A long walk on my Newchurch Patch only produced one sighting of note! Dull, dry, mild.

The noteworthy sighting was a tiny Blue Shieldbug (Zicrona caerulea) seen amongst the heather on Shemmy Moss. Being around 4mm long I'm amazed that I saw it nestled down in the vegetation! This was obviously new for the year for patch.

Dull but dry and mild on my Newchurch Patch today.

A large patch of 37 Scarlet Elf Cups was found near the Scout Camps on the western edge of my patch.

A new species for the year was seen on Shemmy Moss in the shape of 25 growths of Reindeer Lichen (Cladonia portentosa). This is the 'Reindeer Moss' well known as being the staple diet of Reindeers!

Also newly recorded today were 25 Blackthorn Bushes (Prunus spinosa) in flower.

On Newchurch pm, warm and sunny again.

There were 2 Comma butterflies in Big Pool east meadow, a new species for the year. Initially I posted this as one Comma, but on close examination of photos that I took an hour apart there were two individuals seen, even though they were in the same bit of meadow! A Peacock was seen again but not by me.

The first patch moth of 2026 was an Orange Underwing flying around in a Silver Birch canopy on the bank of Big Pool Island Cut, before heading off high.

Around 160 Yellow Dungflies (Scathophaga stercoraria) on the putrid run-off from one of the muckheaps in an arable field NE of Big Pool!

A Crab Spider species (Philodromus sp.) Spider was on the gorse north of Big Pool.

Two flowers were added, both garden escapes, around 50 Spring Crocus (Crocus vernus) and 2 Lesser Glory of the Snow (Scilla sardensis), a Turkish plant, both by Dalefords Lane.

A hot, sunny day on Newchurch Common.

The first Rabbit of the year was a youngster north of Big Pool.

The first butterfly of the year was seen, a Peacock in Big Pool east meadows.

Also the first hoverfly was seen, a Tapered Dronefly (Eristalis pertinax) on gorse north of Big Pool.

On Newchurch, eventually warm and sunny,

Two repeat fungus sightings. A new group of 33 Scarlet Elf Cups was south of Small Pool. A Scurfy Twiglet was near Beach Peg, Big Pool.

A morning on Newchurch with dry but dull weather.

A new group of 6 Jelly Ear fungi were near Small Pool. At least 20 very mature Hoof Fungi were recorded in Gull Pool Wood in a new location.

Sunshine and dry so a longer walk on Newchurch Common this morning.

A group of 10 juv Palmate Newts were underneath a log by Shemmy Moss, a repeat species for the year, but a new location.

A new species added was in the shape of 16 Nebria brevicollis beetles under the same log as the newts by Shemmy Moss.

In the same area of Shemmy Moss a new patch of 26 Scarlet Elf Cups was discovered.

Edit: Now seen a image from the rowing regetta last weekend (copyrighted) of the seal. Reverse AI search is 98% sure it is a Grey Seal Pup. Still looks very small - only 2 1/2-3ft long from the markings on the Landing stage at the rowing club and actually quite lean most Google images suggest should still have "puppy fat". Perhaps not thriving? Couple fishermen are complaining catches are low the last two weekends at competitions (mind, the river has been in very high flow and smells very sewagey some days at the mo).

Original post: Any pinniped biologists out there?

On the Mersey in Warrington we currently have a very small seal. Believed to have come over Howley Weir on the High Tides at the start of the month and been seen daily since then around the rowing club up to Westy Bend.

A person at our Regatta last weekend saw it and remarked to one of the rowing club its a Mediterranean Monk Seal. Now I know nothing about seals so I googled and almost 100% it shouldn't be a Monk Seal. It has been seen on none rowing days on our landing stage (next to Kingsway Bridge if anyone want to go looking) and on the Fishermans stages quite often.

I saw it for my first time yesterday and it is really small compared to other [Common] seals I've seen in the upper Mersey estuary, it was sunning itself on a Fisherman's stage and wasn't the width of that - I went via land side after I'd come off the river to see if was still there alack but no - but from the size of the paving slab at the stage it was on its probably only / less 3ft in length. Has a light brown / cream / light grey sheen to it with 6" whiskers and quite a lot of small black spotting.

Am out on the river a few days this week so will have a phone camera slightly more accessible than it was to my freezing gloved hands driving safety launches yesterday in sub zero temps at dawn.

Lots of salmon in the river the last couple weeks and a mink had a go at the rower I was coaching at Woolston Weir when she parked up for a rest (the rower parked up, not the mink - the rower had put her boat into where the mink must have had a den, very evil hiss).

A morning walk on another different route on my Newchurch Patch, fine but colder.

A couple of fungus records that were both repeat species. A new 'colony' of 140 Velvet Shanks was on a dead tree on the western edge of the patch. A total of 22 Scarlet Elfcups included a new group of 12 in Big Pool Island Cut.

A new plant record was a huge stand of Bamboo inside and outside of a garden on Daleford's Lane.

On Newchurch Common am, drizzly and mild.

Fungi dominated with new for the year 25 Bitter Oysterlings (Panellus stipticus) on the usual tree just off the main track near Finch Hedge, c.45 Alder Brackets (Mensularia radiata), although old and gone over, a bit further on east of Small Pool, and 4 Crystal Brain (Exidia nucleata) clumps by the main track between the pools. Repeat sightings included two new groups totalling 8 Scarlet Elfcups near Small Pool, and one nice group of 9 Blushing Brackets south of Small Pool.

