my local patch and wildlife - Ian McDonald

[Hoy]

Many interesting details in a special landscape!

Regarding Trentepholia, have you ever seen Trentepohlia iolithus? It grows on rocks. It is very common here. In rain it smells like a violet and therefore it is called fiolstein (violet rock) here.



(Picture borrowed from https://www.idunn.no/kk/2018/01-02/norways_mysterious_modernist_konrad_mgi_and_the_micro-ec )

[ian mcdonald]

Hello Trond, I am not familiar with the Trentepohlia as a family, although I must have seen it on trees etc. A colleague noticed it on trees at the site and traced it to a family. I think more work is needed on our part to try and get it to species level. I have seen algae on trees and rocks but not tried to name them.

[ian mcdonald]

 This week has been dry, sunny and cold. I met a colleague on site and we went to re-photograph the Trentepohlia and the "orange mat" I previously found on a fallen sycamore, (post 745). Also seen in the wood were tiny brown fungi which were identified as the Ozonium state of Coprinus disseminatus, Fairies Bonnets. After visiting the small wood where the previously mentioned specimens were, we walked a short distance and saw a Merlin flying low in front of us. Marsh harrier and kestrel were also hunting. Two cranes were seen in the distance. A flock of lapwing were circling the area, perhaps looking for a resting site. Many of the small islands and exposed mud are now covered with water due to several months of rain. A barn owl was seen hunting as it was getting towards dusk on the first day. Yesterday I met my colleague again and the site manager. Skeins of pink footed geese were flying overhead as the mist cleared. On one pool a couple of whooper swans were lazily drifting about. One looked like a juvenile as it did not have the yellow patch on its bill. Also on the pool were tufted duck and gadwall. Later we saw three male and a female goosander on the water. Five marsh harriers and a buzzard were seen in one area. Several daisys, B. perennis, were seen in flower on a track. Hazel catkins are flowering now. Stonechats can be seen perching on low bushes in some areas of the site. Two flocks of lapwing were seen yesterday, totalling about 650 in all. We stayed until dusk in case there were any owls but we did not see any.



Fairies bonnets.







Eggs of Vapourer moth on heather found by my colleague.

[ian mcdonald]

Whooper swans.



Goosanders.

Birds seen were, robin, pheasant, crow, pigeon, blackbird, woodcock, mallard, teal, blue tit, great tit, marsh harrier, merlin, kestrel, grey lag geese, jay, crane, lapwing, barn owl, fieldfare, pink foot geese, gadwall, tufted duck, stonechat, meadow pipit, reed bunting, long tailed tit, whooper swan, goosander and buzzard. Three roe deer.

The latest regarding the Trentepohlia is that the specimens may be T. aurea and/or abietina.  The one on the Alder tree (post 744) might be T. abietina and the specimen on the log (post 745) might be T. aurea. A microscope is needed to confirm the identities with filaments more than 10 micrometres wide possibly T. aurea and filaments less than 10 micrometres wide possibly T. abietina. Thanks to Professor David John of the Natural History Museum for the information.

[ian mcdonald]

This week has been dull and cold. The first day I was on my own and decided to look at an area near the wood we were in last week. The area was on the sheltered side of trees, out of the direct wind. There is a wide water filled ditch, along which grow willow, birch and alder trees. The ditch provides a permanent moist air supply and the trees are clothed in many lichens and mosses. On the second day I met my colleague on site and we again went to look at the same area. My colleague showed me a tree on which he had found, the day before,  what he thought was a growth of tiny brown liverwort, possibly a Frullania species. On my previous visit I saw a lichen which I thought was an Usnea species. The photo. was sent to someone who studies lichens and he thought the species was Usnea subfloridana, growing among another lichen which may be Hypotrachyna afrorevoluta. Another lichen we found was probably Evernia prunastri. Several lichens, which looked similar to the Usnea, may be Ramalina farinacea. The soredia (powdery granules) appear in round or elongated areas on the branches. You can tell I,m not a Lichenologist. Many of the Cladonia had spore cups, some were brown along the edge. My colleague showed me a log which he had found the day before, under which were several smooth newts. Some of the trees bore signs that deer had been rubbing the velvet from their antlers.  We noticed that some of the alder trees had new catkins on the branches. One of the mature birch trees had a large "bole" on its trunk which may have been caused by a gall when it was younger. Although it is the middle of Winter there is still plenty to see.



Usnea subfloridana with Hypotrachyna afrorevoluta?



Frullania sp?



Smooth newts.





Trees showing signs that deer had been removing their velvet.

[ian mcdonald]

Cladonia with brown spores.



Ramalina farinacea?



Evernia prunastri?



Birch bole.



Alder catkins.

Birds seen were, buzzard, kestrel, blackbird, woodcock, teal, mallard, grey lag geese, pigeon, stonechat, meadow pipit, long tailed tit, marsh harrier, linnet, gadwall, reed bunting, crow, rook, goldcrest. Roe deer.

