Water makes itself at home, despite clay’s protestations
It soaks the soil and scours the land with its myriad migrations
Too much, too little, washed or drowned? Or maybe it’s just right
They say that when it rains it pours. It certainly did last night.
Goldfinch calls gently ushered in the morning as I arrived in the park through Long Meadow. The weather was relatively still with only a light breeze blowing. I stooped to examine a pale fungal specimen that looked like a decent candidate for a Cauliflower Fungus. I know I’ve said that before but this one looks promising.
I started out on a circuit to deconstruct the Halloween Trail. Wheelbarrow in tow I headed to the Woodlands, noting the black and white fronds of Candlesnuff Fungus speckling many a fallen log. I encountered numerous Mystery Fungi along the way, more than I can effectively recount here. I’ll have my work cut out over the next couple of days trying to decipher their identities.
Jays were calling and making short flights between Holm Oaks, flashing their multicoloured plumage as they extended their wings. A Green Woodpecker made a similar short flight, moving in an undulating sine wave like motion, or was it a cosine? Coral Fungus was sprouting readily in the more waterlogged stretches of Woodlands.
Under the shade of yet more Holm Oaks I spotted a few withered caps that might once have been Brittlegills of some sort. Our Hairy Curtain Crust was also flourishing in the moist conditions, showing larger and fuller than usual.
My walk took me down to the Gallery, where I took a few minutes to admire the view out to see. Scenes of natural beauty tend to be photographed or painted in the summer, but I think they gain a strong atmosphere in the months of waning sun. Take a look for yourself.
A Yellow Ear Fungus nestled beneath a strand of Wild Clematis, I noted it as I made my way to the viewpoint. Jackdaws were the only avians on the wing when I arrived, though a fellow birdwatcher reported seeing a Kestrel a few minutes before. I cut back through the woods, spying a couple of Glistening Ink Caps, plus several more Mystery Fungi. Time to put my research hat on.
P.S. Dad, if you're reading this; listen to the two audio recordings. That's the difference between a Chiffchaff and a Great Tit.