[Matt Prince]

Knighthayes has been very good for some interesting fungi. If you get any problem ones let me know, I may not be able to help, but we (Nicola in particular) know it fairly well now, and we can always refer stuff to Geoff - who is *the* man when it comes to this site. Shame I didn't know you were going, I could have given you some pointers for certain fungi - like the grey knights (under pines near the garden centre bit), the helvella (in a hedge alongside the carpark), the copperspikes (above the path to the house from the reception) etc.

Our fungi patch proper though is probably the wheathill car park site on the East Devon commons.

I've got a bat and moth evening planned tonight at Poltimore house - hoping I might jam into 5 new species and hit the 1500 mark!

[Andrew]

Originally Posted by Matt Prince

Knighthayes has been very good for some interesting fungi. If you get any problem ones let me know, I may not be able to help, but we (Nicola in particular) know it fairly well now, and we can always refer stuff to Geoff - who is *the* man when it comes to this site. Shame I didn't know you were going, I could have given you some pointers for certain fungi - like the grey knights (under pines near the garden centre bit), the helvella (in a hedge alongside the carpark), the copperspikes (above the path to the house from the reception) etc.

Our fungi patch proper though is probably the wheathill car park site on the East Devon commons.

I've got a bat and moth evening planned tonight at Poltimore house - hoping I might jam into 5 new species and hit the 1500 mark!

Despite being dragged into the gardens and house as opposed to my wish to do the woods I had a superb time finding lots of fungi in the grounds. They are to be identified another evening as I have other things to do for now.

I shall return for the ones you mention though. It is but a two minute drive from our house or a nice hour walk away.

I had asked to join the Fungi Foray this Sunday but sadly it is all booked up! I would probably not have done well in a group being deaf myself. I prefer a very small gathering or a solo effort.

Best of luck with the bats and moths. I am unsure how I shall do bats next year without being able to hear them. I think a group meeting where I can 'read' the species on a thingamajiggy might be the best way?

Regards,
Andrew.

[Matt Prince]

Andrew,

Sadly the bats and moths wasn't very productive from a list perspective - combination of full moon and it being a 'public event', ensure the moths were minimal, though they had a recovering brown long-eared to show, and there was pipistrelle activity.

Glad you found plenty to see at Knighthayes - thats a good fungi site to have on your doorstep. One of the Devon Fungi group is partially deaf - so most of the group is already used to tapping him on the shoulder and talking to him directly - by a coincidence he can't live far from you at all.

I can see how bats would be a problem - I've not seen a detector that shows a visible trace of the call - would be good - and expensive no doubt. Though in theory it should be possible to take a standard detector and change the 'output' to be a visual one of some sort. In any case - the bat groups also do 'other things' which might suit you better - bat box checking and bat ringing, both of which get up close and personal with the little critters.

If you fancy going on a regular bat walk, or visiting one of the sites like the horsehoe roost for example - now or maybe next year as the season is coming to a close - let me know - I have a basic detector and I can help you out by at least showing you what frequency the bats are calling at.

Cheers,
Matt

[Andrew]

Evening Matt,

I think I may have met the guy you mention. I hope to go back to Knightshayes tomorrow morning to search for some more. I spent the day at Paignton Zoo with nieces but my eyes were on the tree bases much of the day!

Thanks for the offer of assistance with a bat detector for next year. That would be great. I have a DSLR and have thought of rigging it up by one of the canal bridges and trying to get an image with a flash unit. Might work in giving me an identifiable picture. Joining a group meet and bat ringing especially would be superb.

Regards,
Andrew.

[Matt Prince]

Late Additions

14th September 2010 Agraphila Inquinatella, a micro moth on the wall of the house after dark.
18th September 2010 Lactarius Rufus (rufous milkcap) and Suillus Viscidus (A rare Bolete) both from Knighthayes and identified by Jeff Benn of the Devon Fungi group.

