Saturday 7 November 2015

Saturday 7th. November 2015

It's been hard work of late to find anything of interest , with just the expected species found , so a picture catch up on a few bits and pieces .
A look around  South Norwood Country Park , failed  to find a late or even early migrant , but did find this Fox down by the small stream and along one of the paths , Hedgerow Cranesbill / Geranium
pyrenaicum still in flower.
A walk up on the Greensand Ridge in barmey conditions , found two male Adders , one pictured , still enjoying the sunshine , whereas under normal conditions would be hibernated . Another weather
related find were several Bramble plants in flower , those flowers having just opened , and unopened buds too .
A trip with Martin down to the Sussex coast to search for the rare Long-tailed Blue butterfly , proved to be one day late , the butterflies being last seen at midday the previous day . Can't win them all .
Three butterflies were seen , two Whites and this Red Admiral , all in a short period of sunshine .
Since then , fungi has taken center stage , and here are a few of the more interesting specimens .
                                                      Black Helvella / Helvella lacunosa .
                                                      White Helvella / Helvella crispa .
                 Xylaria longipes , looking very similar to X.polymorpha / Dead Man's Fingers .
                                       Black Bulgar or Rubber Buttons / Bulgaria inquinans .
                                                                      Mycena pura .
                                                               Clitocybe geotropa .
                                                                   Bisporella citrina .
Magpie Fungus / Coprinus picaceus , the only specimen I've found this year at High Elms , and it had already been decapitated .


An amazing display of Oyster Mushroom / Pleurotus ostreatus , approximately 2 mtrs , on the site site of a felled Horse Chestnut tree that had the had the stump ground out .
Two non-fungi finds on the way round , were Cherry galls , formed by the gall wasp Cynips
quercusfolii , on a fallen Oak leaf . And finally in a front garden I passed on the way home , a heavy
crop of Quince , ideal for making jelly or wine , so I've heard .

2 comments:

Warren Baker said...

A good Autumn for Fungi Greenie. I saw a couple of those Cherry Galls this morning, I wondered what they were - now I know!

Phil said...

Nice o see some Adders still making the headlines Greenie. Haven't seen one at all this year.
Bad luck with the Long-tailed Blues.
Not much happening at NH this Autumn, but I did find a couple of Bearded Tits in the sunken marsh lat month, first for a few years.