I decided NOT to return to the Wye valley as the weather was vile. Continued to be vile on the Sunday when I did get to walk over my local greenbelt. Couple of new species (to me) and some nice patches of Harebell but nothing new in a SSSI meadow I was in a month ago. Its slightly surprising just how much summer flowering season seems to be almost over in early August. This time a month ago I was able to find huge patches of Self Heal (Prunella vulgaris), Birds foot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus) and tufted vetch (Vicia cracca). Now mostly gone. The wild common spotted orchids (Dactylorhiza fuchsii) too have all gone to seed. It was great to find the exact same plants I’d photographed a month ago still there, but with empty seed pods. Hopefully meaning more next year. I was also concerned to find lots of himalayan balsam (Impatiens glandulifera) on the edges of the SSSI meadow as well as growing all along a brook next to several fields. I keep looking out for local wildlife groups who may help pull this stuff up, but for some reason this particular area seems to be ignored by everyone, despite being on the edge of a large urban conurbation and a major motorway.
