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.