Over the years, I have benefitted greatly from seeing what others have found
and then gone looking for it myself. This last week has seen the tables
turned, and my casual find and bit of quick detective work has lead to a
flurry of records. I'm referring to those Ash key fungi that I first found at
Watermead CP South on 15/02/2021 and followed up in my home square on
16/02/2021. Of these, there were two previous records for Diaporthe samaricola
in VC55, albeit not supported with photos so not featuring in the Naturespot
gallery. The other, Neosetophoma samarorum, was apparently unrecorded in VC55
before I noted it. Since then, records have started coming in from all around
the VC. The following maps are from iRecord early this afternoon,
showing all records for Leics. & Rutland (including one or two only just
submitted that are not yet accepted, but will be). Top map is for Neosetophoma
samarorum, bottom map is Diaporthe samaricola. The circles with red dots are
my two records for each. The map for Diaporthe samaricola also shows the
original two records (blue dots) - I guess the recorder was not aware of
Neosetophoma samarorum. It's pretty obvious that everyone that has looked over
the last week has found both easily, and that both are widespread around VC55
as expected.
It doesn't stop there though. Although I posted pics etc on here, put the
records on Naturespot and declared the two species on my PSL update, I didn't
bother posting anything on Twitter or the PSL Facebook. I fully expected that
most PSLers would be aware and already have seen these, and it was just me
catching up. But others that had picked up the species from Naturespot did
post messages and it has prompted some easy ticks for others .... for example
....
I wonder if this is the first time that fungi has spread virally?!
I've had a couple of sedentary days for one reason or another. It's been mild,
but tempered massively today by more strong winds. The garden trap has been
rubbish, even for mid-Feb, despite the temps. I pointed the TG-6 at the only
noctuid to turn up so far, and to be honest I'm not overly happy with the
result. The colour balance / white balance was way off so I've had to tweak in
photoshop. It's also not quite as sharp as I expected. I'll need to get into the camera settings and see what I can set-up
manually (although most setting when in 'microscope' mode are automatic)
before trying indoor moth photography again.
Hebrew Character
It seems okay when using it outdoors though; this
Emmelina monodactyla is a hand-held stack as it sat on a uPVC window
frame ....
Whilst mooching about the garden, I also found a very early instar
larva ....
Old Lady
I also had another look at Lichens in and around the front garden, on the
walls and paving ....
Lecidella stigmatea
Lecanora campestris
Lecanora dispersa
I've also pinned a couple of Ophion obscuratus agg. for (hopefully)
future reference. Work is ongoing with this group by some proper Entomological
scientists, and it seems highly likely that there are several
species with different phenology; this is likely to be an as-yet unnamed species
that flies in late winter, particularly turning up in light traps in February.
Meanwhile, down under on Tasmania, some local madmen that have been
searching for decades reckon they've caught not one but a family of three
Thylacines on a cam trap - yes, the extinct and utterly distinctive
carnivorous marsupial 'Tasmanian Tiger'. With stripes on the rear end.
Whilst the world gulped at the thought, the footage was shared with
experts before being released. Current status is that the
images probably show a tiny Kangaroo called a Pademelon ..... WTAF!? Can't wait to see these pictures - allegedly to be published on March 1st, maybe should defer to April 1st.
I managed to nip out for a quick wander in the square today, for the first
time in a few days mainly due to shite weather, feeling a bit meh! or having
something else to do.
I had no plan other than using my legs a bit. I took a camera, but forgot to
take my cheapo spectacles making use of the camera a bit harder than it could
have been. I got to the oak on the crossroads that I've mentioned before, and
remembered that there was a fern growing at its base that I'd ignored last
time I had a mooch around it. I grabbed a couple of snaps but no sporangia
visible anyway - one to re-visit. Whilst bent down at the base of the tree, I
realised that the lower trunk was liberally covered in lichenous lirellae. I
refocussed and was looking at an abundance of one of the script lichens,
growing like some lost code on the tree trunk.
I've seen this one before, but nowhere near to home - it live on trees in my
in-laws North Devon garden.
Opegrapha atra
I also found a clump of liverwort on the trunk that I'd missed last time,
which I am sure is Forked Veilwort although the photo doesn't really
show it well.
The only new bird to hit the square list whilst out was a Grey Heron - still
no Rook or Skylark.
Well, who'd of thunk it. Surely everyone is as amazed as me that we're back
into a National lockdown, when the ridiculously convoluted, ever-changing and
rapidly escalating Tiers that were announced and rolled out were working so
well ....
To be honest though, I expected the bumbling scarecrow to dither about it for
another few days and I was planning on heading out today using my restored
driving ability to look at one or two decent county birds: Red-necked Grebe at
Cropston Res, redhead Smew at Swithland Res and - hopefully - an Iceland Gull
at Watermead CP South which has been seen alongside that blasted hybrid I
found. All relatively short distances, all well within the previously
designated Tier 4 Leicestershire and nowhere near any lesser-infected County.
Of course as soon as an immediate lockdown was announced my plan went out of
the window. I could have gone, and I'm sure there would be no consequence, but
that's not the point.
Probably just as well then that my main focus this year was bashing my local
square on foot. The new lockdown rules allow local exercise, but not
recreation. Quite where using binoculars and cameras fit in with this is
probably a moot point. But if spandex wankers can run and cycle for miles
breathing out heavily as they pass any compliant pedestrian, and dog walkers
can carry those stupid tennis-ball flinging sticks, I'm quite happy to argue
the toss. Sticking local, on foot and keeping well away from people whilst
watching a bird or pointing the camera at something seems perfectly reasonable
to me. It's not like my square-bashing brings me into contact with many other
people, like if I lived on the coast where everyone local is (legitimately)
walking along the beach or next to a reservoir that everyone local is
(legitimately) walking around.
