"For now we are young let us lay in the sun and count every beautiful thing we can see" Neutral Milk Hotel.

Friday 31 October 2014

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

Wednesday 29 October 2014

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


Tuesday 28 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


Monday 27 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 26 October 2014

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 tremellosaHolme NWT (pines) 26th October 2014



Snowy Waxcap, Hygrocybe virgineaHolme 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

Saturday 25 October 2014

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.