Moths 281; Fungi 159;
GT 1498

[Matt Prince]

Saturday 25th September

First off popped down to Exmouth Seafront to check on the colony of Ivy Bee's in the sea front car park - finally (third attempt!) the colony is active with swarms of these little bee's in and out of their sandy colony (thats species no. 1499). Next off to Bystock ponds where Nicola had two things to show me, one a rustgill, the jury is still out on (sadly) which leaves... Drum Roll.. Species 1500 Fuligo Septica - a bright yellow slime mould!
Down to Wembury then for the last organised rockpool ramble of the season, and there was a veritable army of yellow shirted volunteers. What with hordes of small people, and large kids like ourselves, a swarm of ramblers scoured the rocky shore, lifting rocks and scooting fish into little plastic containers. Lots of good stuff were found, though little of it new, squat lobsters, brittlestars, clingfish, various crabs, sea lemon etc. The two new species for the list were both molluscs, Spotted Cowrie and European Sting Winkle.
With the tide coming back in the walk came to a halt and I suited up for a quick paddle. Sadly it was rougher than it had first looked and visibility wasn't brilliant, however amongst the prevalent ballan wrasse and small shoals of sand eels, a couple of sleek silver blue predators - sea bass.
Drying off after a cold water sluicing, a quick coffee to warm up and we made our way through the traffic to Berry Head, where a quick stroll along the cliff path eventually yielded Goldilocks Aster - a rare plant that grows at this site.

Species : Sea Bass, Ivy Bee, Spotted Cowrie, European Sting Winkle, Goldilocks Aster, Fuligo Septica (a Slimemould).
Fish 19; Misc Insects 40; Marine Invertebrates 44; Flowers ; MLLA 46
GT 1504

[Matt Prince]

Sunday 26th September

A short day today as much else needed sorting out. Just before 10:30 we were at Kennick Reservoir for another fungi foray. A cut down group today, but still enough to find some good stuff, and good numbers of macro fungi once we got going (sadly no sight or sound of crossbill). As well as many repeat common fungi, and several new species, an interesting variant of Blusher - var annosulpherea - with a bright yellow ring rather than the usual concolourus version.

New definates from the trip were:-
Fungi : Yellow Webcap, Deadman's fingers, Root Rot, Mild milkcap, Grooved Bonnet, Clouded Funnel,
Scurfy Twiglet, Hypomyces Chryospermus (Bolete Rot)
Fungi 167;
GT 1511

[Andrew]

Congratulations on breaking past the 1500 barrier! Now for 2000?

Might try and see those bees the week after if they are still about.

[Matt Prince]

Thanks Andrew. 2000? No fear! Should be possible, but not for me this year.

You know where to find the bee's? In the car park between foxholes hill and queen's drive - sandy bank at the back of the car park beneath foxholes hill...

[Andrew]

Evening Matt,

Thanks for the directions to the location for the bees. I am back from a short trip to Dorset and shall await fair weather to try and see these.

Cheers,
Andrew.

[Matt Prince]

Weekend 2nd/3rd October

An interesting weekend, with a lichen workshop at Knighthayes, and bat box survery at Roadford Reservoir. Outside of this preparing for a trip to South Africa, so a busy weekend.

We met up at Knighthayes for opening time - a leisurely 11AM. It was a select group this time, with just three students, Nicola, myself and Nigel Pinhorn, and an equal number of teachers, Barbara Benfield, Tony and Maxine. Once again an amazing diversity of small lichen communities on each and every surface, and some quite stunning structures amongst the leafy parmelias, horned cladonias, and bearded usneas. The warring lichen communities, with sharply delineated zones reminded me of the warring coral colonies from blue planet. Some lichen are relatively easy - the pepper pot lichen for example, and the common parmetrena - once you recognize its distinctive green colour, plus many are relatively easy to put into groups, the bearded lichens - usnea, the horns of cladonia and the bright yellow caloplectas, but not so easy to identify to species. Some of the distinctions get quite technical and are subtle (the two common parmelias, saxitalis and sulcata, one has peg like iscidea, the other doesn't, but it does have little bumps which could easily be mistaken for iscedea). We went from tree to tree in rapid succession, noting the similarities and differences, and the way different communities aligned to suit their weather/water/nutrient requirements. As a known chili head, and with the least taste buds to lose amongst the group, I was elected to lick pertusaria armara, and spent a good hour with its bitter tast as a reminder. Some notable species were pointed out to us, some very small and hard to spot. On the common lichen front, I wonder how many people like myself, have looked at the cracked bark of an oak, and not realised that they are in fact, looking at a lichen.
As well as the profusion of lichens, there were some of the simpler macro fungi to look at, including a good cross section of wax caps, including meadow and pink ballerina. The lichen fest went on till well after closing, when the light was starting to get past its best.

