Sunday 12th.April 2009

After another wet , dismal day , I was going to start this blog with the fact that I had not heard the nasal trill of Redpolls for a couple of days now , and the theory that I had come to was that when , a couple of days ago , a flock of around 12 were around , they must have been collecting together to move up North to breed . Then , as Carol was serving up the evening meal , I spotted a male Redpoll on the feeder . I didn't manage a photo ,but bang goes that theory .

The mist finally lifted about 1400 , and things did lighten up a little . I took the opportunity to have an hour up on the Common . Everything was dripping , but it was good to be out .

Almost immediately , I found the first of this year's fungi . Named St.George's Mushroom-Tricholoma gambosum , because it is usually found around the Saint's day . 23rd. of the month , a little earlier this year . Found in grassy places and road verges , from the top it looks like Field or Horse Mushroom , but these species will not appear until late Summer/Autumn . Also the gills on these two species are brown , whereas the gills on St.George's are whitish .

Despite the weather , nature is pushing on , and the Wild Cherry is in full blossom .

Also showing well is Lily of the Valley-Convallaria majalis , as expected , a member of the Lily family . The flower stalk can be seen on the right , and the fruit , a red berry will follow .

Whilst there , I checked on the Brimstone eggs . They have gone darker in colour , and should be hatching in the next few days . Normally , eggs laid at this time of year take just over a week to hatch . Of course , the Purple Hairstreak eggs , laid last Autumn , have had to survive all that Winter could throw at them , and survive over a much longer time . This particular egg is the one I have posted a couple of times since it was laid , I hope it makes it all the way . It is reckoned that if an adult female butterfly lays 50 eggs , 20/40 of them will hatch into caterpillars , 10 of those will become chrysalis and only 2/3 will make it to adulthood . The weather , parasites and predation by birds and insects , all taking their toll . Of course , the Brimstone caterpillars will be around when many of the birds have hungry mouths to feed .

Back at the car park , the Common Comfrey that was in tight bud a couple of days ago , is now in flower , and I can confirm that all the leaves are in situ , and not in backpain sufferer's waistbands . Unfortunately , also found were flowers of the Spanish Bluebell , no doubt dumped in garden waste on the site . These lighter coloured , larger bells , will cross pollinate with the native Bluebells , and produce a hybrid species .