on the forest floor

Back to more local matters. It looks like it is going to be a good year for mushrooms, and they are beginning to appear in abundance wherever the leaf mould has started to form.

There are so many species of similar looking fungi it is very hard for an amateur to tell them apart. The middle  photo is of a species of russula, probably the aptly named sickener, or russula emetica, for that is what it does. The bottom photo is of slippery jack, a very slimy fungus (reputed to be edible as long as the slimy cap is removed!)

King Canite

we have spent a very pleasant week in Kalkan, Turkey, hence the lack of pictures of heavy rain. All the dogs run wild but seem well cared for, one way and another. They run round looking for people to whom they can attach themselves (rather like sophisticated street chuggers) so we were obvious soft touches. It is interesting that dogs seem to need us to go for a walk. This one seemed Canute like in his willingness to demonstrate that the sea was not to be deterred.

very last of the summer wine

It was a brilliant if cool sunny day today, and there were several tortoiseshell and red admiral butterflies fluttering about, feeding before their long winter hibernation. There was also a crowd of small coppers (top picture), the last of several generations this year. Later generations are supposed to be larger but these were very small if bright butterflies. And there are still a lot of bumblebees around making honey while the sun shines.

passing year

Autumn is upon us.

woolly bears?

a very large caterpillar found crossing the road up to Kit Hill. It looks a bit like the caterpillar of the tiger moth known colloquially as woolly bears, but it is very large for a tiger moth caterpillar and a slightly different colour. I haven't been able to identify it. Many caterpillars are leaving their food plants now to look for somewhere to hibernate.

welcome visitor

A nuthatch, in its characteristic upside down feeding position, making a rare visit to the peanuts. It is a feisty little bird and tends to drive off other birds when it is feeding.