Wednesday 28 October 2020

Buzzards, Wagtails, a shy Kingfisher and lots of fungi, including one of my favourites, all at Cranford CP

I was at Cranford Park both Monday and today (Wednesday) in the vain hope that I could get a photo of the Kingfisher. He/she is very active at the moment flying up and down the River Crane, which is a good indicator that the recent water pollution must have dispersed. Unfortunately the Kingfisher is favouring a stretch of the river that is just a bit too far for my camera lens from the stone bridge, and is on the wrong side of the river for it to be seen from the footpath. 

However, whilst I was waiting I spotted a Grey Wagtail near the M4 viaduct ….

Can you see it ? 


Can you see it now ?



They are so well camouflaged that I only spotted it because it was moving. 

Further up the river there are a clump of shrubs, and it is here that the Kingfisher is regularly perching. As mentioned earlier though, you cannot see him/her from the path as he/she perches so low down. On Monday whilst I was trying to quietly shuffle around to get a better vantage point a Common Buzzard flew from the woods opposite, straight towards me. It actually made me step back and make a muffled 'ooohhhh' noise. It saw me at the last minute, flew into a nearby tree and then took off again. And I didn't even get a photo ! 
Today (Wednesday) I was in exactly the same place when the same thing happened again....the Buzzard flew out from the woods opposite and on seeing me turned a sharp left and settled in one of the taller trees on the opposite bank. This time I was hidden behind the shrubs, so managed to fire off two photos before the Buzzard took off again.....



We have had Common Buzzards nesting in Cranford Woods before, so maybe this is a juvenile finding it's way around the park. I saw him/her a couple more times from the bridge and I'm guessing it is roosting very nearby. 

The stone bridge is a very good vantage point for the Kingfisher. Even if you haven't got binoculars (like I haven't at the moment) you can still see it fly under the bridge often, and if you watch the river edges carefully you often see a small splash where the bird had dived in for fish. 

The photo below shows the shrubbery where it is preferring to perch at the moment. It is below the two trees on the right hand side, the darker scrubbier area underneath. And if you've got really sharp eyes, you can zoom in on this photo and actually see the Kingfisher perched and watching the water......


The view from the bridge looking down the main lime tree avenue is looking very autumnal at the moment … 


There were a family of Jays on the other side of the bridge, all squawking excessively and when I looked up I could see the Buzzard soaring above, which was probably why the Jays were making so much noise.... 


The wildlife pond in front of the Information Centre has a resident Robin. It's quite a cheeky chap, and you can get fairly near whilst it susses you out …. 




After loitering by the river and the wildlife pond for hours, I decided to head into the woods for some fungi therapy …. 


The unassuming photo below may look boring, but in that one place I found loads of fungi species … 
This little patch is right opposite our most eldest veteran tree.


here are some of the fungi I saw in that patch today.... 

Stump Puffball

Stump Puffball
When these little lovelies mature in a few weeks, I'll get some video clips of how the spores spread

Oyster

Mycena sp.

Mycena sp

There were also some Inkcaps and one solitary Amethyst Deceiver but I couldn't get a good enough angle for a decent photo. 

Deeper in Cranford Woods I found a good display of Yellow Stagshorn ….



and loads of spreads of the quirky Candlesnuff fungi … 



The aptly named Dead Mans Fingers can be seen throughout the woods now. Just look for any old lichen covered logs … 



In the photo below are three fungi species. Can you see all three ? 


Turkey Tails at the top, then a solo King Alfred, then a good sized clump of Shaggy Scalycap (also seen below)

Shaggy Scalycap

Below is some sort of slime mould, but I haven't got a true ID for it yet .. 


Look for any old fallen trunks and you'll probably see these little delicacies below....


They are called the Upright Coral fungi (for obvious reasons) and one of the ways to test its true identity is to knock a piece of it. It bruises and goes browny red, just like in my photo above .. 



However, one of my favourite fungi ever, is the well named Stinkhorn ….. I was hoping to find one today as I've only ever found four whole specimens in the last 20 years. Unlike some other fungi, they rarely pop up in the same place they've been seen before and I only chanced upon this one as I took a different path through the woods than I would normally take …. 



They are said to have a very pungent smell, but not everyone can smell it, me being included in that. As the tip of this phallic fungi matures it will darken and become smellier. The smell will attract flies. They will feed on the sap on the top. When they fly off they will then carry the tiny spores on their feet. That's how Stinkhorns are spread. 

I also found a couple of not quite ripe Common Parasols too …. 



Jelly Ears are very common in the woods, and you can often see them thriving on living trees as well as fallen ones … 


Even though there is a chill in the air now, you can still see the odd ladybird wandering around looking for somewhere to hibernate. This one below is the common Harlequin Ladybird. Not a native species but one that has become a common sighting … 


Last week my good mate and regular park visitor, Angie Mayo, painted and varnished a load of stones and hid them around the park. They became a great hit with young kids and big kids alike, with photos of their finds appearing on our facebook page

I must admit I was a little gutted on Monday when I couldn't find any. Then I saw on our facebook group that nor could Max Jason. And today I bumped into Nikki who was walking Lyn's dogs (The Muskeeters) and she admitted she hadn't found any either. One of the muskeeters, a delightful dog called Gem, is well known for sniffing things out, and even she hadn't found any of the painted stones. 

