Five of us met at the car parking spaces at Waulkmill Bay at 1.00pm. (The earlier time just to ensure no wet feet from the sea) Rain was forecast, but apart from a few drops, it was a very dry, warm and pleasant outing.

 

We made our way down the steps, and, taking care on the loose cliff stoney ground, entered one of Orkney’s habitat wonders with the cliffs above us covered with the beautiful Aspen trees, growing above our heads and coming out of the sheer cliff face rock. Jenny explained to us that the trees were all clones of each other, all spread by root suckers, and not pollen. Together with the Aspen trees were many other wild wood plants, such as Foxgloves,Honeysuckle, Wood Sage, Stone Bramble and wild Rose, all being reminiscent of the woodland that once covered Orkney. On the clearer parts of the cliff face more dale/moorland plants were found, including Eared Willow, Creeping Willow, Angelica, Scots Lovage, Slender St John’s Wort, Bell Heather, Ling Heather, Crowberry, Woundwort, Meadow Sweet, Bird’s FootTrefoil. Bush vetch and Meadow Vetchling, Great Wood Rush, Lady Fern, Broad Buckler-fern, Bracken, Goldenrod. Devil’s-bit Scabious, Eyebright, and a  little patch of Grass of Parnassus.

 

At foot level there was yet another habitat, that of sand and shingle shoreline. So as we were admiring at the trees on the cliff face above, looking down we found Sea and Marsh Arrow-grass growing side by side (interestingly the Marsh Arrow-grass was always growing above the Sea Arrow-grass if just by a few inches.) Other sand and shingle plants found were Babington’s Orache, Silverweed, Curled Dock, Scurvy-grass, Sea Milkwort, Sea Plantain, Sea Mayweed, and masses of the brightest of yellow flowers of the perennial Sow Thistle. Along the backshore ran a thin line of Saltmarsh Rush, and just behind it in suitable dells in the cliff were patches of Sea Couch-grass.

 

We then walked onto the saltmarsh, finding, appropriately, Saltmarsh Flat Sedge, more Sea and Marsh Arrow-grass, Saltmarsh Rush, and a beautiful large patch of Sea Spurrey in flower. The latter caused a great discussion as to being Greater or Lesser, but two of us, going home at night, consulting the books, decided these beautiful little flowers were definitely of the Greater variety.

 

Returning up the hill to the road, we were provided with yet another habitat. Here, by the roadside, in the ditches and the surrounding heathland, we found Bog Asphodel, Cross-leaved Heath, Sneezewort, Fairy Flax, the old flowers of Northern Marsh Orchids and Common Twayblades, more Stone Bramble, and five more varieties of sedge - Flea, Yellow, Carnation, Green Ribbed and Glaucous sedges.

 

We were so lucky to do this outing at this time of the year, with so many of the plants in flower and so easily identifiable. The walk provided so many different habitats in the one place. The stone bramble was one of the stars, not in flower but bearing bright red fruit. And once we got our binoculars out, we realised that it stretched right up to the bracken line at the top of the cliff face.

 

This venue is unseen by the majority of visitors to Waulkmill Bay, the sand being much more popular. So, although in full sight, the walk is one of the hidden wonders of the botanical habitats of Orkney.