Well, I woke up this morning ....

A pre-breakfast stroll around the eastern cliffs of Dalgety Bay turned up a remarkable three new flowering plant species (for Dalgety Bay) and a moth. I was sort of looking for something else (Spring Vetch, Purple Milk Vetch), but that'll do for one morning. I was supposed to be gathering flies but fortunately it was too windy.

Kidney Vetch

Common Centaury

Common Mallow

While searching the heath at Hopeward Point I noticed a really scabby Lotus, which at first I thought was a different plant until I realised it was being eaten alive by Coleophora discordella. That was new for me, so a nice random find.

Love is the (Berwick) Law

A brief family wander up Berwick Law unexpectedly delivered three new plants. First up as we made our way up the path was this lovely Purple Milk Vetch

Had I read up properly in advance I would have known this was a possibility. I was only vaguely looking out for Dianthus, which I didn't see. Probably needed to go off piste a bit more. Second up was this nice Meadow Rue nearer the top.

And then, fully three days later, I sussed this Bur Chervil that was at the summit. I had spotted this tiny Anthriscus but couldn't believe it was the usual one (sylvestris). Turned out it really was an Anthriscus after all though - A.caucalis. Since I figured it out from a small section in a packet from my wallet it's also the first specimen I've identified from a "herbarium specimen". The fruits are distinctively hook-haired and I bounced off Rose onto the BSBI handbook for confirmation.

Shame none of them were in Fife, but you can't have everything.

Common Cornsalad in Dalgety Bay - 400th flowering plant

This afternoon found a large area of flowering Common Cornsalad in the car park of BAE (waiting for someone to challenge me for loitering in BAE car park!). This is the 400th flowering plant I have a record for in Dalgety Bay.

Must be some sort of salad on the cards as there was also Allium vineale, Wild Garlic (Onion) and some peas, albeit Broad-leaved Everlasting Pea.