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One of the delights at this time of year is to come across a field or meadow full of buttercups. The name 'buttercup' is applied to the yellow-flowered Ranunculaceae species that favour drier habitats as opposed to 'spearworts' which are normally found in wet places and pond margins. Given that buttercups are often found in meadows where cows and horses are grazing it is perhaps surprsing that buttercups are toxic particularly when ingested in large quantities in their fresh state. But animals generally avoid eating them and dried buttercups in hay are not considered toxic. There are 30 species of buttercup in the UK but four common varieties (Figure 1). All four can be found in the 4Bs together with other varieties. Figure 1 Common types of buttercup A Meadow B Creeping C Bulbous D Goldilocks   The Meadow buttercup (1A) is a widespread and common perennial in meadows and pastures, and is also found in parks, gardens and at woodland edges. It prefers slightly damper sites, where it can grow so dense that it forms yellow meadows that dazzle in the sunshine. It flowers between April and October. The Creeping buttercup (1B) tends to prefer damp situations, but it is fairly 'easy going' and tolerant of soil conditions. It can spread rapidly by means of runners (or stolons). These spread out from the parent plant and produce roots at nodes along the runner. Where these roots take hold, a daughter plant may be formed. The Bulbous buttercup (1C) is probably the easiest buttercup to identify as the flowers have what is termed ‘reversed’ sepals, where rather than the sepal lying under the petals, they are turned backwards and point down the flower stem. Just below the surface, it has a bulbous stem base which stores nutrients and helps the plant to grow rapidly in the spring and reach peak flowering before the Meadow buttercups. The Goldilocks buttercup (1D) has petals that are lax and much more open than the other common buttercup species creating a golden yellow ring of petals around the flower centre. This species is more often found near hedgerows and in woodland edges than in the middle of meadows and is considered a good indicator for species rich habitats and long-established woodlands. Being one of the first buttercups to flower it has usually completed growth and set seed by the time the trees are in full leaf. Goldilocks flowers often have one or more missing or deformed petals, making them appear a bit dishevelled and this is often an easy way to identify them. Land management practices are an important influence on the development of buttercup meadows. Most are unimproved grasslands maintained through annual hay cutting (typically in mid to late summer) — this removes nutrients and prevents dominance by vigorous plants. They also often involve grazing by cattle or sheep after the hay is cut, which helps keep competitive species in check and fertilise the soils so there is no need for artificial fertilizers which favour aggressive grasses over wildflowers. Land management practices have an important influence on the development of buttercup meadows. Most are unimproved grasslands maintained through annual hay cutting (typically in mid to late summer) — this removes nutrients and prevents dominance by vigorous plants. They also often involve grazing by cattle or sheep after the hay is cut, which helps keep competitive species in check and fertilise the soils so there is no need for artificial fertilizers which favour aggressive grasses over wildflowers. Buttercups are opportunists — they spread by seed and can form dense patches if the conditions are right. In species- poor grasslands they might be the only wildflower of any consequence. In species-rich meadows, they compete with other wildflowers (like oxeye daisies, clovers, and red campion), often forming mosaics rather than pure buttercup stands. If left undisturbed for years, a stable ecosystem forms where buttercups return annually. They can also be found in the uncultivated grassy strips at the edge of cultivated fields.
Sources Ward, T. (2024) Goldilocks and the three other meadow buttercups. https://www.montwt.co.uk/blog/tim-ward/goldilocks-and-three-other-meadow-buttercups The movie below celebrates the beauty of our buttercups which are an important wildflower constituent of the Betchworth and Buckland B-Line.
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 Merlin App The Merlin Bird ID app is a free app developed by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology that helps users identify birds by sight, sound, or location. It utilizes a database of bird sightings, sounds, and photos, known as eBird, to identify birds in real-time and provides a wide range of features, including expert ID tips, range maps, and customized lists of birds. The app is powered by machine learning and computer vision technologies, making it a valuable tool for both novice and experienced bird watchers. The sound ID element is particularly attractive. The app simply listens to the bird song, identifies individual birds and then builds a list of species (see photo on right). When a particular bird sings the species is identified. In this was the app coaches the listener to identify a bird from its call. Creating a Wild bird Sound Map The dawn chorus is the collective sound made by birds at sunrise as they try to attract mates, establish and claim territories, and announce their presence to other birds. Inspired by International Dawn Chorus Day, I decided I would try to build a sound map of dawn chorus recordings across the 4Bs. Over the course of two weeks in late April and early May I went out and about between 5 and 6am. I made recordings at 20 different locations see map below. 31 bird species were identified using the app but 8 species were found at many of the locations. To listen to the recordings and see the species identified please click on the link 4Bs Wildbird Sound Map Norman Jackson   The bluebell is our national flower – and so it should be, for there are more bluebells growing wild in England than in the rest of the world put together. They come into their own in May and the scented blue haze of massed bluebells under dappled woodland shade, is one of nature’s delights. This bulbous perennial is extremely well adapted to deciduous woodland. The young shoots can penetrate a thick layer of leaf litter, flowering before the canopy closes in late spring. It is visited by a range of insects, although mainly pollinated by the bumblebee. The Bluebell is included in the list of ancient woodland indicator plants. Away from woodland, it is commonly found on hedge banks It takes around five to seven years for a bluebell seed to mature into a flowering plant, so colonies take a long time to establish. If a bluebell’s leaves are crushed, they die back because they can no longer photosynthesise, and the plant will take years to recover.  We have many beautiful woodlands in the 4Bs, and many of them contain native bluebells. One of my favourite walks in May is off Snowerhill Rd in south Betchworth, along pathway 454 through Ridings Copse and Knights Copse. This location illustrates how wild garlic and bluebells often grow in the same wood but hardly ever grow together. Wild garlic with its broad leaves comes into leaf earlier than bluebell and so may have an advantage. Bluebells need more light than wild garlic and so like the dappled light of a woodland before the tree canopy shades the ground. The presence of bluebells and wild garlic is an indicator that the woodland has existed for a very long time.  |
4Bs Nature Group BlogThis blog is maintained by the 4Bs Biodiversity Initiative Team. Its purpose is to provide brief updates of activities and encourage the sharing of experiences and learning. We welcome guests and contributions from members of the 4Bs WhatsApp Nature Group and wider community. To contribute a post please email the editor at biodiversityinititiative1 @gmail.com PagesArchives
July 2025
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