Chris Lansdell's Birding & Nature Diary

Two new Bonnets, The Avenues, Norwich, 7 December 2022

A lightening quick stop by the roadside in The Avenues, Norwich this afternoon to inspect the trunk of an old gnarly Maple tree. Jeremy had told me about the superbly-named Rancid Bonnet, Phloemana olida growing on the mossy trunk. Sure enough there were loads and they also checked-out with a peculiar and rather unpleasant smell! While at the tree I found another dark and quite distinctive bonnet which I was able to use my new Kibby books to identify as Steely Bonnet, Mycena pseudocorticola. The mycena are notoriously difficult to id but once I'd realised that Steely Bonnet browns a bit with age all the other id features fell nicely into place including flesh colour and white hairs at the base of the stipe.

Rancid Bonnet

Steely Bonnet

Rare fungi and more, Whitlingham, 1 December 2022

Last weekend the rare and rather unusual fungi Olive Salver was found on the underside of a wet log in the woods at Whitlingham. Apparently the first county record since 1999.

So, as Vanna was the one who found it (and the only one with a realistic chance of relocating it!) I picked her and Jeremy up and drove to Whitlingham to meet up with fellow mycologists Anne Crotty and Steve and Anne Judd for the search. Luckily Vanna's memory is good and it was under the first log she picked up - much to everyone's relief! It's amazing what a few eyes looking at an area can unearth and we also found plenty more of interest in the same rough area. Goldleaf Shield, Fluted Birdsnest, the curious velvety Chaetosphaerella phaeostroma, Brittle Cinder Fungus, Smokey Bracket, Lumpy Bracket, Blushing Bracket, Peeling Oysterling, Dead Mans Fingers, Fenugreek Stalkball, Tripe Fungus, Mossy Maze Polypore, Purple Jellydisc, Green Elfcup, Wet Rot, Yellow Brain, Crystal Brain, White Brain, Small Stagshorn, Leaf Parachute, Candlesnuff and Frosty Bonnet plus 2 very small species both growing on decaying nettle stems - Hymenoscyphus herbarum and Leptospheria acuta

Seme nice insects were also seen including 2 new harvestmen for me - Nemastoma bimaculatum and Paroligolphus agrestis plus Invisible Spider and a tiny Erigone sp (a minute spider that looks like an ant at first glance!)

Meanwhile, back at Chez Bartlett I was kindly shown The Goblet and Physisporinus vitreus in their garden!

Olive Salver

Goldleaf Shield

Fenugreek Stalkball

Brittle Cinder Fungus

Chaetosphaerella phaeostroma

Dead Mans Fingers

Fluted Birdsnest

Frosty Bonnet

Green Elfcup

Hymenoscyphus herbarum

Leptospheria acuta

Mossy Maze Polypore

Peeling Oysterling

Wet Rot

Invisible Spider

Nemastoma bimaculatum

Paroligolophus agrestis

Physisporinus vitreus

Grimes Graves area, 26 November 2022

We did 2 walks in the Brecks today, one around the danger area near Grimes Graves and the other north of Weeting to Weeting Castle and Pilgrim's Walk.

My main aim was to see the rare Stinking Earthfan fungus which I have previously dipped at the site. Luckily I had step-by-step photographic instructions from Jeremy this time but even then they took some finding! When I did find them there were 5 small clumps and closer attention revealed their distinctive garlic aroma. While looking we accidently flushed a Woodcock and out in the grassy area a Woodlark was in song briefly. Redwings and Mistle Thrushes were also in evidence. On our walk I found some Cedarwood Waxcaps, Snowy Waxcaps and Orange Mosscaps but didn't have time for a thorough look. Near the car I then found a gall of the Cherry Gall Wasp, Cynips quercusfolii

At Weeting there was very little to get excited about except some naturalised Winter Jasmine.

Stinking Earthfan

Cherry Gall Wasp, Cynips quercusfolii

Winter Jasmine

A couple of goodies at Whitlingham, 16 November 2022

I spent a rewarding couple of hours at Whitlingham this morning with a good soaking being less enjoyable!

It was good to locate the Common Scoter very quickly on Great Broad just west of the conservation area and as I was watching that the Slavonian Grebe swam past on the far side and decided to linger around too. Also seen on a wander around were a Kingfisher, c15 Siskins and a squeaing Water Rail. Please excuse the dodgy phone-scoped shots below!

Common Scoter

Slavonian Grebe

The Elmhams, Suffolk, 12 November 2022

Belinda and I did a bit of walking and poking about around the Elmham villages on Saturday - a quiet part of the county that I particularly like.

A walk to the 'Minster' hidden in the woods near South Elmham Hall revealed little in the way of anything memorable with just a few Redwings, 2 Mistle Thrushes, Green Woodpecker, a late Peacock butterfly and a large Turkey Oak near the ruins.

A second walk - to the remote church of All Saints, South Elmham was interesting for a piece of medieval stained glass in one of the windows depicting what looks like a Cuckoo. Upon investigation there is a farm called Cuckoo Farm very close by. A Twitter follower then enlightened me to an old snippet of folklore whereby, back in medieval times it was said that if you caught and kept a Cuckoo you could ensure the continuation of summer. Fascinating stuff!

Fast forward to Sunday and I popped into Jus's house in Norwich to see a new moth he'd trapped - the rare migrant Golden Twin-spot.

Turkey Oak

Golden Twin-spot

Rememberance Day Red-rumped Swallows, Walberswick, 11 November 2022

At the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month - I was at Walberswick watching no less than 3 Red-rumped Swallows. This was my first multiple occurence in the UK and very entertaining it was with just a small handful of people enjoying the spectacle as the birds fed over the marsh between the pontoon bridge and the carpark. They were joined occasionally by a single and equally unseasonal House Martin.

Having been seen over the harbour entrance and from the Southwold side too I was glad I chose Walberswick!

Earlham Cemetery never fails to impress! 30 October 2022

Earlham Cemetery in Norwich is one of my favourite places and a rather good fungi find by Vanna had me arranging a visit there. Jeremy very kindly offered to show me them as they aren't easy to find after the council mowed the biggest and best ones!

Sunday morning was rather wet but I was greeted at 'Chez Bartlett' with 2 nice fungi specimens even before we ventured out - a macabre fungi (probably Pterostichus madidus) that had consumed a ground beetle sp and False Charcoal Burner which Jeremy had performed various id experiments on!

We set off in the rain calling in at Jeremy's allotment first where he pointed out Stubble Rosegill, Grooved Bonnet, Giant Polypore and Shaggy Bracket before we carried on to the cemetery.

In the western section we found our main target - the rare Aromatic Pinkgill (which smelled faintly sweet and pear-drop like) and nearby Wood Pinkgill and the stunning Redlead Roundhead growing in profusion on woodchip under pines. On the walk back we also noted a single Blue Roundhead and Cushion Bracket growing on plum on the very edge of the cemetery by Colman Road.

We dried off over a cuppa and a natter back at their house.