Chris Lansdell's Birding & Nature Diary

Smockmill Common, 3 September 2023

A Sunday stroll around both the dry and wet woodland sections of Smockmill Common near Saxlingham Nethergate.

A couple of nice insects in the form of the attractive copper-coloured beetle Rainbow Greenclock, Poecilus versicolor and the fly Tachina fera were in the open marshy section where I also found the fungi Reed Rust growing on the living leaves of Common Reed. Other fungi included plenty of Wood Woollyfoot, Southern Bracket, Cramp Ball, Jelly Ear, Rusty Porecrust and the orange slime mould Tubifera ferruginosa.

Rainbow Greenclock, Poecilus versicolor

Tachina fera

Reed Rust

Rusty Porecrust

Southern Bracket

Tubifera ferruginosa slime mould

Wood Wollyfoot

Weybread GPs, 2 September 2023

A BBQ with friends and an overnight stay at Weybread Sailing Club where we are members.

On the margins of Ocean Pit within a few yards of our moho pitch I found Skullcap and Trifid Bur-marigold growing almost side buy side. Under sycamores however I found a really out of place patch of Byzantine Meadow Saffron in full flower. Think crocus but 4 times the size! I can only guess how it got there but maybe a garden throw-out that had some bulbs in it. No gardens anywhere near though.

Birds were also entertaining with Kingfisher, Common Sandpiper and Grey Wagtail. A distinct lack of geese made for a peaceful night!

Skullcap

Trifid Bur-marigold

Byzantine Meadow Saffron

Ladybelt CP with the Norfolk Fungus Study Group, 2 September 2023

Ladybelt CP near East Carleton is a new site for me and the scene of my first trip of the autumn out with the NFSG.

For a fungi foray it is strange to mention non-fungi items first but seeing both False Ladybird and the massively impressive Red Slug there was very pleasing indeed!

False Ladybird

Red Slug

As far as fungi goes it was fairly quiet but as I'm still relatively new to mycology there was still plenty of interest for me. I was chuffed to reach 400 species with a pristine Dryad's Saddle with the other highlights being Upright Coral, Willow Shield, Hairy Nut Disco (I kid you not about the name!), Winter Bonnet, Milking Bonnet, Hogweed Mildew, Hemimycena delectabilis, Yellowing Oysterling, Dead Moll's Fingers, Bowl Hoodie, Sepia Bolete, Rosy Crust, Leopard Earthball, Hazel Woodwart, Bay Polypore, Stump Puffball and Green Elfcup.

Round-leaved Fluellen on the edge of an arable field was a great find by Ian and only the 2nd time I've seen it.

Bowl Hoodie

Dead Moll's Fingers

Dryad's Saddle

Green Elfcup

Hairy Nuts Disco

Slime mould sp

Sepia Bolete

Stump Puffball

Upright Coral

Willow Shield

Round-leaved Fluellen

Hargham Heath, 31 August 2023

Hargham Heath is a completely new spot for me but it seemed like a good place to explore as I was out near Attleborough on a work visit.

It didn't disappoint either - the mix of oak, beech, birch and hazel woodland was rather nice and it yielded a few good fungi too. Top of the rarity list was another Brownflesh Bracket, considering there were only 7 county records I've now found it in 2 places within a week. The same birch woodland held Hoof Fungus, Birch Polypore, Yellowing Curtain Crust, Turkeytail, Blushing Bracket and a lovely Suede Bolete which I brought home to check. On the bank of a track I found an odd-looked helvella (saddle fungus) species which didn't match anything in the books as it has a chunky, grooved stipe that fits White or Elfin Saddle but with a brown cap that fits neither! Elastic Saddle has a brown cap but the stipe on that is thin. The first photos below show the specimen which I think is probably a young dark White Saddle but I plan to take it to a foray tomorrow for a 2nd opinion! Also about the woods at Hargham I found Ivory Woodwax, Collared Parachute, Russet Toughshank, Haresfoot Inkcap, Tawny Grisette, Common Stinkhorn, Oakbug Milkcap and Amethyst Deceiver.

Away from fungi I also found the pale grey Tree Slug and the ground beetle Calathus fuscipes, both new to me.

All in all a very pleasant lunch stop!

odd White Saddle - probably

Ivory Woodwax

Collared Parachute

Brownflesh Bracket

Hoof Fungus

Russet Toughshank

Tawny Grisette

Suede Bolete

Oakbug Milkcap

Blushing Bracket

Tree Slug

Roydon Fen, 28 August 2023

After shopping in Diss I popped out to nearby Roydon Fen to walk the circuit there and blow the cobwebs away. My hopes of funding fungi were dashed but I did find a few plants of interest.

In the wet woodland Bifid Hemp Nettle, Dewberry and Gypsywort were the most pleasing but as I got round into the drier woodland on the north side of the site I was greeted by a couple of very strange and unexpected species. These were Purple Viper's Bugloss and Garden Tickseed. Both presumably garden escapes or from a 'meadow mix' but very nice to see. Especially the former which only naturally occurs near Lands End!

Purple Viper's Bugloss

Garden Tickseed

Dewberry

Fungi update - rare finds!

I had not nailed the id of a couple of fungi I found at Broadland CP last week.

The first was an attractive dusky pink, almost funnel-shaped one with a distinctive shaped stipe and widely spaced gills. I thought this was Rosy Spike, Gomphidius roseus but was put off a bit because of it's rarity. Talking to James Emerson about it he confirmed my suspicions. This is only the 4th county record and the first since 2000 so I was rather chuffed to say the least!

The second was a brown bracket fungi with a tufted hairy upper surface. This turned out to be Brownflesh Bracket, Coriolopsis gallicia itself with only 7 previous county records!

Many thanks to James for his input which is greatly appreciated.

Rosy Spike, Gomphidius roseus

Brownflesh Bracket, Coriolopsis gallica

Tyrrel's Wood, 27 August 2023

A quick visit to my local ancient woodland just squeezed in before the rain set in for the afternoon.

It was pretty disappointing from a fungi point of view with just False Death Cap, Ochre Brittlegill, Smokey Bracket, Glistening Inkcap and Sulphur Tuft. Calling Nuthatches in 2 different spots was encouraging though.