2023 County Report for Co. Down

Graham Day

Botanical Recording in Co. Down in 2023

About 4700 plant records from County Down were added to the BSBI database in 2023. Notably, Jake Dalzell sent about 1750 records from his survey of some of the western islands of Strangford Lough. These have been passed to BSBI, but have yet to be added to the database.

Contact with Rhonda Ridley, new curator of botany at the Ulster Museum, led to three days recording in the Mourne Mountains and on the Ards Peninsula of Co. Down.

Progress has been made with an updated Rare Plant Register including a VC checklist, and it is hoped to have this ready in the near future.

Graham Day 9/1/24

Spiranthes spiralis (Autumn Lady's-tresses)

Found by Judith and Jake Dalzell at Killard NNR in August. First record for Northern Ireland. Photo by G. Day.