Hi All,
Did you know that the common ancestor of Fungi is not the plant kingdom? They are actually more closely related to us humans!
Death Caps, Deceivers and Deadman Fingers. Fungi have such wonderful names and you can find them all and many more at Paxton Pits at this time of year. The recent rains have meant it has been a bumper year. The Hunts Fungus Group came over this weekend for National Fungus Day and over 80 species were found. 36 of us had a very enjoyable day looking along Haul Road and Rory’s Wood and later went up the Heronry Trail into one of the conservation areas, East Scrub. Here we found one of my favourites the Green Elf Cup (Chlorociboria aeruginascens) , which is actually turquoise! It normally infects oak, but here in East Scrub it was on rotting hawthorn. It used to be highly prized by fine woodworkers in the 18th and 19th Centuries, as they used it with great effect in their intricate inlays for decorative wooden boxes, such as “Tonbridge Ware”. We’ve also found a new species for the reserve, the Amethyst Deceiver-small and very pretty.
Fungi are important to us as they lock the atmospheric carbon into the soil as they help breakdown rotting vegetation.
The Breeding Bird Survey report is now finished. If you would like a copy, please email me at the address below. Interesting the number of species breeding has not changed. Also, before you look at the report, just consider what the top 10 passerines (small birds) are. You may be surprised.
Bird Ringing has now finished for the year. Again, if you would like the report contact me. This time they hadn’t ringed any of the birds before. They have also received information about one of the garden warblers they ringed in August. 2 weeks later it had flown east into Holland.
Many other bird species are on the move. I have seen more swallows and house martins at the Pits in the last week that I have seen all year. They are passing through to warmer climes. The Heronry edges are full of Egrets, both great and little. I do wonder where they have come from.
The weather is staying relatively mild, although the days take longer to warm up, which then brings out the insects. Darter dragonflies are still very common and there are a few migrant and southern hawkers still to be seen. Brimstones and red admiral are on the wing once the temperature increases.
I haven’t seen many wasps this year. However, some of our weekend work party were attacked when we upset a small wasp’s nest that was using one of the nesting tunnels in the sand martin bank. We, at the time, were trying to stuff it with sand. We decided to leave them and the sand martin bank well alone!
Ivy mining bees are still active. When we were looking for fungi, we found some of their nests on the open ground near the Hayden Hide.
As usual, I really like to hear about your sightings or contact me to join in with one of our surveys or work parties at friends@paxton-pits.org.uk
Ann