The next day had us heading to Roadford, despite awful conditions, which thankfully improved greatly once we were on site. This was a Devon bat group survery, and after a fortifying cup of coffee and slice of cake from the cafe we were bundled into an aluminium skiff with the organisers and other volunteers. A boat ride across the lake was the easiest way to get to the first set of boxes in the wood. Once ashore and up the steep bank we set off in two small groups, each group armed with a ladder, a hard hat, torches, a survery form, and an old hand or two. The boxes were typically set in pairs, the ladder goes up, the guy with the hard hat steadies the ladder, whilst a volunteer goes up, checks for droppings, opens the box and checks for occupants. I was first up in my team, and I opened the box to find a dimunitive buffy brown bat sat on the lid, first of many soprano pipistrelles for the day. The next box was empty, as were many of the boxes we checked, though they often showed signs of use - i.e. droppings, which were usually identifiable, at least to group - pip, long eared, myotis. The first set of boxes were pretty much soprano pips only, till a long eared was found asleep. Returning to the cafe for lunch, and the fungi Nicola had spotted on the lawns, including Parrot Waxcaps, we then headed out for more boxes by car. I continued to find small number of soprano pips, with a peak of five in one box, whilst another member of our group John - opened a box with two slightly bigger chocolate brown jobs, pressed tightly to the sides of the box, obscuring their buffy underparts - daubenton's. Later, John opened another box to find a small swarm of long eared, one of which was already awake and raring to go and dropped straight onto the box edge, flipped its ears up and flew out. The rest of the group were a bit more docile, eight brown long eared in that box in total. A good day, only the three species in total, but good views and interesting to find that in boxes in woodland, near water, the soprano pip was common and the common pip non-existant.

Finally we had a last light visit down to Dawlish Warren sea front, as sea-birds had been passing the coast this morning, but it was much calmer now and very little was inshore, a distant trawler with a flock of gannets was tantalisingly just out of range in the failing light.

Sites: Knighthayes, Roadford Reservoir, Dawlish Warren (sea-front only)
New Species: Long-eared Bat.
Lichen: Artonia radiata, Aspicilia Contorta, Chryothrix Candelaris, Cladonia pixidata, Cladonia polydactyla, Collemua Crispum, Cresponea Premnea, Diploschistes Muscorum, Enterographa Crassa, Evernia Prunastru, Heteredermia Japonica, Hyperphyscia Adglutinata, Hypogymnia Physodes, Hypotrachyna Revoluta, Lecanatis Abietina, Lecanora Albescens, Lecanora Carpinea, Lecanora Chlarotera, Lecanora Confeta, Lecanora Expallens, Lecidea Doliformis, Lecidellla eileochroma, Leptogium Gelatinosum, Melanelia Fuliginosa, Melanelia laciniatula, Pachyphiale Carneola, Parmelia saxatillis, Parmelia Sulcata, Pertusaria Amara (bitter!), Pertusaria Coccodes, Pertusaria Hymenia, Pertusaria Pertusa (pepperpot), Pertusaria Tenella, Mettigera Membranosa, Phyllopsora Rosei, Platismatia Glauca, Protoblastenia rupestris, Punctelia Subrudecta, Puntelia jackeri, Ramalina Farinacea, Ramalina Fastigiata, Rinodina Roborus, Schistatomma Decolorans, Thelopsis Rubella, Usnea Ceratina, Usnea Cornuta, Usnea Subfloridana, Verrucaria Baldensis.
Fungi : Amanita Vaginata (Grisette), Hygrocybe calyptriformis (Pink Ballerina), Hygrocybe Flavipes (Yellow-foot Waxcap), Hygrocybe Pratensis (Meadow Waxcap), Hygrocybe Punicea (Crimson Waxcap), Mycena pseudocorticola, Psathyrella piluliformis (Common Stump Brittlestem), Clavaria Fragilis (White Spindles), Clavulinopsis Luteoalba (Apricot Club), Enteloma Porphyrophaeum (Lilac Pinkgill), Hygrocybe psittacina (Parrot Waxcap)
Mammals 22; Fungi 178; MLLA 94;
GT 1571

[Andrew]

Sounds great that Lichen workshop! After searching for Pink Waxcap at Fyne Court in Somerset in vain I am amused to see it reported from my doorstep so I shall be paying a visit! Whereabouts was it?

[Matt Prince]

The majority of it was on the grass between the drive and below the formal gardens. If you're walking from reception go towards the entrance to the gardens, drop down towards the drive and check the grass below the hedge. We had quite a few here, but they were quite advanced, so may be over. There should be others scattered around the lawns - along with plenty of other waxcaps. Check out the picnic site amidst the car parks - giant funnel and burnt knight. Post to follow shortly...

