Tuesday 7th.October 2008

Volunteering was cancelled last night on the strength of the weather forecast and the Warden having to attend a meeting in the afternoon , so after the early morning showers , I took myself off locally , with one eye firmly fixed on the South , where the weather was coming from .

As I walked up the road to what used to be the dairy farm , now privately owned , it was noticable how many of the chimney stacks had one or two Jackdaws on them . Over about 50 pairs of semis , a good 50/60% of the stacks were occupied . The most noticable call heard was the Ring Necked Parakeet , seemingly spooked by the gusts of wind , which I must say was very mild considering we are in October . A flock of Goldfinches were noisily tinkling in the Elders near the old cattle sheds , later used as workshops .

In one of the fields near the house , a pair of Muscovy type ducks were waddling towards the Oak tree in the middle , probably to feast on the acorns that had been blown to the ground . One was like the 'negative' version of the other . Further down the bridleway , Linnets were heard flying over , and then a single House Martin , probably thinking about staying here whilst the Southerlies were blowing , they'll soon turn into the North , and he'll be on his way .

As I approached the overhead electricity cables , there must have been 40/50 Starling chattering away , but the closer I got , more of them flew off . By the time I was close enough for a shot , only six remained . Along the lane and down the footpath where I had the encounter with the young Robin a couple of weeks ago , I found a small bracket fungi , Daedaleopsis confragosa-Blushing Bracket . This fungi gets it's common name by the fact that if you rub the underside , the pores , they turn pink , as if they were blushing , as can be seen on the left of the fungi on the left . Normally the pores would be greyish , like on the right of that fungi . On the bottom lane , the usual mixed Corvid flock was foraging in the horse field . Most flew off as I approached , but two Rooks posed briefly , then they too noisily departed , to join the others in the tree tops . Almost home now , but in one of the front gardens near the horse field , I spotted what I consider the best common named fungi in the book .

Aleuria aurantia-Orange Peel Fungus . I have only seen this species once before , on Ashdown Forest a few years ago , but both books I have describe it as 'common' , found on bare soil , grass , as this was , or at roadsides , as this was as well . Right next to it was another bracket with the great name , Meripilus Giganteus-Giant Polypore .This species likes Beech , and I can remember a large Beech tree in this garden , so the fungi must be on the dead roots of that original tree .

Well , the forecast rain has just started after just a couple of showers after lunchtime . I hope it moves through , and the good forecast is right for tomorrow , there's a hedge to be finished layed , up on the Greensand Ridge .