Sunday 19th.September 2010

Yesterday's hedgelaying in deepest Surrey , produced a wonderful sighting of a Common Buzzard , in perfect light at about 50ft. , and my camera was back in the car . I thought about going for it , but the Buzzard drifted out of sight within the time it would have taken to get back to the car . I did however get a stand of Cuprinus comatus-Shaggy Ink Cap / Lawyer's Wig , as we were leaving the site .
Today I had a look around High Elms , and after yesterday's frosty start , today's was almost Summer-like , with some pleasant sunshine early on . But the butterfly sightings were most definitely Autumnal , with just one Meadow Brown , and some of a male Common Blue , being the only ones recorded . Insect numbers have crashed over the last few days , but several Hornets were seen again . They seem to have changed their tactics from ramming into vegetation in an attempt to dislodge any insect on it , to systematically searching fence posts , gates and the like , where insects were warming up in the sun .
The butterflies might be finishing for another year , but fungi is fruiting in the cooler temperature of the last few days . I always look forward to finding another of the Coprinus family , and High Elms usually produces a few of these striking specimins , C.picaceus-Magpie Fungus . They tend to emerge near the paths and are then subject to damage by passers by .The conditions have also produced an abundance of Lepiota rhacodes-Shaggy Parasol .Tricholomopsis platyphylla , a big name for a small species .The pink seed pods of Spindle-Euonymus europaeus , are now splitting open and revealing their orange seeds , hopefully to produce more of this favourite hedgerow plant of mine .

Under a stand of Larch , an area where the Sparrowhawks breed and Redwings roost later in the Winter , Suillus grevillei-Larch Bolete were everywhere , very attractive with their orangey caps and lemon pores underneath . The largest were the size of side plates . Along the lower path , Inocye patouillardii were found in good numbers , the subdued light not showing their tinge of red too well .The light did no favours for the light pink of Mycena pura either .

On the way home , I stopped off at the farm lake . Just one male Migrant hawker was recorded , along with a female Tufted Duck which has turned up , hanging out with the male Mallards .

I post this shot for anyone who hasn't seen a Tufted Duck for a long time .