An early start for the third breeding bird transect of the year at Thorpe Wood. This urban gem was looking stunning in the low light, with the Bluebells now pretty much at their peak. Although it retains a rich flora, its urban location means that various non-native plants are present including this Norway Maple, whose emerging leaves are very beautiful, but this sapling will need to be removed before it becomes large enough to seed. I also found a patch of Three-cornered Leek, a very invasive relative of Wild Garlic, once largely confined to south-west England, but now spreading north and west in response to climate change. That will also need to be removed before it spreads.

Later I accompanied Pete to Bainton Heath where he's carrying out an invertebrate survey, updating one that he did in 2011. While he was hunting for insects I spent my time updating some of the plant records.
Bainton Heath repays close investigation as many of the most interesting species are tiny! The dry, acid substrate supports many spring-flowering annuals as well as a range of interesting mosses and lichens. I found several plants of Sand Spurrey on a deer eroded bank near the western boundary. This is an annual or biennial herb, typically occurring in open habitats on free-draining acidic sands and gravels. Habitats include heaths, commons, tracks, quarries, gravel- and sand-pits, railway yards and waste ground. This is only the second record for this species in the Peterborough area, the other site being Stanground Wash NR where it grows on a track with similar brownfield substrate close to the railway.

We arrived home in the middle of the afternoon, and I then prepared Lamb Kleftiko and popped it in the oven to cook slowly. Four of us ate outside in the sunshine, the end of a relaxed and productive Easter Sunday.