Chartwell Estate Walk - 10/12/18

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This is another fine National Trust estate and the former family home of Winston Churchill. This blog shows some of what I came across this day.


I haven't photographed a Daisy for some time, so this photo was overdue.

Bellis perennis




Common Mouse-ear


Cerastium fontanum

















Grasses can be attractive too. Here is the very common Cocksfoot.












Dactylis glomerata






















A common flower in December is Yarrow.

Achillea millefolium











A surprise for December was finding Thyme-leaved Sandwort down by the lake.








Arenaria serpyllifolia subsp serpyllifolia


Black Swans were on the lake as they have been for many years.


As were some cute white ducks.




A common plant found mostly near habitation is Petty Spurge which also flowers all year around.

Euphorbia peplus








It was nice to see a couple of Meadowsweet still in flower around the lake though the flowers were looking rather tatty now.















Filipendula ulmeria

Another plant still flowering by the lake was the beautiful Angelica.



Angelica sylvestris


Stands of Common Knapweed flowers attracted pollinators, like this small fly.


One of the Golden Orfe in a pond close to the house.








Cat's Ear were in flower on a grass bank. These can look very similar to Autumn Hawkbit.

Both have leafless stems with small scars up them. Cat's Ear has a pronounced bump visible as the flower becomes the stem, Autumn Hawkbit has no bump and the transition is smooth.


 The leaves are also different between them so have a good look at those as well.













Hypochaeris radicata


Winter Heliotrope living up to its name by flowering in the winter. These were planted, but there are many thousands of escaped and naturalised plants lining road verges all around the country, many now in flower. As the scientific name suggests they have a pleasant scent.

Petasites fragrans


A Thrush found a surprising number of redworms turning over these leaves. This was taken just past the payment kiosk.



There are native Crab Apple trees and the fruits give them away at this time of the year. However, these looked like large ripe cherries and belonged to a planted Japanese tree, a Japanese Crab Apple Tree.

Malus floribunda


This Jelly Ear fungus was very close to the ground and the photo of the top of it was rather dull and boring. However, I put the camera under it and hoped for the best and got a nice back lit photo with plenty of interest.

Auricularia auricula-judae



A study of the Red Dead Nettle finishes off this blog. It's small and very common and probably goes un-noticed by 99.9% of the human population, but I think it's a little star and I like seeing it through the winter months.


Lamium purpureum


Given the historic nature of Chartwell, it is only fitting that I include some photos of Churchill's house and grounds. The former was closed when I visited, but it is well worth a visit when the house opens later in the year.









My final plant featured is Cyclamen or Sowbread. Again, these particluar ones were planted, but they readily escape and I did find several escapees nearby. These were just easier to photograph!

Cyclamen hederifolia
 

Take care
Dave
@Barbus59

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