Dactylorhiza fuschsii – new at the Museum

In May the patch of mown grass by the path opposite the harbour was declared a biodiversity enhancement area. The aim was to allow wild flowers to thrive. In turn that will provide pollen and nectar for our declining numbers of bees. Without bees, and other pollinators, we would be without apples, strawberries, beans and very many other foods. Incidentally, not mowing the area until flowers have set their seeds by the end of the summer also saves in maintenance costs.

It would have been possible to scatter meadow flower seeds but it is better in the long run to allow nature to do the job naturally. In any case, during the first season it is important to record what is there already. Without doing that one cannot determine whether biodiversity is increasing year by year.

At the last count there are nearly 30 species of flower recorded. In addition there is a variety of grasses. Some species are common and expected – such as the Daisy. However a look at the local distribution map shows that the daisy, like many other common species, has not been recorded here before. Other species are less well known, or less common. For instance the bright yellow Creeping Cinquefoil is present – a native which is gradually spreading north, now with just a scattered distribution north of the Forth. But the big surprise in late June was to see an orchid in flower – the Common Spotted Orchid. That is unexpected but very pleasing find indeed so soon and it bodes well for the future.

Quite apart from the biodiversity benefits, the patch has already been used as part of a school visit. Children from Bonaly Primary School were delighted to be the first people to make formal records of various flowers for the area. For future visits there is plenty of scope for comparing flowers at different times through the season or comparing species between one year and the next.

The flowers are bringing in a variety of bees, hoverflies, butterflies and various other insects. Identifying many of these these is a job for the specialist. Indeed identification of some plants also needs specialist knowledge. Any help with such identifications would be very welcome. Species records can be entered through iRecord.  You need to register with iRecord first, but it is free. Link to the activity called MOSR which directs you to the railway site.

Next time you visit the museum, why not take a look at the patch and see what surprises nature brings?