Wednesday 5th.August 2009

Two days up on the Greensand Ridge , did not produce much wildlife , especially Day 1 , with drizzle for much of the day , and strimmers working , anything with any sense stayed well away . The only one that didn't was this moth that we disturbed in tall vegetation , upon which flew into the cab of the Land Rover , and settled on the windscreen , in front of the driver's seat . I should get this one right , if it is what I think it is , as Dean posted it a short while ago , Mother of Pearl . Settling on the windscreen allowed the light to pass right through the wings , giving a real pearl effect .
Today , whilst entering a field , I found a very large fungi of the Boletus family . This family do not have gills , but tubes on the underside of the cap . This one is Leccinum crocipodium-Yellow Cracking Bolete . The 35mm. film canister gives an idea of the size . There was another close by , but that had been well and truly chewed . It was then down to the heather patch across the road from our yard , to find something of interest . The first item was another posted by Dean recently , Amanita rubescens-The Blusher , like many of this family listed as poisonous . This shot shows the volva or sack that the stem emerges from , and this is indicative of the family .Quoting from my book 'Until you have had identifications double-checked , do not eat any of them (the family) or you may die' . The most notorious of the family is Amanita phalloides-Death Cap . I had to turn the tins whilst there , and was rewarded with an adult Grass Snake , an adult Slow Worm , and several of the tins housed Wood Ants , with adults , winged adults and eggs . Looking very much like Potatoes lying around , were large numbers of Scleroderma citrinum-Common Earth Balls .
Only other thing of interest , was a female Common Blue Damselfly , that posed nicely for the camera . More rain tomorrow , but I hope to get out for a while before it sets in .