Chris Lansdell's Birding & Nature Diary

Local(ish) round up

Please excuse the fungi overload - it's that time of year! And this is year is proving to be rather a good one.

In the last week our front lawn in Pulham Market has yielded 2 scarce fungi - firstly Garland Roundhead which has now popped up in consecutive years and then the gorgeous ghostly White Dapperling. Into the bargain a Denticulate Leatherbug on the house wall was also a new bug for me.

A visit to Diss had me looking at the 'resident' Red-belted Fungus on wooden fencing by the Mere and then in the churchyard I found another scarcity - Dewdrop Dappering, growing under Yew next to a large group of Yellow Stainers. This was only the 2nd county record since 2006. On the way home from there a Raven flew over Frenze where there was also Lesser Calamint in the churchyard. I then made a quick visit to yet another churchyard, this time in Burston, which saw me wondering at some superb Parrot Waxcaps.

Fast forward to yesterday and a trip to see my Mum in Norwich. Calling in to The Avenues on the way in I quickly found the Blushing Rosette that Jeremy had given me directions to with Pale Brittlestem and Giant Polypore on nearby verges too. I also dropped off my Dewdrop Dapperling specimen onto Jeremy's doorstep while in the area. Later, on my way out of the city heading home I spotted a massive bolete on a verge on Ipswich Road. Parking up and walking back I found an amazing looking thing that upon insection at home has turned out to be a new species for me - Lurid Bolete.

Denticulate Leatherbug

Garland Roundhead

White Dapperling

Red-belted Bracket

Dewdrop Dapperling

Yellow Stainer

Parrot Waxcaps

Blushing Rosette

Pale Britlestem

Giant Polypore

Lurid Bolete

Whitlingham and Bluebell Wood, Norwich, 10 October 2023

With a day off I decided to head for the woods at Whitlingham for my first autumn look there for fungi.

Starting at the far eastern end by the by-pass I worked my way through the woods as far back as the picnic meadow. The undoubted highlight was Yellow Shield growing out of a rotting stump but other goodies were Shaggy Scalycap, Jelly Rot, Cucumber Cap, Smoky Bracket, Lumpy Bracket, Rooting Shank and an Eyelash Fungus sp. A few colourful slime moulds were also seen.

With time to spare I then headed to Bluebell Wood beside the Eaton Park pitch and putt course. A week after Jeremy found the rare Warty Cavalier there I was very pleasantly surprised to find a fresh specimen had since popped up (I could see his mushy specimens close by!). Also there were Yellow Stainer, Deathcap, Bolete Mould and Parasol.

Yellow Shield

Shaggy Scalycap

Jelly Rot

Cucumber Cap

Slime mould sp

Rooting Shank

Eyelash Fungus

Lumpy Bracket

Slime mould sp

Warty Cavalier

Yellow Stainer

Deathcap

Weybread, 9 October 2023

A quick after work visit to Weybread GPs where I explored the waste ground area behind Wharton's Roses.

I'm glad I chose this spot as I found a nice little group of Blackening Waxcaps plus Weeping Widow, Field Blewit and Shaggy Inkcap. The waxcaps in particular were looking gorgeous in the sun.

A couple having a canoodle in the bushes were a little surprised to see me!

Blackening Waxcaps

Field Blewit

Weeping Widow

Shaggy Inkcap

Danby Wood and Marston Marshes, 8 October 2023

On Sunday Belinda and I headed for the south side of Norwich for a walk in Danby Wood and through Marston Marshes as far as Keswick Mill.

For once birds were to the fore with 2 Kingfishers seen together near Keswick Mill where there was also a single Little Egret. A Ring-necked Parakeet was in riverside poplars on the marsh and 3 Redwings flew over. Common Buzzard and Green Woodpecker were also recorded.

In Danby Wood I found a spectacular mass of Bay Polypore together with Cramp Balls and Glistening Inkcap and at Eaton Vale Brown Parasol (Chlorophyllum brunneum), Charcoal Burner and Field Mushroom.

Bay Polypore

F Field Mushroom

Brown Parasol, Chlorophyllum brunneum

Catfield Hall Fungus Foray, 7 October 2023

A superb foray out with the Norfolk Fungus Study Group. One of the good things about outings with the NFSG is gaining access to places that would normally be out of bounds and the estate of Catfield Hall was just that.

About a dozen of us explored a mixture of habitats - alder carr, reedbeds, meadows, wet marshland and beech/oak woodland. And boy did we finish with an impressive list and some absolute stunners!

I won't list every species but the best were probably Alder Scalycap, Scaly Fibrecap, the incredibly rare Frogbit Smut, Vermillion Waxcap, Glistening Waxcap, Greyshank Bolete, Brown Birch Bolete, Parasitic Bolete, Plain Earthtongue, Swamp Webcap, Alder Webcap, Crested Coral, Earthfan, Ergot, Alder Tongue, Golden Scalycap, Blackening Brittlegill, Spectacular Rustgill, Beech Milkcap, Rufous Milkcap, Ugly Milkcap, White Saddle, Sphagnum Brownie, Rush Bonnet, Star Pinkgill, Bulbous Fibrecap, Lilac Bonnet, Bald Inkcap, Beechmast Candlesnuff and Purple Brittlegill. Needless to say many of these were completely new for me.

Into the bargain Jeremy brought along a couple of specimens for 'pot ticks' - Warty Cavalier and Ascot Hat and Stewart did the same with some lovely moths - Clancy's Rustic, Delicate, Pink-barred Sallow and Mervielle du Jour. On the foray Vanna found us Noon Fly and the harvestman Lophopilio palpinalis.