It was a cold dark day, but at least there was a bit of autumn colour at the Diana fountain. You can see the dominant Black-Headed Gull guarding his landing stage -- there wasn't another gull anywhere near as he chases them all off.
When I got round to the other side he was still at his post.
The light was so bad that the automatic streetlights came on before 3.30 pm.
A flock of Long-Tailed Tits milled around in a tree by the bridge. I couldn't get a clear view of them, but I did get a Goldcrest that was accompanying the flock.
The female of the pair of Great Tits in the Rose Garden shrubbery has been hesitant about coming to my hand, unlike her bold mate, but she is gradually gaining confidence.
On a table at the Lido restaurant a pot of yoghurt and granola abandoned by its buyer was a big hit with the local Starlings.
There was a crowd of them on the other side of the lake chattering as they waited to raid the Dell restaurant.
The Little Owl at the Round Pond was staying indoors, and no wonder.
Cormorants sprawled inelegantly on the posts at the island.
One of the young Great Crested Grebes on the Long Water was fishing by itself under the Italian Garden.
Someone had thrown a whole apple into the lake for the Greylag Geese. They weren't making much impression on it with their blunt bills, so I fished it out and cut it up for them, and then it was a success.
The Black Swan on the Round Pond has a fan club.
The fox was up the willow again. When it's lying down you can only see it from one place, and there are leaves in the way.
Mario alerted me to a Purple Jellydisc fungus, Ascocoryne sarcoides, on a log north of the Henry Moore sculpture, which would have made an interesting picture if I had been able to find it. I tried yesterday and failed, and was equally unsuccessful today although I am now fairly sure which log it is. There are three logs on the east side of the path between the sculpture and the Buck Hill shelter, and I think it's the middle one. I did find a large growth here of what may be Smoky Bracket, Bjerkandera adusta.
The log to the south had a smaller fungus which I can't identify.
The one to the north had something more interesting. It may be Crystal Brain, Myxarium nucleatum.
Well, I am no good at the fungus game. I greatly admire Mario's skill. As I was blundering around hopelessly a Magpie looked at me cynically from an oak.
Jin Yucheng was at Rainham Marshes and got a picture of a Long-Billed Dowitcher, an infrequent visitor which breeds in Siberia and North America.
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If there's someone who deserves a fan club, it's the black swan.
ReplyDeleteI wonder how that extremely rare Long-Billed Dowitcher got to Rainham Marshes. It's so far away from its usual home.
Tinúviel
Collins says 'Several records annually in Britain and Ireland.' This one might have been blown over from America in the recent gale.
DeleteHaven't been at The Gardens much this year, so great to see the starlings are there in good numbers. Hope to make a visit during the week, will be bringing digestives and sultanas. :)
ReplyDeleteFrom what I've seen, their favourite foods are chocolate cake and chips. I was amazed they'd eat that yoghurt and granola mess, but I suppose it's full of sugar.
DeleteBeautiful colours on the Liquidamber. Seeing these increasingly planted as street trees these days. Can be quite variable in colour. When I was at Kew some were as glorious as yours, others less so-perhaps the colour to come?
ReplyDeleteGood to see a few fungi represented. I know relatively little about these but did go on an enjoyable fungus foray in Richmond Park a few days ago.
It might be something to do with the soil. The spectacular colours of the trees in New England are attributed to poor soil and night frosts.
DeleteI used to be a serious hunter of edible mushrooms, but the variety of fungi in the park leaves me right out of my depth.
I think genetics of the plant may play a role too as often the trees are side by side so on similar soil & conditions.
ReplyDeleteYes fungi are tricky. So many species & often look so different at different stages of development. Also may need microscopic work.
I won't be offering any IDs for fungi though Mario is the guy who might know. Certainly want to learn more.
Fungi are even more subject to reassignation to different species and genera than birds, which only makes things harder. And there is the same confusion between scientific and common names: just as Puffinus isn't a puffin, Agaricus isn't an agaric.
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