Gahnswiesen und Sierningtal 25.4.2019
The orchid time has come, and with Herwig Gießwein I walk from Gasteil to the Kleewiese.
This year, the apple trees not yet are in flower, ...
... and I never before found this Siberian bugloss (Brunnera macrophylla) ...
And so it happens, that on the Kleewiese only a very few early exemplars of elder flowered orchids (Dactylorhiza sambucina) are in flower. It is too early this year. Although it has been rather warm recently, the huge lots of winter snow have to be blamed, much more than in other years. Even sun exposed places don´t show flowering exemplars, this place seems to have been covered by snow cornices.
However, much more spring gentians (Gentiana verna) can be found this year.
We draw back soon ...
... and drive to Prigglitz for the ascent to the Gahnshauswiese. a similar picture up there: of usually thousands of green winged orchids (Orchis morio, Anacamptis morio), only a very few are out.
However, we find this beautiful colour variant ...
... together with the more common violet variants.
Herwig says good bye, he ants to be home at lunchtime. I have to be to Ternitz at 2 p.m., so I decide to extend the morning and look around a bit. On the drive back, I branch off to the left at Bürg and find myself on a narrow tarmac road leading me down to Sieding in the Sierning valley. On a slow drive heading for Puchberg, I have a look at the landscape, shortly after the fountains I spot a large yellow area - lots of flowering king cups. So I park my car at Stixenstein and walk along the river, on its opposite side.
Besides the gravel road, yellow anemones (Anemone ranunculoides) are growing ...
... and dandelions.
Wonderful spring forest along the beck.
The Sierning beck is full of turbid water - due to ongoing snowmelt on Schneeberg.
Sierning beck
Sierning beck
Sierning beck
Single king cups (Caltha palustris) at the brookside.
King cups (Caltha palustris)
The dogs are satisfying their thirst.
Sierning beck
Sierning beck
Sierning beck
Near Stixenstein castle, I cross the Sierning beck on a bridge and walk upwards on the opposite side of the water - flat grassland and a few old fishing ponds.
Stixenstein castle.
Some of the ponds are overgrown by alluvial forest, in the shallow water, Large bitter cress (Cardamine amara) is growing in abundance. Many thanks to Arthur Händler for correct identification.
Large bitter cress (Cardamine amara)
Large bitter cress (Cardamine amara)
Large bitter cress (Cardamine amara)
Purple dead-nettles (Lamium purpureum) in other, dry places.
A wonderul single larger pond has remained.
King cups (Caltha palustris) on the shore.
The pond with the view to Stixenstein castle.
The pond with the view to Stixenstein castle
At last, I find the huge King cup (Caltha palustris) area, a bit upstream the pond
King cups (Caltha palustris)
King cups (Caltha palustris)
King cups (Caltha palustris)
King cups (Caltha palustris)
At this weir, a small beck branches off to the left, feeding all the ponds I visited.