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9 members met at Helmsley Bridge just after a torrential downpour for a walk along the river bank and then back along the lane from Low Woods Farm. The weather improved and we only suffered one more heavy shower before the sun came out at lunchtime. This was mainly a botanical walk to see the meadow saxifrage on the steep flower-rich bank above the river, but first we walked through the woods where martagon lilies grow wild (though presumably as a garden escape in the first place); they were in bud but not yet in flower.

We also did not find the giant bellflower that is known to grow here, again because it was not yet in flower – hardly a surprise in this very late spring. Along the way we were delighted to find a pair of spotted flycatchers feeding young in a nest hidden in a dead branch overhanging the river. One of the birds posed for a portrait (left). There didn’t seem to be too many other birds around, although there were plenty of sand martins from the colony a little further downstream and we heard a few farmland species on our return along the lane.

The bank above the water meadows once we emerged from the wood was a wonderful sight with many kinds of different wild flowers such as spotted orchids, buttercups, pignut, bugle and many others, including the meadow saxifrage that is now rare in Ryedale. This is a wonderful stretch of unimproved grassland – long may it remain so.

Wildflower bank

Jim decided to continue down to the sand martin colony and return on the other side of the river (where he saw a grey wagtail and a goldfinch) while the rest of us turned away from the river and returned to Helmsley via the pleasant, rather old-fashioned lane with flower-rich verges leading from Low Woods Farm. It is a pleasure to see such verges that are neither sprayed nor cut to resemble lawns; not only are they good botanically but they are good for insects, small animals and birds – there were whitethroats, blackcaps and yellowhammers singing in the hedges along the way.

Wildflower lane

Species lists – Plants

Birds
Blackbird, Swallow, House Martin, Sand Martin, Swift, Woodpigeon, Song Thrush, Wren, Garden Warbler, Chiffchaff, Great Tit, Willow Warbler, Chaffinch, Jackdaw, Robin, Whitethroat, Rook, Pied Wagtail, Spot Fly, Grey Wagtail and Goldfinch, Linnet, Yellowhammer.
(thanks to Jim Pewtress for the list).

Butterflies
4 Large White, one Small White, one Green-veined White and three Orange Tips.
(thanks again to Jim for the list).

Fungi
Xylaria longipes (Dead Moll’s fingers), and Xylaria carpophila
(thanks to Rhona Sutherland for the list).