Well I'm pleased to say that having a cuddle with Gem seemed to have changed my luck because within minutes of Nikki and I going in different directions, I found not one ….. 


not two ….


but SIX of Angies painted stones …..


Next week I'm going to find Gem, give her a huge cuddle and stroke, then go buy a lottery ticket :) 


____________________________________________________________

From the Lockdown Loftroom in Harefield, I haven't seen too much. When I'm on shift at work, it's too dark to do any loftroom watching when I get back, and when I'm off shift I'm either at my other flat or at Cranford Park. 

However the two juvenile Red Kites are still perching in the usual tree at the back of the field. If I'm in then I generally hear them before I see them. This is one of them two weeks ago …. 


Now the leaves are falling they are becoming easier to spot. I'm now 99% sure their nest was just the other side of the canal that runs at the bottom of the field. Young Red Kites dont fully mature until they are three or four years old, so these two might be around for a while yet. 

The next door neighbours birdfeeders have attracted a pair of Nuthatches. They are very possessive of the feeders and often try to chase off the regulars. I haven't been able to get a good clear photo of them yet, but I'll keep trying. 

I've seen the old male Muntjac quite a few times, and he's looking to have grown a lovely new set of antlers. I'll try to get some photos when I'm next off shift. 

I often hear a Tawny Owl calling in the morning and evening, especially when I'm getting for work early in the morning, or getting ready for bed at night. Just like the Red Kites, the owl is favouring the back of the field so I haven't actually seen it yet. 

A regular sight is both a male and juvenile Sparrowhawk. I photographed the juvenile one sitting in the rain a few weeks ago, and yesterday the male landed in the neighbours birch tree ...


It was so intent on watching something below that it didn't notice it had attracted some company …. 


but flew away very shortly after.

Tuesday 6 October 2020

Autumn colours, fungi and galls at Cranford Park

Yesterday I was invited to meet our Madam Mayor, Councillor Teji Barnes, as she began a four day walk starting at Cranford Country Park and eventually finishing at Harefield. 

When I arrived at the park the Mayor and her assistant were being shown around St Dunstans church by Father Michael, Bob Barton (the secretary of the Cranford Park Friends group) and Charmian Baker (our Project Manager for the Cranford Park Heritage Lottery Fund Project). 

After our chat to Father Michael we started to show the Mayor the best of the rest at Cranford Park. 

Myself, Bob, Charmian and Madam Mayor

Whilst we were in the courtyard admiring the stable block, the donated clock from Hampton Court and the wild bee hive in one of the arches I spotted a Common Buzzard soaring over....





After a few horrible days of dark skies and plenty of rain, the sun came out for us and made everything seem vibrant and alive. 

The walk took us through the north side of the park where we found plenty of these beautiful creations amongst the dog roses. They are commonly called Robin's Pincushion and are a type of gall caused by a gall wasp called Diploepis rosae. The larvae of this tiny wasp live inside the fluffy red gall and feed on the tissue, emerging as adults in spring through tiny holes that they burrow out of. The galls are widespread and common, but only found on wild roses. The gall darkens with age and turns red as it matures. 



After I bid Bob, Charmian and the Mayor and her assistant goodbye I went to examine the young oaks by the River Crane. I was looking for more galls and it didn't take long to find some. All three galls below are only found on oaks. 

The wonderfully named Spangle Gall …. 


The Oak Apple or Marble Gall …. 


and my favourite, the Knopper Gall …. 


They start off green and sticky, eventually hardening and turning red, and by late autumn they are rock hard and dark brown. Again inside this weird structure is a larva of a gall wasp, this one is called Andricus quercusalicis, and it will emerge as an adult in the spring. 

Along the Haha wall a Blue Tit was investigating the nooks and crannies for any tasty titbits … 


Now they have finished nesting and rearing their young, their resplendent colourful plumage is back and in the great light of yesterday they really were lovely to see … 


I completed probably my last UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme (UKBMS) transect of the season with just two butterflies to record. One was a Large White, and the other was this vibrant Small Copper with a slightly damaged upper wing … 


In Cranford Woods the most predictable fungi are starting to fruit. 

The sunny Yellow Stagshead fungus was found where I always find it, on a fallen log near to the wooden bridge. As it grows the tips of each prong will separate and create separate prongs, which is where this little fungi gets it's name from … 


The aptly named Dead Mans Fingers was also found where I have seen it before, a bit deeper in the woods but again on a rotting fallen tree …. 


The knobbly black King Alfreds Cakes springs up everywhere and turns harder with age …. 


Now the leaves are starting to fall in the woods, the holly berries are emerging and adding lovely splashes of colour … 


and the huge clumps of mistletoe below can be seen from the wooden bridge …. 


I finished my walk by the River Crane and spotted this stunning Banded Snail amongst the dying back vegetation …. 


A truly lovely day for a walk in the park and apart from catching up with Madam Mayor, Bob and Charmian, I also got to see Ron and Lynne in the allotment garden and Phil with his two beautiful dogs, Ellie and Scruff.