09 March 2017 Stockley to Ladycross

© Richard Coomber
Between Hawkhill and Ladycross

A beautiful sunny spring morning with a record turnout (21). The sunshine
© Richard Coomber
brought out the butterflies, Brimstones and Red Admiral, and a pair of Buzzards soaring high above us enjoying the thermals. We walked into Hawkhill Inclosure where we had a quick lichen and moss revision: lichen: Oakmoss - Evernia prunastre, Ramalina farinacea, Usnea subfloridana and Bryoria fuscescens; and moss: Polytrichum commune, Thuidium tamariscinum and Dicranum majus. Not easy to remember!

                                                         Brimstone butterfly


© Angela Morrell
The lichen Bryoria fuscescens
 
© Angela Morrell
And the moss Thuidium tamariscinum

We walked down the drift way between Hawkhill and Frame Heath, where there are many very ancient oaks growing in fantastic shapes. This is Sika Deer territory and we noted the deep gouges that the stags make in the bark of trees when they rub the velvet off their new antlers. We rescued some frogspawn which had been dumped on the leaf litter, probably by crows, and found a good puddle to put it in.

© Angela Morrell
Sika Deer gouges in bark

Wild Honey Bees were out foraging and in an old Holly tree we found the nest containing comb. Later some of us saw Fallow Deer. As we neared the car park Sarah showed us Dung Roundhead Stropharia semiglobata, a fungi with a distinctive hemispherical cap and as its name suggests restricted to a limited habitat.


© Richard Coomber
 Wild Honey Bees' nest with comb
 
Birds were rather few and far between today and in addition to the Buzzards we had good views of Marsh Tits. Stock Doves were also noted  (AM)

© Richard Coomber
 Buzzard overhead