Wednesday, 15 June 2011

To Sandwich Bay and beyond!

The man from North Downs and Beyond is in town, so I went to meet him - and it's true, he does indeed look like Brad Pitt. His quest to see every plant and beast on the planet has taken him to a very respectable total, but a week's solitary confinement at Sandwich Bay observatory may be giving him time to reflect on the wisdom of his quest. He does, however, have an impressive breadth of knowledge, and I was unable to help him as he knows the locality better than I do.
In fact, he showed me a plant that I had never heard of - sea milkwort (glaux maritima, not a milkwort at all), with just a few tiny plants in a slough at the tip of Sandwich Bay point, which was where we looked in vain for the county's other population (allegedly) of Deptford pinks.
The amount of sea bindweed was greater than I remember, and when you're with experts you tend to see obscurities like long-bracted sedge, at possibly its only Kentish place.

Butterflies were at a premium, but a common blue appreciated a warm paw, and a small skipper looked good on southern marsh orchids.
A long walk in good company, and my few meetings with fellow-bloggers have all been very pleasant. You reap what you sow!

PS the photo at the end of the last post was of a deformed stem of purple toadflax. It was not a discarded bathing hat, though Rob gets the prize for his valiant attempt.

3 comments:

Greenie said...

Steve ,
I've seen that Sea Milkwort on another Blog recently , but as usual , can't remember where .
Good job we didn't meet today !

Greenie said...

George Clooney ???

Kingsdowner said...

Yes Fred - foul weather indeed. I'll return to the north-west soon and give you a call.

Re George Clooney, it must have been the drink talking!