I had a moth box out last night – a new moth for the reserve was a Small Wainscot unfortunately it is rather plain to look at. (see pic). Also in the moth box were a Lunar Underwing and Pink Barred Sallow which are more colourful (see pics).
I found a cocoon attached to the underside of a leaf of Common Hemp Nettle at Whillet’s meadows (see pic). I have not seen this type of cocoon before and am uncertain what insect species made it.
West End:- 2,100 House Martins heading SE between 15:00-15:42, 100 Swallows, 8 Egyptian Geese, 4 Green Sandpipers, 1 Common Sandpiper, 2 Little Egrets, 16 Teal, 2 Tufted Duck, 1 Little Grebe, 1 Kestrel, 1 Buzzard, 1 Kingfisher.
West End:- 4 Green Sandpiper, 2 Common Sandpiper, Raven, 1 Kingfisher, 1 Egyptian Goose, 3 Little Egret, 14 Teal, 3 Buzzards.
12-09-17 Quick Fungus Survey
The attached document gives the results of the quick recce that Nick Aplin carried out on 12th September. It includes a list and some photos of the fungi found. Two species are significant for East Sussex.
Nick will be leading a Fungus Walk for Members at 10:00 on Sunday 15 October 2017. For full details see the News Article on the Home Page.
West End:- 4 Green Sandpipers, 2 Common Sandpipers, 2 Little Egrets, 9 Teal, 1 Tufted Duck, 1 Little Grebe, 2 Grey Wagtails, 1 Goldcrest, 9 Lapwing, 1 Chiffchaff, 46 Cormorants, 2 Buzzards, 6 Swallows, 60 House Martins.
This morning we had a movement of Goldcrests – with 11 birds rung. The majority were males fledged this year. I had feedback from other ringers that they too had seen the same today. As well as the usual birds expected at this time of year – Blackcap and Chiffchaff – a number of Treecreeper and Coal Tit were rung. The photo shows a young Blackcap with a few juvenile brown feathers still on its head.
2 Black-headed Gull; 2 Common Sandpiper; 6 Great Crested Grebe; 2 Grey Heron; 2 Lapwing; 2 Magpie; 10+ Mandarin Duck; 3 Swallow; Woodpigeon; 150+ Canada Goose; 6 Cormorant; 2 Green Sandpiper; 150+ Greylag Goose; Little Egret; 7 Mallard; Moorhen ; 2 Tufted Duck. Also 12 Fallow Deer on Pintail Point.
West End:- 4 Green Sandpipers, 2 Common Sandpipers, 1 Little Egret, 1 Kingfisher, 335 Canada Geese, 198 Greylag Geese, 1 Bar-headed Goose, 2 Tufted Duck, 7 Teal, 1 Lapwing, 5 Mandarin, 43 Mallard, 5 Moorhen, 1 Pied Wagtail, 2 Grey Wagtail, 1f Sparrowhawk.
c100 Greylag; c100 Canada Geese; 1 Bar-headed Goose; 1 Little Egret; 5 Lapwing; 4 Common Sandpiper; many Great Crested Grebe and Grey Heron – also 1 terrapin.
On Tuesday 12th Nick carried out a pre-walk check for his Fungus Walk on 15th October. He found many varieties of fungi. Here is an extract from his notes:-
There are two species here that are new records for E.Sussex (photos included):
Paurocotylis pila (Scarlet Berry Truffle) is a native Ascomycete of New Zealand where it grows under Podocarpus. It has cunningly evolved to imitate the plant’s fruit which are eaten by large birds (New Zealand lacks native mammals which commonly disperse the spores of similar truffle-like fungi). It has about 30 UK records and was first reported in 1990.
Inocybe salicis (No common name so we can make one up – I propose Willow Fibrecap) is a small species mycorrhizal with Salix in floodplains and sand dunes. It is new to the entirety of Sussex and also has about 30 UK records. It is considered a rare species in several European Countries.
Like many species of Inocybe, it has beautiful knobbly brown spores and big, thick-walled cells on its gills called cystidia which are topped with crystals (see photo).
Make a note to come to our Fungus Walk on 15th October and learn a lot more.
