2 Peacock butterflies and 2 Common Darter dragonflies flying around in the unseasonably warm and sunny weather.
Mike Chorley said
Sun Nov 6 10:27 PM, 2022
You're welcome, Steve. I had to have a good scour of Richard Phillips' tome myself to even take a guess. Luckily there are some examples of 'gone over' caps on someof the specimen plates!
Steven Nelson said
Sun Nov 6 7:43 PM, 2022
Many thanks Mike. Certainly looks like it could be. Ive still got a lot to learn! Much appreciated.
Mike Chorley said
Sun Nov 6 7:09 PM, 2022
You're right about Common Rustgill etc too
-- Edited by Mike Chorley on Sunday 6th of November 2022 07:10:55 PM
Mike Chorley said
Sun Nov 6 5:03 PM, 2022
Hi Steve
Re that last one: possibly an old sppecimen of Ivory or Fool's Funnel. If it is either treat with caution. Both are deadly according to Phillips .....and common.
Rufous Milkcap looks a good call. Many thanks Lez.
Lez Fairclough said
Sun Oct 23 11:56 PM, 2022
Steven Nelson wrote:
Little Woolden Moss NR - pm
Fungi: Shaggy Scalycap - photo Candle Snuff - photo Fly Agaric Deceiver Yellow Russula Blackish-purple Russula Sulphur Tuft Turkey Tail Also one I cant identify - see 3rd photo. Any help with ID appreciated. Hi Steve
Dragonflies 2 Black Darter
Hi Steve, the best match I can find for the 3rd photo based on gills, stem, colour & cap shape is 'Rufous Milkcap'. Lez
Steven Nelson said
Sun Oct 23 10:08 PM, 2022
Little Woolden Moss NR - pm
Fungi: Shaggy Scalycap - photo Candle Snuff - photo Fly Agaric Deceiver Yellow Russula Blackish-purple Russula Sulphur Tuft Turkey Tail Also one I cant identify - see 3rd photo. Any help with ID appreciated.
Irlam and Chat Mosses - late am Some warm sunshine brought out some late butterflies and dragonflies:
1 Gatekeeper was very late 3 Red Admiral
Quite a few Common Darters
Fungi: 16 Fly Agaric
Steven Nelson said
Sat Oct 15 9:07 PM, 2022
Chat Moss - am
Fungi that I could identify: Another patch of 6 Fly Agaric found White Saddle Blackish-Purple Russula Brown Roll Rim Brown Birch Bolete Bolete eater Common Earthball Stinking dapperling? Lactarius rufus Tricholoma fulvum
Plants: Orange hawkweed (Fox and cubs) in flower - very late
Dragonflies: Common and Black Darters
-- Edited by Steven Nelson on Saturday 15th of October 2022 09:09:56 PM
Looks like a really good year for Fly Agaric. A total of at least 55 specimens in four locations including one cluster of at least 32 specimens at different stages of growth, some of which were really big measuring approx 15-20cm across the cap and similar height. I dont recall ever seeing any this size before.
Some good numbers of other species as well. Those that I could identify included:
Orange Birch Bolette Birch Bolette Brown Roll Rim Common Puffball Girdled Knight Clouded Funnel Deceiver Yellow Russula Lactifluus controversus ?
Also a few dragonflies in the late sunshine Common Darter Black Darter
-- Edited by Steven Nelson on Thursday 13th of October 2022 10:58:07 PM
1 late and very faded Small Copper 3 Green-veined Whites 1 Red Admiral
John Williams said
Mon Sep 19 7:17 PM, 2022
Little Woolden Moss NR (Morning visit)
Throughout my stay, along the footpath that borders most of the reserve I had an escort of Black and Common Darter dragonflies.
Also a Southern Hawker zoomed up and down the path at one point.
One large hawker though clearly broke the rules, Emperors according to information online are not recorded locally beyond early
September, but with an all green slightly swollen looking thorax, and blue abdomen, today's example could only be a male Emperor.
He patrolled a smallish but deep looking pool near the site of the former hide, that looked like it had been created recently with a JCB.
Quite frequently he paused to hover, but not long enough for me to get a photo, and he did not land and settle even for a second.