[Maggi Young]

My  knowledge  of  lichens  is too small even  for the  tip  of a  small pin - but  I find  your  reports  on them, and the  fascinating  photos, to be  most  interesting, Ian. Thank you!

[ian mcdonald]

Today was one of blue sky and not even the slightest breeze. There was a keen frost to start with and the ground crunched as I walked. I decided to look at a part of the
Northern end of the site. After skirting a flooded area I came to some land which is privately owned. I heard a buzzard calling and looked up to see two buzzards wheeling about together. A kestrel was perched on a bush not far away. I met someone and was given permission to look in a nearby private wood. Quite a few aspen trees were seen. On a multi-stemmed alder I noticed many lichens growing on lower branches. I think two of the lichens were Arthonia radiata and Fuscidea lightfootii. Lichenologists may be able to correct me.  Also seen on a large white willow was possibly Giant Polypore, Meripilus giganteus. A bunch of small fungi were growing on the ground among fallen leaves. I think they may be a Coprinus species, possibly C. micaceus? Later I re-traced my route and decided to look for early emerging adders as it was a warm day.  Hearing many birds calling I went to the edge of the site and saw a large mixed flock of starlings, fieldfare and redwing flying between the site and a nearby field. I heard a sound which seemed like a fox calling. A roe deer came out on to the track I was on and did not see me at first. When it saw me it trotted into cover. I went to resume my search for adders and saw someone stood near the point I had left, to look for the birds. It turned out to be the site manager. He also was looking for adders. He said the noise I thought was a fox was a roe deer barking at him. He showed me two female adders entwined which I had failed to see. These are the earliest seen on the site this year.



Possible Arthonia radiata.



Possible Fuscidea lightfootii.



Multi-stemmed alder.

[ian mcdonald]

Coprinus sp?





Giant Polypore?



Roe deer.



Two adders sunbathing.

Birds today were, kestrel, buzzard, great spotted woodpecker, ( lesser spotted was seen by the site manager), wren, blackbird, blue tit, pheasant, robin, crow, wood pigeon, starling, fieldfare, redwing, pink footed geese, roe deer, adder.

[Maggi Young]

I wonder  if  some  folks  will find  this  useful?
To help with the difficulties of identifying Cladonias, there is an Excel Cladonia key now on the website:

https://britishlichensociety.org.uk/resources/downloads  for  many  links 

Lichen ID difficulties  direct  link ....
https://www.britishlichensociety.org.uk/sites/www.britishlichensociety.org.uk/files/recording-mapping-downloads/Lichen%20Identification%20Difficulties.pdf

It is available for PC or Mac with instructions for both

[ian mcdonald]

Yesterday was cold and windy. I met another naturalist on site and we decided to look in a wooded area, out of direct wind. The area had been dug by hand for peat in the past. It is now covered with birch trees. Along the old cuttings were patches of minute lichens. The cuttings are about 18" deep and fairly dry. The lichens, we thought, were Cladonia incrassata. Also seen were a good number of Cladonia floerkeana. Another lichen which we must have seen before but ignored (not my subject) was photographed and sent to someone who is familiar with lichens. His suggestion is that it is Cladonia glauca or C. subulata. Lichens are not easy to identify by photograph and sometimes difficult in the field. Chemical tests are sometimes needed to identify them to a species. Birds were few, probably keeping in shelter. Along the peat cuttings we saw a pellet which had probably been coughed up by a bird of prey. In the pellet we could see a small rodents tail. We flushed a Snipe along a wet track. In the old cuttings we disturbed two Woodcock. I have only seen a Woodcock once, before it took flight. They sit on the ground until you almost get to them then fly off rapidly. On one of the pools we noticed a number of Gadwall, along with Teal and a few Mallard. We decided to look to see if any owls were about and were rewarded with good views of a Barn Owl and a Short Eared Owl hunting the same area.



Cladonia glauca/subulata.



Cladonia incrassata.



Cladonia floerkeana.



Bird pellet with a rodents tail.

Birds seen were, pheasant, crow, pigeon, stonechat, blackbird, snipe, woodcock, marsh harrier, barn owl, short eared owl, buzzard and kestrel.

[ian mcdonald]

On the subject of adders. I have heard a rumour that a County Wildlife Trust are to take adders from our site and introduce them to Nottinghamshire. I wonder if this is a responsible action.

[Hoy]

On the subject of adders. I have heard a rumour that Nottingham Wildlife Trust are to take adders from our site and introduce them to Nottinghamshire. I wonder if this is a responsible action.

Does this mean that adders are rare in GB?

Adders are common here but rarely seen. However I know people who are afraid of going in the fields in case of hitting adders.

[fermi de Sousa]

Does this mean that adders are rare in GB?

Is it because they are adders and not multipliers? 
cheers
fermi

[Hoy]

Is it because they are adders and not multipliers? 
cheers
fermi