A plant logged for the first time this year was Alder (Alnus glutinosa) which now were dripping with catkins

Morning on the mossland part of my Newchurch Patch. Overcast and mild.

Just 2 fungi to report, both repeats for the year. Around 120 Crimped Gill and 45 Common Jellyspot were at the edge of Gull Pool Wood with another 30 Common Jellyspot by Shemmy Moss.

A morning on the mosslands part of my Newchurch Patch. Dry and bright, q.mild.

I turned over several logs and stones and the reward was around 40 Common Shiny Woodlice, new for 2026.

A new fungus was a single Stump Puffball (Lycoperdon pyriforme), in a similar area to the swathes found last year on the NE edge of the mosslands.

This morning on Newchurch Common Witch's Broom (Taphrina betulina) was recorded on Birch in Gull Pool Wood, newly logged for 2026.

On Newchurch Common am, slightly warmer, dry and even a wee bit of sunshine!

Just 3 Yellow Brain fungi (Tremella mesenterica) new to report, by the main track between the two pools.

A morning on my Newchurch Patch and q.a long walk in sunshine but very cold, ice on most water.

Three fungi were photographed, all first found in 2025 but re-recorded for this years list! In Gull Pool Wood on the same fallen tree were Purple Jellydisc (Ascocoryne sarcoides) and Warlock's Butter (Exidia plana). In the usual area on the north side of Shemmy Moss 'old' specimens of 6 Collared Earthstars (Geastrum triplex) were still present.

A morning on my Newchurch Local Patch to start the New Year. Overcast, occasional sun & mild.

First Mammal was 2 Grey Squirrels on Newchurch. At one point I had one bird species and one mammal species on my 2026 List, the only time birds and mammals will be equal all year!!

The rest of the sightings bar one were fungi. There were 2 Fragrant Funnels (Clitocybe fragrans) on Big Pool east meadows. Nearby at the north side of the Pine Belt were 12 Hairy Curtain Crust (Stereum hirsutum) with 30 Hairy Curtain Crust also in Gull Pool Wood. A patch of 16 Wrinkled Crust (Phlebia radiata) was also at the north side of the Pine Belt. A lone Turkey Tail (Trametes versicolor) was in Gull Pool Wood as were 40 Crimped Gill (Plicaturopsis crispa) and 40 Hoof Fungi (Fomes fomentarius).

The one other record was the lichen Hypotrachyna afrorevoluta on the north side of the Pine Belt.

A morning on Newchurch Common with only fungi again to report, all new growths but no new species.

Three species were photographed, first a single, late Fragrant Funnel was in the north section of the Pine Belt. Nearby a small group of 4 Common Bonnets were found. Finally a tree with its trunk covered with 5 'clumps' of Wrinkled Crust was photographed east of Small Pool, this species being the only true winter fungus of the three photographed today.

On a mild & dry day I had to spend the morning on Newchurch Common.

Again just fungi to report but this included a new species for the year. The new species was a patch of 10 'blobs' of Crystal Brain Fungus (Exidia nucleata) by the main track just north of Small Pool close to the east car park. Also seen, but repeats, were at least 40 Variable Oysterling, mainly in Big Pool Island Cut wood.

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An aside is that the Purple Jellydisc fungi found last Friday was a repeat sighting, from Oct 29th, rather than a new species! 

A sunny, mild morning on my Newchurch Patch.

Just three fungi of note, one being new for the year. A nice group of around 35 Yellow Disco (Bisporella citrina) were on a dead branch by the main track between the two main pools. The other two were repeats but worthy of note for December. These were a Butter Cap on the edge of Gull Pool Wood by the Whitegate Way, and 2 Hare's-foot Inkcaps in deadwood again on the south edge of Gull Pool Wood.

Back on my Newchurch Patch after cold/COVID!! Very cold but sunshine this morning.

Non-avian sightings were all fungi, new growths of previously seen species. A group of 7 Wrinkled Club were in Big Pool east meadows. A nice new group of 20 Yellow Brain Fungi were on an elder to the NE of Big Pool. Around 50 Hairy Curtain Crust were by the main track between the two pools. Best find were 30 Crimped Gill Fungi in the wood near Big Pool Island Cut, this fungi that is rapidly increasing its UK range is becoming quite common on patch!

A morning in sunshine on the mosslands, Newchurch Patch. Breath condensing at first showing that the air temperature was very low, but surprisingly warm in sheltered areas later on!

The sun brought out 2 Common Darters, I wonder when the last record will be this year?

Just a handful of fungi, all repeat records. A group of 28 Jelly Ear Fungi were on an old elder by the north path on Shemmy Moss. A huge troop of 48 Clouded Funnels was at the western edge of Shemmy Moss near Nunsmere. Also here were a new small group of 9 Glistening Inkcaps.

Morning on Newchurch, sunny and warm.

The highlights were more inverts in the sunshine. First was a Red Admiral on Shemmy Moss.

More expected were 3 Common Darters on Shemmy Moss.

Two new species of fungi were seen, around 20 Wrinkled Club (Clavulina rugosa) north of the Pine Belt and 2 Velvet Shanks (Flammulina velutipes) on the east side of Small Pool. A newly grown Fragrant Funnel was in Big Pool east meadow.