Iping Common

Lesser Stitchwort Stellaria graminea

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Following Michael Blencowe’s report of Silver-studded Blues emerging at Iping Common I paid it a visit in the vague hope of finding them. I didn’t see one butterfly, although there were plenty of moths. This was my first trip to Iping Common and I will return when the sun shines! It is a fascinating area of heath, bog, ponds, heather and pine woods with some flora and fauna unique to the diminishing heathlands of Britain.

pond covered by Bog Bean (below)

Bog Bean Menyanthes trifoliata 

Common Foxglove Digitalis purpurea

Mouse-ear Hawkweed Pilosella officinarum

young Bracken fronds

Bell Heather Erica cinerea

Heath Bedstraw Galium saxatil

leaves of the Heath Bedstraw

Heath Bedstraw Galium saxatil

Sailor Beetle Cantharis rustica

one of the soldier beetles
Identified using this site: http://www.kerbtier.de/enindex.html

Comfrey Symphytum officinale

A country name for this plant is Knitbone due to a belief in its medicinal healing properties for broken bones. Sue's father gave her a daily drink of a leaf infusion when she broke her leg and she did heal well.

bumble bees at work

Red ants

Tormentil Potentilla tormentilla

Rhododendron

Many-zoned Polypore coriolus versicolor

a bracket fungus which grows on tree stumps

beautiful antennae on this unidentified moth

Ragged Robin Lychnis flos-cuculi

a buttercup

Silverweed Potentilla anserina