Sunny walk was a delight for wildlife
ON a sunny May morning Rochdale Field Naturalists set off to visit parts of Derbyshire known as the White Peak, because the underlying geology is limestone, noted for its diversity of flowering species.
In Tansley Dale the walk led down a steepsided valley with rocky outcrops and the wild flower enthusiasts were soon busy consulting their flora guides.
Among the flowers here were spring sandwort, cowslip, early purple orchid and heath dog violet.
On reaching the bottom of this steep section, they entered the open grassy valley of Cressbrook Dale where picnics were eaten.
Meadow saxifrage was flowering and a number of butterflies were seen – orange tip and the less common green hairstreak.
Later the path followed a stream, the sides of which were blanketed with wild garlic, wood anemone and goldilocks buttercup and then entered some open woodland which was carpeted with bluebells and great rafts of water avens with its delicate bell-shaped flowers in subtle shades of pinkishpurple.
Birdwatchers were thrilled to see tree creeper and the elusive but melodious wood warbler.
Finally the group entered Millers Dale, where steep banks held stately clumps of hard shield ferns and the rocky walls held common polypody, wall rue and maidenhair spleenwort, making a total of 10 species of fern altogether.
The route then passed a pool where water mint was in profusion, before following the River Wye.
Here some members spotted colourful Mandarin ducks and trout in the river and botanists recorded pendulous sedge, marsh marigold, bugle and golden saxifrage.
By the day’s end in Tideswell Dale, more than 60 species of wild flowers and 40 species of bird had been recorded.
The trip leader Sheila Carr was delighted that the White Peak had lived up to its reputation as a honeypot for wildlife.