Just 2 butterflies were seen today, a Small Tortoiseshell and a Comma.
Steven Nelson said
Thu Aug 25 2:18 PM, 2022
Field 62 around midday today had in excess of 150 Large White Butterflies flitting low over the rapeseed crop that has now gone to seed. Quite a spectacle.
Steven Nelson said
Wed Aug 17 11:06 PM, 2022
Little Woolden Moss NR - this evening
1 Common Toad on the path
Lez Fairclough said
Fri Aug 5 8:51 PM, 2022
Little Woolden Moss N.R. & Moss Lane this afternoon - quite blustery so insects few & far between
Butterflies - Small Blue, Small Copper & Painted Lady
Two Bee flies seen this morning around Little Woolden moss.
Also seen around the mosslands,
2 Stoats
Brown rat
Bank vole.
Jeff Gorse said
Sun Apr 17 4:40 PM, 2022
Further large red damselfly sightings. Also 1 x emperor moth, 1 x common lizard, plenty of green tiger beetles
Steven Nelson said
Sun Apr 17 1:27 PM, 2022
Little Woolden Moss NR - am
Butterflies seen: 1 Brimstone 3 Orange Tip
Also: 2 Red Damselflies - newly emerged
Steven Nelson said
Mon Feb 21 12:41 PM, 2022
Barton Moss - very windy
Sad sight of a nest and colony of Honey Bees that was using an old bird nest box found on the ground after being blown out of its tree by Storm Franklin. Most bees were dead but a small number were still alive and gathered in a huddle to keep warm.
It's a shame all the photos and specimen plates tend to show 'perfect' examples. There are a lot of very odd fungi around (and I don't mean Devil's Fingers, Red cage et al). Ironically the only illustration for Chicken of the Woods in Phillips shows an early stage when it looks like bright yellow cavity filler!
Lumpy Chicken it is then lol.
Lez Fairclough said
Thu Jan 13 12:32 AM, 2022
Mike Chorley wrote:
Hi Les.
Could be. Phillips describes it as having an "uneven, lumpy and wrinkled, suede-like" upper surface, "lemon-yellow or yellow-orange, drying pallid or straw-coloured, the lower surface more yellow". Also known as Sulphur Polypore. Looks quite an old specimen from what can be seen of upper surface. The other possibility would be Lumpy Bracket, which often has greenish algae growing among the hairs on the upper surface of older specimens. Chicken favours Oak, Lumpy Beech but both occur on a variety of other deciduous trees, including Willow
Hi Mike, yes it did look like it had been there for quite a while & 'Lumpy Bracket' does appear to be a much better match for
shape & colour apart from the underside which on this is lumpy but smooth compared to a stippled underside texture on the
'Lumpy Bracket' - looks like it could be another one of those anomalies!
Mike Chorley said
Wed Jan 12 10:09 PM, 2022
Hi Les.
Could be. Phillips describes it as having an "uneven, lumpy and wrinkled, suede-like" upper surface, "lemon-yellow or yellow-orange, drying pallid or straw-coloured, the lower surface more yellow". Also known as Sulphur Polypore. Looks quite an old specimen from what can be seen of upper surface. The other possibility would be Lumpy Bracket, which often has greenish algae growing among the hairs on the upper surface of older specimens. Chicken favours Oak, Lumpy Beech but both occur on a variety of other deciduous trees, including Willow
Lez Fairclough said
Tue Jan 11 11:12 PM, 2022
Large bracket fungus seen on a tree stump off Moss Lane today which I believe could be a 'Sulphur Shelf (Chicken of The Woods)'
Chat Moss 2 small dragonflies still active in the late morning sunshine today which I thought was quite incredible given the time of year. Either Black Darter or Common Darter but too high to confirm identification.
Steven Nelson said
Thu Oct 28 10:12 AM, 2021
Lez Fairclough wrote:
Steven Nelson wrote:
Chat & Barton Mosses this morning
2 Black Darter dragonflies- no doubt still active due to the very mild weather
Fungi (that I could identify). 16 Fly Agaric - a patch of 14 plus 2 singles Birch Bracket Penny Bun Yellow Russula Common Earthball
Still lots I cant, including a couple of the attached photos (the pure white one and the white one with the yellow in the centre of its cap). Open to suggestions.
