Thrushes at last & a few others arrive

A great day of visible migration, with 80,000+ Starling and good numbers of thrushes noted from Hunstanton cliffs during the first 2hrs in the morning. 

Myself & Robin Jolliffe then enjoyed the continuing spectacle from Gore Point. The following counts are of birds passing overhead here or dropping into the bushes in off the sea. For thrushes this represents only a small percentage of birds dropping into the area. Some birds were high and we clearly missed some of the higher birds.

From 9.30-1600 

Brent Goose 284w

Pink-footed Goose 9 in off

Fulmar 1w

Gannet 50w

Guillemot 3

Red-throated Diver 8 on sea

Great Crested Grebe 12 on sea

Red breastedMerganser 13w

Eider 3w & 1e

Velvet Scoter 6w

Pintail 1 in off

Wigeon 622w

Teal 9w

Goldeneye 12w

Shelduck 58w

Grey Heron 4w

Great Skua 3w

Sandwich tern 1

Black-headed Gull 2307w

Lapwing 418w

Snipe 2

Great Sp. W'pecker 1w & high

Skylark 99w

Meadow Pipit light passage 100 west

Rock Pipit 14w

Grey Wagtail 1w

Blackbird 196 in off

Fieldfare 540 in off

Mistle Thrush 2 in off

Song Thrush 23 in off

Redwing 1133 in off

Starling 6830w under estimate, as birds moving along Ringstead ridge missed

Brambling 23w/in off

Siskin 2w

Linnet 10w

Twite 3w

Redpoll 1w

Lapland Bunting 1w

Yellowhammer 1w

Reed Bunting 4w

Satellite

Satellite, Holme NOA, 29th October 2014

Almost certainly on a cow pat near you...........

Coprinellus pellucidus, Redwell Marsh, 29th October 2014

Robert's Psychedelic Dung Cup, Cheilymenia granulata, Redwell Marsh, 29th October 2014

Sulphur Tuft

Sulphur Tuft, Hypholoma fasciculare, Ringstead Downs (woods), 27th October 2014

Conifercone Cap

Conifercone Cap, Baeospora myosura, Holme NWT (pines), 26th October 2014

Giant Funnel

Giant Funnel, Leucopaxillus giganteus, Ringstead Downs (woods), 27th October 2014

Two huge Fungi

Dryad's Saddle, Polyporus squamosus, 27th September, Glebe School, Hunstanton

Oak Bracket, Inonotus dryadeus,  August,  Ringstead Downs - huge bracket, weeping below

Normal Service Returns..........

Juniper Carpet, Hunstanton, 19th October 2014

Yet More Fungi.........

 Scaly Stalkball, Tulostoma melanocyclum, Holme NWT, 25th October 2014

I'm Clueless, Holme NWT, 25th October 2014

as above

Parasol, Macrolepiota procera, Hunstanton GC, 25th October 2014

Wood Blewit, Lepista nuda, Holme NWT (forestry), 27th October 2014

 Sheathed Woodtuft, Kuehneromyces mutabilis, Ringstead Downs (woods), 27th October 2014

Dead Man's Fingers, Xylaria polymorpha, Ringstead Downs (woods), 27th October 2014

Yellow Stainer, Agaricus xanthodermus, Ringstead Downs (woods), 27th October 2014

Glistening Inkcap, Coprinellus micaceus, Ringstead Downs (woods), 27th October 2014

Common Puffball, Lycoperdon perlatum, Ringstead Downs (grassland), 27th October 2014

Southern Bracket, Ganoderma australis, Ringstead Downs (woods), 27th October 2014

More Sunday Fungi

This is the coral fungus in the pines. Is it Green-staining Coral Ramarius abietina ?

This is one of the fungi growing in a wet dune slack. The cap looks very like  the Marsh Pennywort leaves. Could it be a fieldcap Agrocybe elatella ?

Three specimens of Wood Blewitt Lepista nuda from Holme Dunes

Sunday Fungi Spectacular

A great day spent looking for Fungi in the good company of guest mushroom-man James Emerson (http://jamesbirdsandbeer.blogspot.co.uk/).

Milky Bonnet, Hemimycena lactea, Holme NWT (pines) 26th October 2014

A coral, Holme NWT (pines) 26th October 2014

Unknown fungus, Holme NWT (pines) 26th October 2014

Jelly Rot, Phlebia tremellosa, Holme NWT (pines) 26th October 2014

Snowy Waxcap, Hygrocybe virginea, Holme NWT (pines) 26th October 2014

Moss Bell, Galerina hypnorum, Holme NWT (pines), 26th October 2014

Hypomyces papulasporae growing on Earthtongue, Geoglossum cookeanum, Holme NWT (pines), 26th October 2014

False Chanterelle, Hygrophoropsis auantiaca, Holme NWT (pines), 26th October 2014

Dune Brittlestem, Psathyrella ammophila, Holme NWT , 26th October 2014

Saffron Milkcap, Lactarius deliciosus, Holme NWT (pines), 26th October 2014

Sessile Earthstar, Geastrum fimbriatum, Holme NWT (pines), 26th October 2014

Collared Earthstar, Geastrum triplex, Holme NWT (pines), 26th October 2014

Liver Milkcap Lactarius hepaticus, Holme NWT, pines, 26th October 2014

Grey Knight, Tricholoma terreum, Holme NWT, pines, 26th October 2014

No idea what this is, Holme NWT, forestry, 26th October 2014

A coral, Holme NWT, forestry, 26th October 2014

Hare's Ear, Otidia onotica, Holme NWT (pines) 26th October 2014

Field Bird's Nest, Cyathus olla, Holme NWT , 26th October 2014

Shaggy Scalycap, Pholiota squarros, Holme NWt, 26t October 2014

Tawny Funnel, Lepista flaccida, Holme NWT (paddocks), 26th Otober 2014

Yellow Fieldcap, Bolbitius titubans, Holme NWT (paddocks) 26th October 2014

Lepiola erminea, Holme NWT (forestry), 26th October 2014

Field Blewitt Lepista saeva, Holme NWT, forestry 26th October 2014

Thanks James + Adrian + Carla + Robert

A butterfly and a few more fungi

My last butterfly transect of the year at Ringstead Downs produced just one butterfly - a Clouded Yellow. It flew right in front of my face and then settled in a sheltered spot to sun itself.

On the ground under the trees on the south bank were some Inky Mushrooms Agaricus moelleri.

When clearing scrub at Holme Dunes on Thursday we came across a number of fungi including:

Shaggy Scalycap Pholiota squarrosa on a White Poplar stump;

Hymenochaete tabacina on dead willow;

and Tawny Funnel Lepista flaccida in long grass.

A dead Ash trunk in my front garden is covered with Turkeytail Trametes versicolor.