28 May 2022

I spent a bit of time this morning trying to spot some of the rare plants at the Doghouse range.  One of the rarest is Annual Knawel which is endangered in the UK and has declined due to herbicide use.  It is a tiny plant with green flowers and so very inconspicuous, but it grows in quite large quantity near to the car park. 

Annual Knawel Scleranthus annuus [Doghouse practice ground]

Close by is knotted clover, slightly larger and easier to spot, but certainly not obvious.

Knotted Clover Trifolium striatum [Doghouse practice ground]

Smooth Catsear is another rare species and the tiny yellow flowers cover the practice ground around midday.  There is also Sheep's Sorrell (on the right) and Bird's Foot (bottom left) in the photo.

Smooth Catsear Hypochaeris glabra [[Doghouse practice ground]

Stag's horn Plantain usually grows by the sea, but there is quite a lot of this near the car park.

Stags horn Plantain Plantago coronopus [Doghouse practice ground]

On the Red course the Garden Warbler was still singing incessantly from the Birch tree to the right of the 13th.

Garden Warbler (13th Red)

Most of the small birds are working hard to feed their broods at the moment and evade the likes of this Jay which looks to steal the eggs and chicks. 

Jay [Yellow course]

Wren [13th Red]

12 May 2021

 Had a quick walk around the Doghouse range at lunch time to see some of the areas specialities which are now starting to flower.  Coincidentally, all of today's plants seem to be named after animal parts.

Smooth Cat's Ear is quite unusual, particularly in Oxfordshire and is like a taller, but smaller-flowered Dandelion.  There quite a lot of these around the car park.

Smooth Cat's ear Hypochaeris glabra [Doghouse Range]

If you look very closely anywhere on the range you are likely to find a tiny vetch called Bird's Foot.  A few are now in flower including this one, with a golf tee behind for scale.

Bird's Foot Ornithopus perpusillus [Doghouse Range]

Stag's Horn Plantain is more usually found by the sea, but is found by the car park on the short turf.  It is so named because of the shape of its leaves.

Stag's Horn Plantain Plantago coronopus [Doghouse Range]

Another of the rare plants is Little Mouse-ear.  This one is growing in a patch of Subterranean Clover - it is the tiny white flower that the tee is pointing to.

Little Mouse-Ear Cerastium semidecandum [Doghouse range]

Very similar, but slightly larger, with longer leaves and more styles is Common Mouse-ear.

Common Mouse-ear Cerastium fontanum [Doghouse range]