[Andrew]

Evening Matt,

I managed to find some Burnt Knights, Pink Waxcaps and the Giant Funnels. Thanks.

Additional fungi I have identified this evening were a clump of White Spindles, Beechwood Sickener and possible a White Fibrecap. I have attached a picture to see what you reckon. I had to dump some other pictures as I had spent enough of the evening staring into my fungi books in frustrating vain for a few identifications. Gonna be hard next year!

I have an amusing story regarding a large puffball species at Knightshayes. I found what I thought was a stunningly large puffball. Started a bit of 'gardening' around it to clear the way for a nice picture. Looked for a good angle. Got my reflector card and blocked some harsh sunlight. Wee bit of flash. Got what I thought were some nice images. Started to cut into it for a sectional image. Found it to be rather tough skinned. So I pulled it out to see the root structure and was gobsmacked to find it was nothing less than...........................a dog's discarded play ball!

Cheers,
Andrew.

[Matt Prince]

Originally Posted by Andrew

I have an amusing story regarding a large puffball species at Knightshayes. I found what I thought was a stunningly large puffball. Started a bit of 'gardening' around it to clear the way for a nice picture. Looked for a good angle. Got my reflector card and blocked some harsh sunlight. Wee bit of flash. Got what I thought were some nice images. Started to cut into it for a sectional image. Found it to be rather tough skinned. So I pulled it out to see the root structure and was gobsmacked to find it was nothing less than...........................a dog's discarded play ball!

scleroderma canusplasticus.

As for the white fibrecap - could be - did it smell at all? The fibrecaps have a strong "mealy" smell.

Fungi can be hard, finding the right group is often the hardest part of the the battle. Having said that, I've not posted last weekends update yet because of a bit of contention. How big were the "giant" funnel when you saw them? The other half and I are now arguing about them, she thinks they might be trouping, but I think they are giant! The size when we saw them was about right for either, should be easy - trouping should be upright and giant squat and twisted flat.. Not always so simple in the field..

[Andrew]

Originally Posted by Matt Prince

Fungi can be hard, finding the right group is often the hardest part of the the battle. Having said that, I've not posted last weekends update yet because of a bit of contention. How big were the "giant" funnel when you saw them? The other half and I are now arguing about them, she thinks they might be trouping, but I think they are giant! The size when we saw them was about right for either, should be easy - trouping should be upright and giant squat and twisted flat.. Not always so simple in the field..

Evening Matt,

I looked back at the two in the books and I see the point but the profile of the gills joining the stipe says Giant Funnel for me.

Trooping is also supposed to have a hard rind on the stipe and these were slug ridden so probably soft enough for them to munch at?

I have attached two images if they might help.

Regards,
Andrew.

[Andrew]

Evening again,

In the last few days I have looked at the images and the books. I now believe these are Trooping Funnel for a few reasons including size, the lack of forked gills but I think I will have to let this one go without having the specimen in hand to study further which is a shame. I may try to go back tomorrow to look for another if possible.

Cheers,
Andrew.

[Matt Prince]

Solid reasoning Andrew, no need to let it go though, we (the wife and I) spoke to Jeff about them yesterday - he said that they are Clitocybe Geotropa (i.e. trooping funnel). Should have known better than argue the point with the wife! One of the key features is the Umbo, which probably wasn't as prominent by the time you visited.

[Matt Prince]

Saturday 9th October

Totally failed on the snow bunting front.. Had a fungi foray scheduled for Somers, a private residence, in North Devon for the Saturday, which didn't start till 11:00, so seemed like a good opportunity for a go at the Snow Buntings that had been reported on the pager at Northam Burrows. The pager said that the birds were between the seasonal pools and the sand dunes, so I took that to be the Northern end of the burrows between the big pool and the sand dunes at the back. So I trudged around, checking out the shingly bit at the back that looked promising enough, but to no avail, found a few shaggy inckcaps, blackening waxcaps and the like, plenty of skylark, meadow pipit and finches but no Snow Buntings. On the way back I was rather surprised when two black terns flew over the burrows and Eastwards.

Onto Summers which was being led by Jeff Benn from the fungi group, who dropped us right in it by singling Nicola and I out as assistants. I decided the best thing was to cling to my fungi book and act as translator latin to English as and when required.. This site had pasture land and woodland, the latter being surprisingly dry and lacking in numbers of big mushrooms - perhaps we had reached a hiatus in the blooming season here? However there was still plenty of interest, including a couple of distinctive and destructive honey fungi and some excellent pasture fungi - many waxcaps and the cute little ringed Earthy Powdercap. Star of the fungi fauna here though is the scarce Hazel Glove's which whilst not at its best, having been slugged, was still identifiable on hazel near a stream.

