NORTH DOWNS & BEYOND

With a self-imposed target of my pan-species list reaching 3000 by the end of the year, and currently falling a little bit short, I decided to target mosses. I've got the book to help me and a fine book it is to (Atherton, Bosanquet and Lawley). The trouble is, there are so many of the pesky things and a lot of them look the same. With a brave face and after giving myself a good speaking to (to inject enthusiasm and conviction into my doubting self) I entered the field yesterday to give them (another) go. Well. After time spent at Beddington and Walton Heath, I added the grand total of....none. I tried. I really did. But I couldn't in all honesty confidently name anything. My mosses and liverworts list will remain low for some time to come I'm afraid. I did add a few fungi to the list (which now stands at 2951). It's touch and go if I get to the magic figure before the year's end. I've also got the Dobson lichen guide. There are thousands of possibilities ...

I took a day's holiday today, and rather than look at empty fields at Canons Farm, drown in mud at Beddington or dodge the dog's mess at Holmethorpe, I thought that I'd try and bump my moss list up and took myself off to Friday Street in deepest Surrey. The area is on the Lower Greensand and is characterised by wooded heath with muddy mire valleys. The narrow lanes wind through steep banks which are festooned with ferns and mosses (see above). It's all quite dark and oppressive for an open downland boy like me, more like a scene from a Tolkien novel rather than that of a Hardy... How did I get on? I don't know yet. I took plenty of pictures and had the 'Mosses and Liverworts' guide with me, but have yet to seriously try and sort out the evidence. I'll get back to you.