Coral Fungus

As well as a range of waxcaps we also have a coral fungus in our 'East' field. The particular species is Crested Coral (Clavulina coralloides)which the books say is normally found in woodland. However I am told it also turns up in grassland if there are trees nearby.

Scarlet Waxcap

I was only vaguely aware of waxcaps before discovering a whole range of them in one of our fields but they are an amazing sight. The extraordinary range of intense colours makes them quite different to other fungi which are (in general) much more subdued in hue. Here is the Scarlet Waxcap (Hygrocybe coccinea.

Dormouse!

I was surprised to find orchids in the fields but astonished to come across a dormouse in the garden. The picture is a bit of a cheat as it was taken at Croes Robert whilst accompanying a licensed dormouse handler rather than of the dormouse seen in our garden in September. A tree surgeon was removing a conifer when a dormouse popped out of the branches. Of course we had to stop work and notify the authorities but the main thing is that we have dormice in the area. The next thing we need is a management plan.

Dark Bush Cricket

This bush cricket obligingly hung around on the compost heap while I went off to fetch my camera. Insects don't often do that. I'm pretty sure it's the Dark Bush Cricket (Pholidoptera griseoaptera)

Common Spotted Orchid

As this is year 1 of my meadow management plan the main task is monitoring and I have been very pleasantly surorised at the diversity of flower species that I have spotted already. However I was astonished to find orchids. Initially I found a group of seven Common Spotted Orchids in the corner of the lower field which has been grazed in recent times and where the grass is short. I then surveyed the top field which has very long thatched grass and found a further five more orchids, again in one corner of the field.

Green Dock Beetle

From the very large to the very small - beetle eggs. I have a dock 'problem' in that there are probably too many docks around consistent with the plan to manage the fields for maximum wildflower diversity. However I do have an ally already in that I have seen plenty of Green Dock Beetle eggs. These tiny orangey-yellow eggs can be found clustered on the underside of dock leaves and not long after they turn into hungry black larvae that love nothing better than to strip dock leaves to the point where they are mostly holes. The adult beetle is a handsome green insect and definitely my favourite beetle

Fallow Deer

The first appearance was a fleeting glimpse of retreating fur in the woods at the edge of the village. Next day I heard them in the woods close by our fields and the day after I found fresh spraint on the footpath by our top field. They were definitely getting closer and a couple of days later we had the live animal in the top field, in fact three of them. One approached the house a few days later allowing me to get this crude photo. Now a week later they have even been kind enough to leave some small antlers on the front lawn. It does make my plan to plant some apple trees a bit more problematical but we are enjoying their presence nonetheless.