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Nature Notes Super 60


Lots to enjoy in the Great Outdoors


The South Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty boasts 60 miles of glorious coastline from Elberry Cove to Plymouth. July is the perfect time to spot seabirds on our cliffs and headlands and the wild flower meadows and hedges are buzzing and teeming with wildlife. At Berry Head the bats are swooping around on warm


evenings hunting for insects and in you may even catch the unique sight of young ‘jumplings’ launching themselves off the cliffs beginning their training in how to be a guillemot.


Alien Invasion As well as encouraging rare plants to grow there is often the need to control a number of invasive non- native plants. Himalayan Balsam is one such plant which has a habit of pushing out indigenous plants along riverbanks and lakes such as Slapton Ley. Introduced to the UK in 1839 as a greenhouse


plant it has since escaped into the wild creating dense thickets leaving little or no space for other native species as well as threatening the stability of riverbanks. As a fast-growing plant it spreads quickly through its explosive seed pods which are widely dispersed through running water. Every year the


Nature Reserve at Slapton run sessions asking volunteers to help pull out these plants before they go to seed. Why not help out, don your gardening gloves for a couple of hours and join the Balsam Bashing sessions on 19 & 20 July. Field-studies-council.org


Pollinator heaven!


Flowers to look out for and loved by our bees, bugs and butterflies


…both rare Weasel’s snout - An annual, pink/purple flowering plant which is pretty rare but seems to thrive in farmland around the Kingswear peninsular.


Corn Marigold – this was once abundant in cornfields throughout Britain but it’s now more rare. Previously recognised as an arable weed it can be seen in road verges, waste ground and pastures.


…and common Common Birds Foot Trefoil – sometimes known as ‘granny’s toenails’ or ‘eggs and bacon’ this member of the pea family is found in grassy places.


Poppies – once considered a weed in arable fields these are now in decline due to intense agricultural practices. See Plantlife.org.uk for more


Weasel’s snout


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