-- Edited by Steven Nelson on Wednesday 27th of October 2021 02:20:35 PM
Hi Steve, I'm not that good at identifying birds & Fungi is definitely way out of my league but the nearest matches
I can find are 'Destroying Angel Mushroom' for the pure white one & 'Yellow Fieldcap Mushroom' for the yellow tipped one.
Lez.
Hi Les. Yellow Fieldcap certainly looks spot on. Destroying Angel looks a good shout as well with some internet photos looking very like mine, but according to internet photos it has white gills whereas mine had more brownish gills, although this doesnt show in my photo. Big thanks for your help.
Lez Fairclough said
Thu Oct 28 12:57 AM, 2021
Steven Nelson wrote:
Chat & Barton Mosses this morning
2 Black Darter dragonflies- no doubt still active due to the very mild weather
Fungi (that I could identify). 16 Fly Agaric - a patch of 14 plus 2 singles Birch Bracket Penny Bun Yellow Russula Common Earthball
Still lots I cant, including a couple of the attached photos (the pure white one and the white one with the yellow in the centre of its cap). Open to suggestions.
-- Edited by Steven Nelson on Wednesday 27th of October 2021 02:20:35 PM
Hi Steve, I'm not that good at identifying birds & Fungi is definitely way out of my league but the nearest matches
I can find are 'Destroying Angel Mushroom' for the pure white one & 'Yellow Fieldcap Mushroom' for the yellow tipped one.
Lez.
Steven Nelson said
Wed Oct 27 2:14 PM, 2021
Chat & Barton Mosses this morning
2 Black Darter dragonflies- no doubt still active due to the very mild weather
Fungi (that I could identify). 16 Fly Agaric - a patch of 14 plus 2 singles Birch Bracket Penny Bun Yellow Russula Common Earthball
Still lots I cant, including a couple of the attached photos (the pure white one and the white one with the yellow in the centre of its cap). Open to suggestions.
-- Edited by Steven Nelson on Wednesday 27th of October 2021 02:20:35 PM
Various fungi - many unidentified. But ones I could were: 3 Fly Agaric The remains of the Stinkhorn seen last week Sulphur Tuft A few Earthballs Turkey Tail A large patch on Common Earthstars Yellow Russula
-- Edited by Steven Nelson on Saturday 23rd of October 2021 10:31:22 PM
2 Peacock butterflies and 2 Common Darter dragonflies flying around in the unseasonably warm and sunny weather.
-- Edited by Mike Chorley on Sunday 6th of November 2022 07:10:55 PM
Re that last one: possibly an old sppecimen of Ivory or Fool's Funnel. If it is either treat with caution. Both are deadly according to Phillips .....and common.
Fungi that I think Ive identified correctly:
Common Rustgill - photo
Ciollard Earthstar - photo
Common Earthball - photo
Shaggy Scalycap - photo
Fly Agaric
Sulphur Tuft
Coral spot
Candle Snuff
Ones Im not sure about - any help appreciated:
Gloeoporus dichrous? - photos 5 & 6
Mycena sp. ? - photo
One Ive no idea (white fungus in last 2 photos) - again any help appreciated.
-- Edited by Steven Nelson on Saturday 5th of November 2022 07:51:01 PM
3 Red Admiral butterflies and 8 Common Darter dragonflies flying in the warm sunshine
Fungi:
Pleated Inkcap
Fly Agaric
Birch Polypore
Hi Steve, the best match I can find for the 3rd photo based on gills, stem, colour & cap shape is 'Rufous Milkcap'. Lez
Fungi:
Shaggy Scalycap - photo
Candle Snuff - photo
Fly Agaric
Deceiver
Yellow Russula
Blackish-purple Russula
Sulphur Tuft
Turkey Tail
Also one I cant identify - see 3rd photo. Any help with ID appreciated.
