality of the work as Pete told us the story of its very short life. The original dam, which seems to have been an earth barrier, was put up to provide electricity for the Greenside lead mine, but breached in a storm in 1927, causing extensive damage in Glenridding. It was replaced by the concrete dam which can be seen today in about 1929, but it seems to have failed almost immediately and the reservoir and dam were abandoned in 1931. A little beyond the dam we made our way down the earth bank of the original dam to the beck, which we then followed up to its source at the tarn in Brown Cove. The beck was bryophyte heaven, with huge mounds of golden Sciuro-hypnum plumosum and green Hygrohypnum ochraceum, with smaller amounts of Chionoloma tenuirostre, the ‘aromatic’ Jungermannia exsertifolia and some mounds of Amphidium mougeotii. Reaching the cove, we found that the tarn was a very shallow pool with green clumps of algae – I felt better about forgetting my swimming costume.

After a pleasant lunch we explored the edges of the tarn where rare lichens had previously been recorded. A rock on the edge had a sprawling moss which later turned out to be Antitrichia curtipendula – a nice find as it is a formerly (relatively) common moss which seems to be struggling. The ’grappling hook’ shaped teeth on the leaves are very distinctive.

I thought I’d make my way up the beck above the tarn, towards the ridge, in the hopes that higher altitude might bring more variety. However the species seemed to be mainly more of the same, though growing in abundance. There was a pleasant breeze though at this height, and there were ring ouzels calling, though I couldn’t see them. The flowering plants were also lovely – lots of Starry and Mossy saxifrage and Alpine ladies mantle. After pushing on for a while in the hopes that the next waterfall might bring something new, I eventually decided to call it a day and return to the lichenologists who were still at the tarn.

Checking my list of previous records I realised that there was one very interesting liverwort recorded just above the water level of the tarn – Porella obtusata. There are I think four records from Cumbria, all around Ullswater, but I’d never seen it before. I finally found it after completing a full tour of the lake, right below our lunch spot.

Porella obtusata – golden brown shoots with large, plane lobules a similar size to the underleaves:

Heading back down the beck I wanted to have a closer look at some large rocks I noticed on the way up, and was pleased to see Andreaea alpina and Anomodon julacea.

Andreaea alpina

Anomodon julacea growing in profusion with deceptively small Dichodontium pellucidum.

Although the thunderstorms hadn’t materialized, the heat was increasing as we descended into the valley, so some of us beat a hasty retreat and enjoyed a well-earned cold drink at the youth hostel bar. All in all, a very pleasant and rewarding day.

Text and photos: Clare Shaw