A sizeable group of botanists met at Feizor on a gloriously sunny and unseasonably warm late April day.  We set off down the lane towards Austwick seeing many old favourites including Herb Paris Paris quadrifolia, Goldilocks Buttercup Ranunculus auricomos and Early-Purple Orchids Orchis macula.  At the end of the lane, we said goodbye to some members of the group who decided that the climb up into the woods on a hot day was too much.

The remaining group had lunch in the field immediately below the woods and enjoyed listening to the Wood Warblers, Black Caps, Chiffchaffs and Garden Warblers.  Our climb up into the woods was delightful with displays of Bluebells Hyacinthoides scriptus, Wood Anemones Anemone nemorosa, Cowslips Primula veris and Primroses Primula vulgaris. We also spotted False Oxlip, the hybrid of Cowslips and Primroses.  Up in the limestone pavement area, we saw Hart’s Tongue Fern Asplenium scolopendrium and Maidenhair Spleenwort Asplenium trichomanes. In total we identified over 110 different plants.  Having returned to Feizor, we enjoyed a cup of tea at Elaine’s tea rooms before heading home.

Jane Welsh