Dragonflies
2 Black Darter
Some warm sunshine brought out some late butterflies and dragonflies:
1 Gatekeeper was very late
3 Red Admiral
Quite a few Common Darters
Fungi:
16 Fly Agaric
Fungi that I could identify:
Another patch of 6 Fly Agaric found
White Saddle
Blackish-Purple Russula
Brown Roll Rim
Brown Birch Bolete
Bolete eater
Common Earthball
Stinking dapperling?
Lactarius rufus
Tricholoma fulvum
Plants:
Orange hawkweed (Fox and cubs) in flower - very late
Dragonflies:
Common and Black Darters
-- Edited by Steven Nelson on Saturday 15th of October 2022 09:09:56 PM
Looks like a really good year for Fly Agaric. A total of at least 55 specimens in four locations including one cluster of at least 32 specimens at different stages of growth, some of which were really big measuring approx 15-20cm across the cap and similar height. I dont recall ever seeing any this size before.
Some good numbers of other species as well. Those that I could identify included:
Orange Birch Bolette
Birch Bolette
Brown Roll Rim
Common Puffball
Girdled Knight
Clouded Funnel
Deceiver
Yellow Russula
Lactifluus controversus ?
Also a few dragonflies in the late sunshine
Common Darter
Black Darter
-- Edited by Steven Nelson on Thursday 13th of October 2022 10:58:07 PM
River Glaze near Little Woolden Moss - a new sighting today which very much resembles a cooked egg - an 'Egg-Yolk Fieldcap' or 'Yellow Fieldcap'.
Some nice fungi about. Ones I could identify are:
Fly Agaric
Ochre Brittlegill
Common Stinkhorn - a bit past its best
Sulphur Tuft
Turkey Tail
Deceiver
Butterflies:
1 Small Copper
1 Green-viewed White
Dragonflies:
Black Darter
Common Darter
Southern Hawker
Plants:
Shaggy Soldier
Fungi (that I hope Ive identified properly!):
Brown Birch Bolete
Deceiver
Stubble Rosegill
Common Fieldcap
Birch Bracket
Lactarius rufus
-- Edited by Steven Nelson on Sunday 2nd of October 2022 07:56:02 PM
1 late and very faded Small Copper
3 Green-veined Whites
1 Red Admiral
Throughout my stay, along the footpath that borders most of the reserve I had an escort of Black and Common Darter dragonflies.
Also a Southern Hawker zoomed up and down the path at one point.
One large hawker though clearly broke the rules, Emperors according to information online are not recorded locally beyond early
September, but with an all green slightly swollen looking thorax, and blue abdomen, today's example could only be a male Emperor.
He patrolled a smallish but deep looking pool near the site of the former hide, that looked like it had been created recently with a JCB.
Quite frequently he paused to hover, but not long enough for me to get a photo, and he did not land and settle even for a second.
Just 2 butterflies were seen today, a Small Tortoiseshell and a Comma.
1 Common Toad on the path
Little Woolden Moss N.R. & Moss Lane this afternoon - quite blustery so insects few & far between
Butterflies - Small Blue, Small Copper & Painted Lady
Dragonflies - Black Darter & M & F Common Darter
2 Purple Hairstreaks found in a new location. No doubt more still to be discovered.
A Field Vole ran across the path in front of me
At least 12 Purple Hairstreaks - easily my highest count here.
2-3 Noctule Bats
A few Pipistrelle Bats
2 Purple Hairstreaks
Moths:
1 Drinker Moth
Plenty of Cinnabar Moth caterpillars
Butterflies:
8 Painted Lady
4 Comma
1 Green-veined White
Odonata:
2 Southern Hawker
1 Large Red Damselfly
Quite a few Black Darters
Lots of Cinnabar Moth caterpillars on Ragwort in Little Woolden Moss NR
2 Black-tailed Skimmer - m & f
A few Black Darter
8 Large Skipper
9 Painted Lady
1 Banded Demoiselle
1 Azure Damselfly
2 Southern Hawker
1 Northern Marsh Orchid
-- Edited by Steven Nelson on Thursday 16th of June 2022 08:53:45 PM
1 Banded Demoiselle - male
2 Broad-bodied Chaser
6 Northern Marsh Orchids
Round-leaved Sundew
Orange Hawkweed (Fox and cubs)
Two Common Lizards on Little Woolden Moss LWT this morning.
