The light’s not right to see you
Too white and bright by far
It highlights right the sea view
But views of you? Subpar
Simply silhouetted
A thousand birds you be
You’re true form can’t be vetted
When light’s not right to see
The park was decidedly damp as I entered this morning. Not the hot, muggy damp of days past but a deep autumnal damp. Not quite cold, more a low tepid. I decided to investigate the fungi situation and set out past Long Meadow. Sloes were ripening on lichen covered Hawthorn, rich purple imperfect spheres nestled among Oakmoss, Old Man’s Beard and Green Shield Lichen. Next to the rows of cut grass a few Fleabane still shone vivid among brown stems of Agrimony and Knapweed. Last flower standing.
A few small Candlesnuff Fungus and King Alfred’s Cakes were on display at the bottom of Solent Road marking a good start to my fungi search. The large Shaggy Bracket further down is reaching the end of its life, the top layers blackened with decay. Soon it’ll fall off and join the remains of the last bracket to grow there, still lying half decayed on the floor. Several Robins were singing as I examined it, one transitioning from pips to song after the first began its vocal display. Perhaps they were having a rap battle.
As I arrived at the Aviary Glade I homed in on my prize of the morning, a beautiful specimen of a Bay Polypore luxuriating on a fallen log. It really is rather impressive, go and take a look if you have time. A few other Mystery specimens were skulking around, quite possibly Wood Mushrooms but I’ve always struggled with identifying that lot.
A little further up Isle of Wight Road I halted beside a few short Sycamore to try and observe the small group of birds darting from branch to branch. The sun was behind a thin layer of cloud, backlighting the scene with a diffuse white light that made it very difficult to make out anything beyond a silhouette. Of what I saw I would guess at a few Long Tailed Tits, some sort of Warbler and some Blue Tits but it’s hard to be sure. The bird ringers came up with better results, netting Whitethroat, Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Sedge and Grasshopper Warbler. Such is the importance of good lighting.