Mersey Estuary Conservation Group
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A Botanical Walk Around Hale Shore

Saturday 8th August 2015: Hale Shore – Leader: Stephen Fletcher. The group of eleven met in Hale Park, opposite the Village Post Office. From there Stephen led us past the ”Childe of Hale” pub, along Church End to Within Way. We followed Within Way to the estuary and then took the Mersey Way footpath towards Hale Head lighthouse. There we scrambled down on to the beach and followed the strandline to Lady Pool. Ascending to the footpath, we crossed the bridge and turned on to the footpath alongside Lady Pool which took us through the stubble-fields to the Old Plantation Wood. Turning right in the woodland we followed the path past the former Hale Hall and arrived back at the park.(ed. please note there is no public access across by the Lady Brook as it is private farmland, but the shore path continues towards Hale Park to return to the village)
A range of habitat-related species were recorded; grassland, coastal, saltmarsh zones and woodland.
Marsh Mallow Althaea officianalis, Common reed Phragmites australis, Sea Club-rush Scirpus maritimus Sea Beet Beta vulgaris ssp. maritima were among the typical saltmarsh species recorded above the high-water mark.
The list of over 100 recorded species was compiled from our route through 5 monads:

Elder                               Sambuca nigra
Hazel                               Corylus avellana
Prickly sow thistle         Sonchus asper
Scented Mayweed         Matricaria recutita
Smooth sow thistle       Sonchus oleraceus
Hawthorn                        Crataegus monogyna
Cat’s-ear                         Hypochaeris radicata
Hybrid Rose                   Rosa sp.
Thyme-leaved speedwelVeronica serpyllifolia
Common Sorrel             Rumex acetosa
Cotoneaster                   Cotoneaster sp.
Cleavers                         Galium aparine
Mouse-ear                      Cerastium sp.
Horsetail                         Equisetum sp.
Rye grass                       Lolium sp.
Viburnum                       Viburnum sp.
Wall Barley                     Hordeum murinum
Holly                                Ilex aquifolium
Cock’sfoot                      Dactylis glomerata
Wild Radish                    Raphanus raphanistrum
Ribwort Plantain            Plantago lanceolata
Cut-leaved Crane’s-bill Geranium dissectum
Bramble                          Rubus fruticosus agg.
Mugwort                         Artemisa vulgaris
Grass                              Poaceae
Willowherb                     Epilobium sp.
Ivy                                   Hedera helix
Apple                              Malus
Common Nettle               Urtica dioica
Plum                                Prunus domestica
Soft-grass                       Holcus
Bindweed                        Calystegia sp.
Knotgrass                        Polygonum
Green Alkanet                 Pentaglottis sempervirens
Dove’s-foot Crane’s-bill   Geranium molle
Grey Willow                     Salix cinera sp.
Field Brome                     Bromus arvensis
Wild Teasel                      Dipsacus fullonum
Tussock Sedge                Carex diandra
Common Bistort                Persicaria bistorta
Turkey Oak                      Quercus cerris
Red Campion                  Silene dioica
Creeping Thistle              Cirsium arvense
Common Ragwort            Senecio jacobaea
Great Plantain                  Plantago major
Dock                                 Rumex sp.
Pineapple weed               Matricaria discoidea
Ash                                  Fraxinus excelsior
Spear Thistle                   Cirsium vulgare
Cmn Ramping Fumitory  Fumaria muralis
Fat Hen                           Chenopodium album
Tufted Vetch                   Vicia cracca
Cow Parsley                   Anthriscus sylvestris
Red dead-nettle              Lamium purpureum
Hedge Mustard               Sisymbrium officinale
Sun Spurge                    Euphorbia helioscopia
Common Orache            Atriplex patula
Black Nightshade           Solanum nigrum
Yarrow                            Achillea millefolium
Sea Buckthorn              Hippophae rhamnoides
Common Reed              Phragmites australis
Sea Campion                  Silene uniflora
Common Mallow           Malva sylvestris
Silverweed                     Potentilla anserina
Red Clover                    Trifolium pratense
Sea Milkwort                 Glaux maritima
Field Bindweed             Convolvulus arvensis var.
Japanese Rose             Rosa rugosa
Sea Beet                        Beta vulgaris sp.
Lyme grass                   Leymus arenarius
Amphibious Bistort      Persicaria amphibia
Wood Sage                    Teucrium scorodonia
Musk Mallow                 Malva moschata
Sand Sedge                  Carex arenaria
Corn Poppy                   Papaver rhoea
Crow Garlic                   Allium vineale
White Campion              Silene latifolia
HemlockWaterDropwortOenanthe crocata
Weld                               Reseda luteola
Wild Celery                    Apium graveolens
Sea Club-rush               Bolboschoena maritimus
Burdock                         Arctium
Spartina                         Spartina sp.
Lesser Sea-spurrey      Spergularia marina
Sea Aster                       Aster tripolium
Fool’s Water-cress        Apium nodiflorum
Sea Arrow-grass           Triglochin maritimum
Marsh Cudweed            Gnaphalium uliginosum
Timothy                          Phleum pratense
Swinecress                    Lepidium coronopus
Hemlock                         Conicum maculatum
Redshank                       Persicaria maculosa
Tansy                             Tanacetum vulgare
Vetch                              Vicia sp.
Angelica                         Angelica archangelica
Annual Meadow-grass   Poa annua
Common Fleabane         Pulicaria dysenterica
Wood Millet                     Milium effusum
Bugloss                            Anchusa arvensis
Enchanter’s Nightshade Circaea lutetiana
Shepherd’s Purse           Capsella bursa-pastoris
White Dead-nettle            Lamium album
Poppy                               Papaver sp
Purple Loosestrife           Lythrum salicaria
Yellow Iris                        Iris pseudocorus

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Sea Aster at the bottom of Within Way
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Sun Spurge near Hale lighthouse.
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Common Mallow
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Common Fleabane.
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White Campion
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Red Campion
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Yarrow
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Hale Lighthouse
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The bridge at Lady Brook
H. Harris MECG
Photos C A Cockbain

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