Butterflies:
1 Small Copper
5 Orange Tip
Two Bee flies seen this morning around Little Woolden moss.
Also seen around the mosslands,
2 Stoats
Brown rat
Bank vole.
Further large red damselfly sightings. Also 1 x emperor moth, 1 x common lizard, plenty of green tiger beetles
Butterflies seen:
1 Brimstone
3 Orange Tip
Also:
2 Red Damselflies - newly emerged
Sad sight of a nest and colony of Honey Bees that was using an old bird nest box found on the ground after being blown out of its tree by Storm Franklin. Most bees were dead but a small number were still alive and gathered in a huddle to keep warm.
It's a shame all the photos and specimen plates tend to show 'perfect' examples. There are a lot of very odd fungi around (and I don't mean Devil's Fingers, Red cage et al). Ironically the only illustration for Chicken of the Woods in Phillips shows an early stage when it looks like bright yellow cavity filler!
Lumpy Chicken it is then lol.
Hi Mike, yes it did look like it had been there for quite a while & 'Lumpy Bracket' does appear to be a much better match for
shape & colour apart from the underside which on this is lumpy but smooth compared to a stippled underside texture on the
'Lumpy Bracket' - looks like it could be another one of those anomalies!
Could be. Phillips describes it as having an "uneven, lumpy and wrinkled, suede-like" upper surface, "lemon-yellow or yellow-orange, drying pallid or straw-coloured, the lower surface more yellow". Also known as Sulphur Polypore. Looks quite an old specimen from what can be seen of upper surface. The other possibility would be Lumpy Bracket, which often has greenish algae growing among the hairs on the upper surface of older specimens. Chicken favours Oak, Lumpy Beech but both occur on a variety of other deciduous trees, including Willow
Large bracket fungus seen on a tree stump off Moss Lane today which I believe could be a 'Sulphur Shelf (Chicken of The Woods)'
Saturday 20th November - Fungi sightings Rindle Wood - Astley Moss.
Bird sightings were few & far between so decided to walk through Rindle Wood & look for fungi.
As usual had great difficulty with I.D. but these are my best shots in picture order.
1. Clouded Agaric
2. Common Earthball
3. Grey Milkcap
4. Tawny Funnel Cap
5. Smoky Bracket - not too sure about this one, its definitely a Polypore & some pictures of Turkey Tail fungus resemble it.
2 small dragonflies still active in the late morning sunshine today which I thought was quite incredible given the time of year. Either Black Darter or Common Darter but too high to confirm identification.
Hi Les. Yellow Fieldcap certainly looks spot on. Destroying Angel looks a good shout as well with some internet photos looking very like mine, but according to internet photos it has white gills whereas mine had more brownish gills, although this doesnt show in my photo. Big thanks for your help.
Hi Steve, I'm not that good at identifying birds & Fungi is definitely way out of my league but the nearest matches
I can find are 'Destroying Angel Mushroom' for the pure white one & 'Yellow Fieldcap Mushroom' for the yellow tipped one.
Lez.
2 Black Darter dragonflies- no doubt still active due to the very mild weather
Fungi (that I could identify).
16 Fly Agaric - a patch of 14 plus 2 singles
Birch Bracket
Penny Bun
Yellow Russula
Common Earthball
Still lots I cant, including a couple of the attached photos (the pure white one and the white one with the yellow in the centre of its cap). Open to suggestions.
-- Edited by Steven Nelson on Wednesday 27th of October 2021 02:20:35 PM
1 (very late) Black Darter dragonfly
Various fungi - many unidentified. But ones I could were:
3 Fly Agaric
The remains of the Stinkhorn seen last week
Sulphur Tuft
A few Earthballs
Turkey Tail
A large patch on Common Earthstars
Yellow Russula
-- Edited by Steven Nelson on Saturday 23rd of October 2021 10:31:22 PM
Fungi (that I could iidentify!):
9 Fly Agaric
1 Stinkhorn
A nice cluster of Turkey Tail
At least 6 Common Darter dragonflies were seen in flight along the edge of the moss, despite the cool NW breeze and frequent drizzle.