After summers we headed back to Knighthayes were Nicola dragged me round to grab a few things she'd seen during the week that were new to the list, orange peel, burnt knight, shaggy pholiota. Whilst we were there we also found pink domecap and shaggy inkcap, and had a big argument about a funnel near the car park (see previous posts) which I lost - Trooping Funnel (not giant as I thought).

At this point the pager went off announcing that the snow buntings were at Northam burrows again - assuming that I'd missed them we tore back up to the site and I made the same mistake AGAIN. Heading out from the northern car park with the light starting to turn, I tried working the shingle edge, but only got so far when I found the bomb squad turning people back from the beach! They were obviously getting ready to detonate a suspicious object on the shoreline, sure enough as I returned towards the car there was a loud and deep bang, and all the birds went up.

Later I'd find where the birds were, was well of to the West of the reserver, nowhere near where I'd looked both times...

Sites: Northam Burrows, Somers, Knighthayes
Species : Fuligo Candida (Slimemould)
Fungi: Aleria Aurantica (Orange Peel Fungus), Armillaria Gallica (Bulbous Honey Fungus), Armillaria Tabescens (Ringless Honey Fungus), Calocybe Carnea (Pink Domecap), Clavaria Fumosa (Smoky Spindles), Clitocybe Goetropa (Trooping Funnel), Coprinus comatus (Shaggy Inkcap), Cystoderma Amianthium (Earthy Powdercap), Dermoloma Cuneifolium (Crazed Cap), Enteloma Chalybeaum (Indigo Pinkgill), Enteloma Conferendum (Star Pinkgill), Hebeloma Leucosarx (a Poisonpie), Hygrocybe Persistens (Persistant Waxcap), Hygrocybe Russocriacea (Cedarwood Waxcap), Hygrocybe Virginia (Snowy Waxcap), Inocybe Geophylla (White Fibrecap), Lactarius Vietus (Grey Milkcap), Lycoperdon perlatum (Common puffball), Mycena Vitillinus (Snapping Bonnet), Pholiota Squarrosa (Shaggy Pholiota), Sclerodoma Verrucosum (Scaly Earthball), Trichloma Ustale (Burnt Knight), Hazel Glove's
Fungi 199; MLLA 95;
GT 1593
(note removed as yet unconfirmed hyxpoxylon and rosalinea species from 11th April at Park)

[Matt Prince]

Sunday 10th October

Started the morning with a scuba refresher course in a swimming pool in a Plymouth Garden, that went fairly well so was able to cut for a bat box survey at Burrator after lunch.
Nothing new amongst the bats, however these were all new boxes that we were checking, so the fact that many contained soprano pips or long eared bats, was good news. There was a bit of fungi about and Nicola was lucky enough to find an identifiable cortinarias - greenfoot fibrecap.
A quick visit to Bishopsteignton for a reported short toed lark, came to nothing much, the views were pleasant but it was a huge field and with no other birders present we only found a few sklyarks and common finches, it wasn't totally fruitless however as Nicola found Wood Blewit.

Sites: Burrator Reservoir, Bishopsteignton.
Species : Inocybe Calamistra (Greenfoot fibrecap), Lepista Nuda (Wood Blewit)
Fungi 201
GT 1595

[Matt Prince]

Monday 11th October

The previous days late report of Solitary Sandpiper at Black Hole Marsh, Seaton was followed with positive news this morning and I was fortunately working from home.. It was a long lunch break... and the traffic was frustratingly slow - but we got there to find a small crowd watching the bird at fairly close range. Very nice. The white eye ring really shone out in the strong sunlight. After a brief ten minutes watching this 'mega' we shot for home and I had to work late into the day to catch up on the hours, but it was worth it.
A lot less rare but still new for the list was common tarspot fungi on leaves outside our house.

Sites: Black Hole Marsh, Home.
Species : Solitary Sandpiper, Rhytisma Acerinum (Common Tarspot)
Birds 193; Fungi 202
GT 1597

[Andrew]

Originally Posted by Matt Prince

Solid reasoning Andrew, no need to let it go though, we (the wife and I) spoke to Jeff about them yesterday - he said that they are Clitocybe Geotropa (i.e. trooping funnel). Should have known better than argue the point with the wife! One of the key features is the Umbo, which probably wasn't as prominent by the time you visited.

