Volunteering at Noar Hill, Selbourne

At Noar Hill I learnt how to fell small trees with hand tools, under the instruction of the Hampshire Conservation Volunteer [HCV] Trainer, David Hurst.

http://www.hcv.hampshire.org.uk/

picture courtesy Mark Dakin [HCV]

Whilst we concentrated on cutting back Ash (Fraxinus excelsior)  and holly (Ilex sp.) with hand-tools, chain-saws dealt with the much larger beech (Fagus sylvatica). The felling took place as part of the Hampshire and IOW Wildlife Trust management plan, to clear secondary woodland and expand the chalkdown grassland on site.

Despite excellent health and safety instruction the day was only slightly marred by a freak handsaw accident.

1 x red kite (Milvus milvus) was the birding highlight of the day.

Blashford Lakes - birding highlights

Highlight of the day: a single water pipit Anthus spinoletta which alighted briefly on the shoreline of Ibsley Water in front of the Tern hide around 12:30. The water pipit is a scarce winter visitor to Hampshire last year having only 8 county records for December (Hampshire Bird Report 2008) - so we were very pleased to have this albeit brief encounter. Other Ibsley Water highlights included a small number of both goldeneye Bucephala clangula and goosander Mergus merganser; 13 snipe Gallinago gallinago - the only waders noted; a single kingfisher Alcedo atthis and two meadow pipit Anthus pretensis.

Elsewhere on the reserve other birds of note included 3(4) chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita feeding over the reed bed seen from the Ivy North hide along with 1(2) cetti's warbler Cettia cetti; 2 goldcrest Regulus regulus amongst a mixed tit flock.

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.

Blashford Lakes Volunteering

Pulling Himalayan Balsam Impatiens glandulifera along the banks of the Dockens Water at Blashford Lakes Wildlife Reserve (Nr. Ringwood, Hampshire) produced an unexpected and much needed highlight when a grass snake Natrix natrix was uncovered beneath the damp tangle of ferns and bramble - this individual was carefully replaced behind the advancing line of the volunteers where it quickly recoiled and settled.

Natrix natrix For more information on this species see http://www.herpetofauna.co.uk/grass_snake.htm

The path edges around the reserve are brightened by the displays of St John's Wort sp. Hypericum sp.

Hypericum sp.

Several Buddleia Buddlleja davidii or "butterfly bush" are growing around the visitor centre attracting a large number of butterflies including the peacock Inachis io, painted lady Vanessa cardui, red admiral Vanessa atlanta, brimstone Gonepteryx rhamni, large white Pieris brassicae, small white Pieris rapae and comma polygonum c-album. Speckled wood Parage argeria, small heath Coenonympha pamphilus and gatekeeper Pyronia tithonus were also noted around the site.

Inachis io (top) Vanessa cardui (bottom) feeding on Buddleja davidii

Parage aegeria on common nettle Urtica dioica