Tuesday 7th.September 2010

With showers forecast from lunchtime , I got out early in the sunshine , for a look around Keston and Hayes Commons . Arriving at Keston Ponds , and without any interest on the water , I went looking for fungi after last night's heavy rain . Straight away I could see it was going to be hard work to find any decent specimens , as most of those found had been eaten or smashed to pieces . Eventually I did manage to find some intact specimens ,
Amanita fulva-Tawny Grisette , just emerged ,
from the same family A.rubescens-The Blusher , and this fresh specimen showing exactly how it gets it's common name , blushing from the centre of the cap out , the only Bolete found was this Suillus luteus-Slippery Jack , and one of several stands of Armillaria mellea-Honey Fungus . When I got back to the ponds , these four 'bitsers' had appeared on the middle pond .The bottom pond failed to produce any Mandarin , but I found this Branched Bur-reed in flower ,together with a left over from the Ninga Turtle craze , what I think is a Red-eared Terrapin .

With the wind strengthening and first clouds appearing I had a look on Hayes Common on the way home .Everything looked very autumnal , and nothing of interest found till I got to the heathland area , where I found another Hornet . At first I thought it was caught up in a spider's web , but as I got closer , realised that it was getting a free meal from the web , an insect already wrapped up for later . Amongst the heather , I found this Common Lizard , enjoying the warmth of the sun . It allowed me to get as close as the 100mm. lens would allow , and was still sunbathing when I left it . One of only two dragonflies recorded , this Common Darter .
Another web found as I was leaving , had the owner at home , which I think is Araneus diadematus , one of the Orb-web spiders .