2023 County Report for Denbighshire

Delyth Williams

BSBI Annual Report VC50 Denbighshire 2023

 

Our NYPH on 02/01/2023 around Llanrwst (SH8061) yielded only 15 taxa in flower, just the usual suspects, but then it was exceptionally wet and cold.

Thereafter the Denbs Recording Group continued on 12/03/23 in Loggerheads (SJ1962) in an attempt to find Gagea lutea (Yellow Star-of-Bethlehem) which is rare around here. But it snowed! Undeterred we went on to hold twenty more group meetings over the year, finishing in Denbigh Castle (SJ0565) on 26/11/23 – this meeting having been postponed from the previous week due to monsoon conditions.

Our focus has been checking out rarities and recording in previously un-recorded monads. About 6,300 records have been taken this year. Two taxa new to VC50 are Juglans nigra (Black Walnut) found in a farmyard in Rhewl (SJ1060) and Buphthalmum speciosum (Yellow Oxeye) found spreading along a woodland ride and roadside verge respectively in Coed y Fron (SJ0856) and Pentre Celyn (SJ1453). 65 taxa new to hectad were recorded, some quite ordinary but others show an increase in Polypogon monspeliensis (Annual Beard-grass) and Erigeron floribundus (Bilbao's Fleabane) on roadsides and waste ground.

On 14/05/23 we joined our local records centre Cofnod to carry out, by invitation, a bioblitz on a farm on limestone just south of Ruthin (SJ15). Well over 200 records were taken, including the rare Ranunculus parviflorus (Small-flowered Buttercup) and Marrubium vulgare (White Horehound). Also spotted were Lathraea squamaria (Toothwort) and Rosa micrantha (Small-flowered Sweet-briar).

On 10/09/23 we were invited by NWWT (North Wales Wildlife Trust) to record on private land, and our local enthusiast also found two separate small clumps of Gentianella campestris (Field Gentian) in Bryn Haidd (SJ1958), not previously seen since 2017.

The VC recorder has made a tentative start on a flora with support from BSBI staff.