2022 County Report for Montgomeryshire
Gill Foulkes and Kate Thorne
Just over 10,000 records from 2022 have been submitted to the Ddb. Seven Flora Group outings were held with 7-16 people attending each. Most focused on less well-recorded monads. The July outing to Trannon Moor targeted Carex pauciflora (Few-flowered sedge), C. magellanica (Tall Bog-sedge), C. limosa (Bog sedge) and Sparganium natans (Least Bur-reed). Subsequently, a report was submitted to NRW suggesting that the SSSI here be extended. Recorder visits in the autumn mainly focused on the Montgomery Canal and Severn floodplain. In addition to general recording, two Local Wildlife Sites and National Trust ponds were surveyed as well as participation in two Bioblitzes. Wern Fields, the only site in VC47 for Stellaria palustris (Marsh Stitchwort), have now been listed as Cae Glas SSSI, with the help of our survey efforts and records.
Interesting records for 2022 include:
Rorippa islandica (Northern Yellow-cress), confirmed by Tim Rich, in SJ20 and SO29. Raised from county rare to scarce status (now 4 sites).
Potamogeton compressus (Grass-wrack Pondweed) - floating turions in the Montgomeryshire Canal in SJ20, a species that has become county scarce (post-2000 assessment).
Potamogeton alpinus (Red Pondweed), confirmed by C.D. Preston, in a small pond on the edge of Trannon Moor (SN99). Second county record, the other being from the Canal in 1986.
Hymenophyllum tunbrigense (Tunbridge Filmy-fern) - a new site near Abercorris (in SH70) found by Sam Bosanquet. 2nd post-2000 record.
Thanks to all who have submitted records in 2022 and to the BSBI referees for help with identification. A special thanks to the RSPB for their list of post 2000 in-house records which include Neottia cordata (Lesser Twayblade) and Rubus chamaemorus (Cloudberry).