Ah, glad I can keep them and name the pictures now.

[Matt Prince]

9th/10th October Addendum

Clustered Domecap Lyophyllum Decastes from Northam Burrows.
Common Harvestman Phalangium opilio (from Bishopsteington)
Fungi 203; Misc Insects (ok so its not quite an insect..) 41
GT 1599

[Matt Prince]

Saturday 16th October

I had two sea dives booked in for today - sadly it turns out they were both off the Hoe - this was a consequence of having had to rearrange things and I'd inadvertantly swapped out two interesting boat based drives for a couple of not so good shore based ones. Ther first dive was OK, a shallow drop to 8m, vis of about 3m and a gentle pootle about with a few ballan and Goldsinny Wrasse, plus a strange little fan worm. The second dive was a bit of a mare, I was with a group of Open Water students who had to go through their skills as part of their course, nice enough bunch, but I had to sit on the surface in the cold water for half an hour before descending, then I had trouble equalising, and finally when we were on the silty bottom mud got kicked up and vis went down to 30cm or so! Not brilliant...

After that there was just about enough time to go look for Ring Ouzel - I fancied one of the migration points, but Nicola suggested HayTor instead, which was a bit closer. We went but too much disturbance and no sign of anything other than wheatears and stonechat.

Sites: Plymouth Hoe, Haytor Quarries
Species : Goldsinny Wrasse, Myxicola Infundibulum (Sea Worm), Hygrocybe Ceracea (Butter Waxcap)
Fishes 20; Fungi 204 ; MarInv 45;
GT 1602

[Matt Prince]

Saturday 17th October

A predictably slow start when I should really have been getting up early to look for migrants.. As it was we just about had time to check for golden bootleg fungus at a site where Nicola had found it before (no joy) before heading to a fungi foray at Bystock Ponds (or rather at the other end above the ponds).

A reasonable number of people for this one, we had the Devon Fungi group plus members of the Devonshire Association in attendance. Started by working the unimproved grassland, where a few agarics, waxcaps and knights were present. Then we moved into the woodland, where an awesome array of parasol mushrooms was on display. Not new but very impressive. Working the woods we then went back for lunch by which point I was getting itchy feet as a red-breasted flicker had been reported from Soar. I put out an RFI and told Nicola we were going to spend another hour before cutting for the south hams. As it was the group went down onto the heathland and it was just over an hour when my nerve broke, news or no news, we were going to Soar. Nicola reluctantly toed the line and we were soon on the trail to the Hams. Arriving as a group of birders were leaving I was releived to hear that they had seen the bird and we hot-footed it down to the small copse next to East Soar farm. We could just about see another birder on the other side of the trees, and settled down into stake out mode. Nicola off to one side, me on a slight rise in the field. The sun was in an awkard place, but at least it hadn't set, yet.. After half an hour I had a half decent flight view as the bird shot from one tree into another set of bushes. Nicola hadn't got on it, nor by the looks of it had the other observer, but I'd clearly seen the white tail patches, so I was happy I'd got on it. Still we waited to see if we could both get decent views. After a while as the sun, set behind the trees, the other birder gave up and we hung on for a bit longer. Watched a sparrowhawk make two passes on the garden, then just after that, Nicola who was looking into the trees was silently beckoning me in. Rushing over as quietly as possible, I anxiously followed her pointing. THe bird was hunting within the tree cover. After a bit of mucking about squinting through branches I got decent views, Nicola having already seen it well now, and we decided it was a good time to call it quits.
Just as we were walking up alongside the farm, a frantically calling yaffle came bounding in our direction with a male peregrine in casual pursuit. The yaffle shot into the tree cover and the 'grin rose slightly and continued to glide gracefully and nonchalantly out to sea.
On the way back to the car, Nicola spotted some late flowering corn marigold in the fields.

Sites: Bystock Pools, East Soar
Species : Red-breasted Flycatcher, Corn Marigold (Naturalised), Cortinarius Trimphans (Birch Webcap), Calvulina Rugosa (Wrinkled Club), Stereum Rugosum (Bleeding Broadleaf Crust), Trichloma Ustaloides (a knight), Polyporus Leptocephalus (Blackfoot Polypore), Macrolepiota Mastoidea (Slender Parasol), peziza badia (bay cup)
Birds 194; Flower 504;Fungi 211;
GT 1611