Moth-trapping and other highlights, Lizard

Highlights from a week spent on Lizard, at the usual address:

Barnside Cottage

A pair of 125W MV Skinner Traps were kindly provided by our good friend and landlord Tony. One or both of them was run each night from the Friday through to the following Wednesday, a trap was always run in the front garden, and as the week progressed the second was set up in the back garden. There was a good haul of migrant moths, along with a handful of the "local specialities" and amongst them a seasonal distribution of common species.

Yellow-browed Warbler (Phylloscopus inornatus)
ringed on Lizard 3rd Oct 2024

The back garden was a highway for avifauna, with semi-mature Sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus), dense beds of Hydrangea cultivars, and hedging along three of the boundaries providing plenty of cover and forage.

During the first weekend an unringed Yellow-browed Warbler was present along with a large mixed flock of tits, Chiffchaff (Phylloscopus collybita), various finches including Chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs), the latter being uncommon on the Lizard and therefore probably also an Autumn migrant (pers comm Tony).

The hedge in the back garden is also home to Favolaschia calocera a fungi "Lifer" that was new for both A and I, and for R and L, who joined us for the first weekend of the holiday. R also secured three other Lifers over the weekend: Radford's Flame Shoulder (Ochropleura leucogaster) in the trap; and Great Shearwater (Ardenna gravis), and Eastern Atlantic Blue Fin Tuna (Thunnus thynnus) whilst sea-watching with Tony from the Point.

Favolaschia calocera

Angle Shades (Phlogophora meticulosa)

Autumnal Rustic (Eugnorisma glareosa)

Black-banded (Polymixus xanthomista)

Acrossus rufipes

Delicate (Mythimna vitellina)

Feathered Brindle (Aporophyla australis)

Brindled Ochre (Dasypolia templi)

Radford's Flame Shoulder

Yellow Dung Fly (Scathophaga stercoraria)

Vestal (Rhodometra sacaria) & Springtail sp.

Scarce Bordered Straw (Helicoverpa armigera)
and Delicate 

Palpita vitrealis

Rusty Dot Pearl (Udea ferrugalis)

Sunday night's moth-trap rewarded me with a Convolvulus Hawk-moth (Agrius convolvuli), I found it on the front lawn adjacent to the trap. It had not been apparent when I first started emptying the trap, and I suspect that I knocked it out of a Hydrangea, whilst faffing about. It is the first time that I have seen the species, and it provided several opportunities for bragging rights!

Convolvulus Hawk-moth

A visit to Kynance Gate Settlement was enhanced by the presence of Golden Hair Lichen (Teloschistes flavicans) on some of the central rocks. I have no eye-in for lichens but the species was described on the new interpretation board, so it would have been rude not to look for it? The species is noted as Nationally Scarce. Teloschistes flavicans

Golden Hair Lichen

On our final night in the cottage, we were awake into the early hours, having been texted by Tony at Ca 1AM to alert us to the Aurora Borealis showing overhead! We had missed the opportunity to see this spectacle in the UK earlier in the year, as we had been abroad at the time. What a cracking end to the week.

Aurora Borealis over Lizard 
Photo courtesy of Tony

Blackhill, New Forest

Chlorocibaria aeruginascens

Cladonia fimbriata

Polytrichum juniperinum

new garden fungi species ID outstanding

Nail Fungus (Poronia punctata L.); New Forest

UK BAP lists the Nail fungus as probably the rarest fungus in Europe restricted to the New Forest and only a few other places in the south east of Europe. Listed as Endangered on the UK Red List and Indeterminate on the IUCN Red Data List.

The fungus grows on horse and pony dung particularly where they have fed on unimproved grassland or hay meadows. Once widespread in UK its rarity is due to changes in agricultural practice - both the loss of unimproved grassland and heathland; and the reduction of horse use in farming. For more information see:

http://www.ukbap.org.uk/ukplans.aspx?ID=52

http://www.arkive.org/nail-fungus/poronia-punctata/

This specimen was found on Longcross Plain Nr Fritham. However, I can't claim to have found it, as it was spotted by a friend whilst we were out walking. 

Candlesnuff Fungus (Xylaria hypoxylon), Sparsholt College

Candlesnuff fungus Xylaria hypoxylon

Collins Complete Guide to British Mushrooms and Toadstools describes this fungus as common and widespread, growing on the dead wood of broadleaved trees (Sterry P. and Hughes B. 2009). I have it on good authority (my wife) that if you lightly flick the fungus - the spores come out of the top like smoke - apparently I missed this little trick - and the fungus itself - at the last Swanwick Lake fungi foray.

Fungi Foray @ Swanwick Lakes

A trugg full of 'shrooms and toadstools - including fly agaric Amanita muscaria; the deceiver Laccaria laccata; the amethyst deceiver Laccaria amethystea; birch polpore Piptoporus betulinus with Hypocrea pulvinata; Both lilac and white var. of Inocybe geophyllia var. lilacianal;Cortinarius spp. x 2; common bonnet Mycena alcalina; snapping bonnet Mycena vitilus; poison pie Hebeloma crustuliniforme; (Brown) birch bolette Leccinum scabrumi; Funeral bell (funeral cap) Galerina marginata; Turkey tail Trametes versicolor; glistening inkcap Caprinus micaceus.

Other spp. encountered en route Sep or penny bun Boletus edulis; Russula variata (versicolor) pictured below; Cortinarius Hemitrichus; soft-slipper toadstool Crepidotus mollus.

Russula variata (versicolor)

(Brown) birch bolette Leccinum scabrumi with very unusual twinned fruit body

Birch polypore Piptoporus betulinus with parasitic fungi Hypocrea pulvinata

two-toned pholiata Kuehneromyces mutabilis

the deceiver Laccaria laccata N.B. the distinct gill pattern which remains the same whatever different shape the fruit body itself displays (in deceipt).

the amethyst deceiver Laccaria amethystea N.B. the distinct gill pattern is the same as its close relative Laccaria Laccata

Fungi Foray @ Swanwick Lakes

The picture above illustrates a combined group effort from 5 -10 mins fungi foraging under birch Betula sp. and hazel Corylus avellana in East Valley, Swanwick Lakes NR under the guidance of Phil Budd (Course run by HWT). In no particular order: Common Puffball Lycoperdon perlatum; Common Earth-ball Scleroderma citrinum; Blushing bracket Daedeleupsis confragosa; Common Bonnet Mycena alcalina (pictured below); Lilac (purple) fibre-cap Inocybe geophyllia var. lilacianai; Sulphur Tuft Hypholoma marginatum; The Deceiver Laccaria laccata; Wood Blewit Lepista nuda; Winter (Velvet stemmed) Agaric Clitocybe sp.; Wood pink-gill Entoloma Rhodopolium; Hygrocybes sp. tbc; Galerina marginata; Cortinarius sp. tbc; Poison Pie Hebeloma crustuliniforme; (Brown) Birch Bolette Leccinum scabrumi; remnant Birch polypore Piptoporus betulinus.

Other fungi species identified on the day: Fly Agaric Amanita muscaria (pictured below); Tricholoma fulvum (not pictured).

Common Bonnet Mycena alcalina

Fly Agaric Amanita muscaria

And what of the mystery garden 'shrooms? Phil Budd without hesitation identified the specimen I had taken along as Fairy-ring toadstool Marasmius oreades.

Those garden 'shrooms again ! Just what are they?

Remaining somewhat frustrated by my continuing inability to ID the fungi sp. growing on the garden lawn. I will be taking today's record shots along with a single fruit body to Swanwick Lakes nature reserve tomorrow to ask a local "expert" mycologist exactly what they are?