This week the BSBI (Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland) have been recording plants in Mayo. Nearly 40 botanists have volunteered their time to survey the county for the upcoming Plant Atlas 2020. I had the privilege of being able to join them for two days this week and I learned a huge amount from these gifted people.
Botanists hard at work
With still a day to go over 8500 plant records have already been documented. On my first day out one of the highlights were these lovely heath spotted orchids. We also saw Twayblade but by then it was too wet to take a photograph.
Heath spotted orchid
Yesterday we visited a coastal site near Louisburgh. We had wonderful views of Clare Island, Croagh Patrick, and Mweelrea Mountain (Mayo’s tallest mountain at 814m).
Getting down low we found some lovely plants including this delicate Rock Sea-spurrey (Spergularia rupicola). Sneezewoth is a plant I don’t remember seeing since I was a child. The stonewalls had some lovely ferns including this polypody. It was a thoroughly enjoyable and informative two days with some great botanists. I found their enthusiasm for plants totally infectious.
Rock sea-spurrey
Sneezeworth (Achillea ptarmica)
Polypody
More information about the Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland can be found at their website at or their facebook page.
Murtagh's Meadow 