Another weekend of limitless variables lay ahead

 

I paid my first (and second) visit to south-west England's largest freshwater lake this week, the National Nature Reserve at Slapton Ley. I seem to vaguely remember being taught about the formation of this particular geographic feature (and Chesil Beach) back in the dawns of time in Geography lessons at school. But simply put, longshore drift lays down a ridge of shingle which stabilises and then firstly brackish then freshwater lakes form behind it. I guess eventually they either silt up and vegetate or become overtopped by sea water surges, either way they are a transient-ish feature. 

The weather was warm and sunny and despite being predominantly a family day out, social media helped me out in getting a new plant species.   

There was an abundance of wildflowers and I took my sweep net for a bit of guerilla beetling. However, serendipity was about hit and remind me why I don't just delete all my social media accounts, Whilst posting a pic of the reserve on Twitter, Steve and Donal both mentioned that Slapton Ley was the only native UK site for Strapwort Corrigiola litoralis. With some further intel and a bit of googling I ended up on my hands and knees looking at a particularly small plant on a piece of uninspiring bare ground.

However, I have to say that up close the flowers have a certain something and I'm glad I didn't miss out on this whilst visiting. Would only have kicked myself and I have to admit that botany was a much bigger part of this year's holiday than previously. I'm still very much a novice but I was certainly trying to ID far more of the more difficult stuff.

Poking around the sand and shingle I also found my second Ablattaria laevigata. That was pretty much it for beetles apart from thousands of Rhagonycha fulva and a few staphs from the lake edge that I need to dissect.

As we had the kids in tow, we ended up on the beach for a few hours for a swim and stone skimming contest, this being a shingle beach. My youngest has always had a keen eye and is interested in nature, so when he found a comb jelly floating in the water, he (and I) were particularly chuffed. I've not seen one before and it was much bigger than I expected with lines of what looked liked phosphorescent cilia. You can just make these out below. No idea how many species occur in UK waters and how you'd go about IDing one, but still great to see.

There were also several jellyfish being washed towards the shore. A few of these Chrysaora hysoscella, compass jellyfish swam past allowing close study.

There was also this purply-blue one which I've yet to put a name to but if anyone (Seth) has an idea it would be much appreciated!

All in all a good day out and a bit of an expansion on recent natural history outings.

The post title link is to my second favourite Arab Strap(wort) song. Enjoy!