Bob Creber and I went walking in Weald Park in mid June and stumbled across a small
pond which had Water-violet Hottonia palustris in it, in flower (see plate 2). It took a
few moments for us to recognise it, neither of us having seen it for decades. It is mentioned
by Jermyn as being in Weald Park, so we assume it was in this same pond over 30 years
ago. However, it is now in steep decline, due to ponds drying up and global heating, but
this little pond was full of it.
I was invited to inspect somebody's garden near the end of June. The family lives in
Chafford Hundred on the edge above the original Grays Chalk Pit. I was summoned as
the lady of the house had so many orchids that she wanted somebody to know about
them, to tell her what all the special plants were, and to make conservation suggestions.
Her home, and the rest of the homes on this private estate, is recent, but some have got
bits of chalk downland as their back gardens. This particular garden had around 500
Pyramidal Orchids, nearly as many Common Spotted-orchids, and several dozen
Twayblade. In addition, we noticed Fairy Flax, Yellow-wort, and a few other more
common plants associated with chalk soil. We suggested she keep her eyes open for Bee
Orchids and Man Orchids, and who knows what may appear in the next few years? I
would give my eye-teeth to have a garden like that!
In my garden I was picking raspberries at the end of June, and on a leaf was a ladybird.
It was dull orange with lots of black spots, and I wondered if it might be the Harlequin
ladybird. As it moved, I saw the distinctive large white patches, one in a V, on its 'face',
so it was that dreaded kind, but it flew away as I disturbed it. I have seen several in
Belhus Woods Country Park (see newsletter 54, Sept 07), but this is the first in my
garden. Or, rather, they have quite likely been here for years but this is the first time I
have noticed one.
In July we were in France for a couple of weeks, and when we got back there were two
major items of wildlife news that were publicised in the Times while we were away. The
internet uncovered a few more details, but not many. The first was a slug, new to science,
found in Caerphilly, Wales. It is all white, with no eyes, and lives entirely underground
where, at night, it eats worms 'as though they were spaghetti' (seasoned with black
pepper and parmesan cheese?). It seems that its nearest relatives live in Turkey and
Georgia, i.e. around the Black Sea, a very long way from Wales. It has been given the
name Selenochlamys ysbryda, and is the first living organism to have a Welsh species
name. Ysbryd is Welsh for 'ghost', and this slug, like its relatives further east, are called
ghost slugs, due to their nocturnal habits and white colour. Its origin is, so far, completely
unknown, and it might have been in Wales, unnoticed, for millenia.
The other excitement is a bit closer to home. A small dark reddish beetle, the size of a
grain of rice, was found in the Natural History Museum garden in South Kensington. It
was found a few months back, but has since multiplied its numbers enormously and is
the most numerous insect in this little garden. It has now spread over most of south-west
6
Essex Field Club Newsletter No. 57, September 2008