I've not posted for a couple of days as Sunday was predominantly taken up with
a (covid compliant social bubble) meal with my Mum, though I managed to find
one or two bits in the garden including the first beetle for the year - Nebria
brevicollis. Yesterday I logged on to work for a bit before helping to
de-Christmas the house. I also did a couple of odd-jobs in the house, a
measure of how relatively great I'm feeling physically. On neither day was a
Dunnock noted in the garden.
Today though I managed to head out for a decent walk in the square. Whilst I
had no intention of recording across all orders this year, at least in the
winter months when there are precious few insects to even think about without
some vigorous effort I am taking more notice of stuff that I've tended
to ignore for the last few years. With the prospect of getting out anywhere
away from the immediate locality looking slim for the next couple of months I
need to grab every bit of interest from I can from the square.
So today for example, in between a flock of Feral Pigeons, a Mistle Thrush, a
Kestrel and seeing or hearing several Dunnocks (at last), I remembered to look
at some common lichens. Looking at them and remembering what they are are not
the same thing, however I knew that on lots of the smooth-barked trees I could
find at least three species - and probably find them right next to each other.
Like this in fact ....
Lecidella elaeochroma (green arrow), Lecanora chlarotera (blue
arrow) and Arthonia radiata (red arrow). All three on several trees
around Whetstone Meadows.
The area I'm calling Whetstone Meadows (to differentiate in my records from the larger Countesthorpe Meadows) doesn't look anything like that the name
suggests at the moment. Back in 2013, and more recently, this has been quite a
luxurious grassy area with plenty of flowering plants and insect life until
the farmer/landowner gets the mower out in late spring and again in the late
autumn (I suspect it's grown for sileage). However currently looks like it was
very close-mown before the winter. Hopefully it will come back to life in the
spring though.
On the above shot, some might recall that the lump just next to the hedge on
the right is a cut-down basal chunk of a large ash tree. In 2013 I found a few
beetles on it including Scarce Fungus Weevil around a cluster of Cramp Balls,
and I've found several in the same spot over the last few years. Today though
no sign of any fresh balls - wonder if the log has just gone past its best.
Whilst out, I also remembered that concrete fence posts might host a few
lichen species, but these will have to be homework for another day ....
I headed home after a couple of hours walking. The shot below looks roughly
north over the fields that are east of Springwell Lane with the 'Copse' just
out of shot to the right. The majority of the visible housing is the newest
part of the estate.
Just after taking this shot, I noted a large raptor floating over the
nearest farm building and drifting towards me. I assumed Buzzard, but as it
banked slightly I lifted my bins to enjoy a cracking Red Kite that
eventually circled a bit and then went directly over me. Of course the
big-lens camera was at home.
Meanwhile, as we're guided into Covid Oblivion by the fucking clowns in
charge, here's something to listen to and watch. Turn your lights off, turn
the volume up and enjoy. Or not, cause like you can make your own choices
....
My last round up of varied bits from Charnwood Lodge last Saturday (see how long I managed to string out one field trip!). However this is a break from my normal inverted outlook.
Whilst knocking about the site, I noted some strange stuff that didn't ring any bells - something I've not seen before - this weird looking stuff that I found under the bark of a well rotted log. I had no idea if it was fungal or some sort of egg mass, but a quick enquiry on the PSL Facebook group threw up the ID, and it is a slime mould ...
Ceratiomyxa fruticulosa - which is pretty cool looking I reckon
Literally on the other side of the bark to this slime mould was a familiar looking liverwort.
Bifid Crestwort
Earlier, I'd seen what appeared to be a trio of small cauliflowers bulging out of the inside face of a hollowed dead tree. There was another more solid looking lump and what appeared to be an exploded puff ball on the same patch of wood. Didn't take long to work out that this is another slime mould, and that I'd seen the various stages of its development.
After walking around the small reservoir, I found a board-walk that I'd never seen before running alongside a damp-looking dry stone wall.
This wall must be a Bryologist's dream. I pointed the camera at something that looked a bit quirky ...
A quick browse through NatureSpot suggested that this is Aulacomnium androgynum - Bud-headed Groove-moss. Perhaps one of the best vernacular names! Even better, a quick squint at the mapping showed a yellow square pretty much exactly in the same spot.
In the same area was a fair bit of this lichen - which I won't bother trying to name.
Cladonia sp.
And rounding up the non-invert ramble, this orange staining on the wall and trees in one spot - all on the same side. Quite probably the algae Trentepohlia abietina.
In an uncharacteristic liking lichens themed post, rather than lots of shots of stuff I don't know but just like the look of aesthetically - here's a couple of shots of one (I think) I do know. This is Rhizocarpon geographicum, very common on hard siliceous rocks apparently. Here I see it often on dry stone walls and big boulder stones in the Charnwood area
My lichen identification skills have not progressed. At all. I don't carry around small bottles of sterilising bleach, potassium-hydroxide or iodine, and even if I did I wouldn't know where to start. However I do like lichens, and in particular I like the abstract patterns they create and the way that different species blend and merge on the same square foot of rock/bark/gravestone etc. So here's a few random shots of some coastal rocks and retaining walls at Heddon's Mouth last week.
I'm off to Greece in the morning - working away for a week in Patras. I doubt there will be any time for having a look around but I'll take my camera anyway. Before I go, here's a few random shots from Devon.
Moschatel - one of the 'faces' with a five-petal flower
Moschatel - the four-petal top flower
Woolacombe Beach - it was rammed on the main sands but quiet around the rocky pools
This rock caught my eye - a bit like looking for images in clouds, this one looks to me like a sunken fossilised mammoth. And I hadn't been drinking.
This is actually a lot smarter than it looks here - a Sea Hare, my first sea slug
