Mendip Fungi Foray- 25/10/14

Our walk started at Burrington Coombe and took us up the steep Link Lane to the bottom level of the heights of Blackdown.  A few more fungi species are appearing now in the woodland edges of Link Lane, must be due to all the recent rain and mild weather!

Blackdown looks amazing with its copper tones of leaves and Bracken but our path was leading us on towards the grassland of Dolebury Warren.

The total walk was only 5 miles across upland and through woods. A walk of great Autumn colours and views and a fantastic amount of different fungi species of all shapes, sizes and colours. 

The surprise of the day was the discovery of a great 'gathering' of Fly Agaric, the sight was pure magic and believe it or not made me a bit emotional because of the beauty, colour and perfection of what we saw.  This has to be one of the best walks for fungi and we will return!

Mycena? With pin mould. One fungus attacking another ( thanks to Steve Balcome for info)

                

                   Deep in the woods

Tiny unknowns - life everywhere 

                                             

                                                 Tiny fungi in the grass on the warren

Parasol - banquet for some!

             

                   So delicate - a work of art

Looks good enough to eat!!!

                

                   Tiny 'hats' within the grass

Pettycoat Mottlegill

               

                Parasol - there were plenty across the warren, a massive size as well quite spectacular 

Young Parasol?

    

                 

               

                   Macrolepiota excoriata- a smoother cousin of the Parasol

Meadow Puffball - plenty of these in the grassland

                

                    Meadow Puffball

Grassland Puffball? 

               

                     Unknown fungi - almost sculpted growing into the grass

Tiny puffball? In the moss

               

                  Puffball type this time in the woods

Tiny and delicate in the grass

               

               

                  Fallen Parasol - bit of a breeze this morning!

Puffball

                

                   Crimson Waxcap - only a few found in the grassland, but what colours!

   Crimson Waxcap and friend

              

                  Life in the woods

Pushing through the leaves

              

                    Autumn woodland scene - golden leaves and huge Bracket fungus on a large old Beech

Colour in the moss

                

                   Deep in the conifers!

Fly Agaric - a young one

               

                   Autumn scene 

 Perfection!

                

                   Pure magic! Speechless!!

   Where are the fairy folk?

         

             White Spindles or Pointed Club?

Sand Bay 30/8/14 - Orchids, Fungi, Butterflies, Dragonflies and stunning views

It may be only a 6.5 mile trek but this walk never disappoints for its variety of flora and fauna along the way. Our walk started from Sand Bay then through the lanes and droves to Woodspring Priory.  From the Priory we walked the ridge and fields towards Sand Point and then back along from the Point to the bay. A bright and very breezy day though quite warm out of the wind.

The fields along the way still have many wild flowers in them though way past their best I am sure that in mid summer a host of butterflies would have relished the flowers. The small water channels along the way are covered in the lovely yellow Fringed Water Lily.  We also saw a couple of Moorhens here.  Further on through the lanes there is an abundance of Sloes, Blackberries and Haws bringing a rich colour to the hedgerow. Both Butterflies and Dragonflies seem drawn to these fruits and there was no shortage of Red Admirals, Speckled Wood, and a Comma feeding off natures harvest.  In a field we saw 2 Clouded Yellows and also a couple of Common Blues struggle against the wind.  Still plenty of Common Darters around as well as the big and beautiful Southern Hawker.

We had a good view of a couple of Wheatears amongst the rocky outcrops and a few Swallows and Martins skimming over the grass.   Good numbers of Goldfinches feeding on the seeded thistle heads.  Just 1 Kestrel on view and 3 Lttle Egrets on the inlet. Also seen was a single Cormorant and Oystercatcher.

Great to see the return of the fungi species - Shaggy Ink Cap and the large Parasol.

    Natures harvest

                             

Fringed Waterlily

 

   Southern Hawker

             

                 

                Common Darter

Common Darter

            

             

                 Shaggy Ink Cap

  

   Comma on natures harvest

               

                  

                   Sand Point view

   Shroom with a view! 

           

              Parasol

             

           

                Common Blue - the last of the summer Blues?

               

Autumn Lady's - tresses - a great find and a stunning little orchid

 Autumn Lady's - tresses 

 A tropical look to Sand Bay! - a lone Yucca ready to flower

Somerset Levels, Hawk & Owl Trust Reserve + Canada Farm

We parked up at the Hawk and Owl Trust car park and followed the drove road right along to its end which met up with the main road to Catcott. This drove road is quite wild in places and home to a brilliant array of wild flowers. Nice to see that some of the cut fields have a wild flower edge around them. Along this drove we saw many butterflies from Red Admiral. Small Copper, Small Tortoiseshell, Green Veined White and a single Comma which was perched on a grass stem.

Flocks of Goldfinches seemed to follow us along the way as well as few Buzzards. We also caught a glimpse of a young Grass Snake heading out of our way into the grassy verge. This drove road is just pure countryside heaven.

From the drove road we headed back across the fields towards Hawk & Owl Trust hide.  Along the way we saw a couple of Clouded Yellows and a few Brimstones, the Brimsones looking so fresh and new.  The H & O Trust hide is amazing - the best hide I have ever been in.  A pond has been made just outside as well as three bird tables and feeders in place.  Whilst we were there Great Tits, Chaffinch, Dunnock and a Great Spotted Woodpecker came to the tables.  The views across the fields are amazing and from here we saw more Buzzards, a Kestrel and a couple of Hobbies in the distance.

The walk from the hide along the drove road to the hide at Canada Farm is brilliant. Surrounded by fields, lagoons and woodland,  again another great area for butterflies and dragonflies.

From the very breezy hide at Canada Farm we had some fantastic close views of hunting Hobbies the dead trees in the lake providing perches for them.  There must have been at least 10 Hobbies here. We also had a fantastic view of a female Marsh Harrier as well as some Great Creasted Grebes.

Wild flowers at the cut field edge

Small Copper

              

High Summer!

Small Tortoiseshell

                                             

                                                 Comma - on grass

Drove road path towards Catcott - countryside heaven!

                            

                                Brimstone

Common Darter

               

           

                 The lush green path towards Canada Farm hide

Common Darter

Migrant Hawker

               

               Hornet - seen along the Drove