New Species - Eyebright

Another delightful flower seen for the first time in our fields this week is Eyebright. It is in a different field to the Red Bartsia I came across a couple of weeks ago. Eyebrights are difficult to differentiate, not only are there 20 microspecies but they hybridise. Our example looks to be Euphrasia nemorosa but I shall get an expert opinion when I can. Update - 20 September First of all I had a more structured effort at an ID and I decided that actually it was more likely to be E. rostkoviana (which has now been renamed E. officinalis). However today I got some more expert help and using a recently devised key we came to the conclusion that it is either E. confusa or E. nemorosa. One critical element of how erect it is points towards confusa but this flower is rarely found here in this neck of the woods, if at all, so maybe it is nemorosa. I shall take some measurements but unless something definite is found then a formal ID will have to wait until next year when some samples can be sent off.

New Waxcap Species - Hygrocybe citrinovirens

The waxcap discoveries continue. I suspected one of the examples I found a few days ago was H. citrinovirens but I was working from cut up pieces. I found a couple of fungi in situ and I am pretty sure these at least are citrinovirens. The cap and stem were non-slimy, the gills were bright white and most importantly google images is showing me something that looks identical. Note added: 6 October - having received the only book on Waxcaps I can find I am starting to have some doubts about this ID. It is described as rare and the pictures in the Boertmann book don't look like these examples. However citrinovirens has been found in the area so I'll just have to get an expert opinion at some point.

More and more waxcaps

Still not a single waxcap in our 'waxcap' field but more are appearing in the field that hasn't until now presented any waxcaps or at least the field where I have not until this year recorded any waxcaps. I have been cutting the field today as part of the management programme and never having seen waxcaps here I did not cut early. Consequently I have been coming across pieces of chopped up waxcap which does make identification difficult. The photo is of two waxcap bits where I have made an ID. Firstly the Pink Waxcap a critical species of which I found at least four chopped up fruiting bodies. With it is Hygrocybe chlorophana (I think) or Golden Waxcap. I am less certain of two further species although one may be Hygrocybe citrinovirens (Lemon-green waxcap) as it definitely has a green tinge and the other is a deep orange waxcap I cannot ID from the pieces. Given that I had identified around nine species from our 'waxcap' field in 2011 and there are at least a further four species in another field this year, we are up to around 13 species in total. I look forward to adding to the list.

New Species - Buff-tailed Bumblebee

I am pretty sure this is Bombus terrestris rather than the White-tailed bumblebee as there is a definite hint of buff on the tail and the yellow bands are darker than would be the case on Bombus lucorum. This is my second attempt at bumblebee identification - hopefully I'll add a few more next year.

New Species - Red Bartsia

As the summer is coming to an end it is becoming unusual to spot any new flower species so I was delighted to spot this single example of this elegant flower. It seems that this one flower that has two subspecies and this one is Odonites vernus ssp serotinus which is the subspecies you would expect to find here.

Feisty swallows

I was a bit too late with the camera so you'll have to trust me that the picture of a buzzard shows a buzzard retreating after being mobbed by swallows as it sat on the roof of the barn containing a swallows nest. A few weeks ago I saw a single swallow chasing away a medium sized bird of prey, about sparrowhawk size, who couldn't move away fast enough. It is impressive to watch small birds see off much larger enemies as they use their agility and speed to make up for the difference in fighting weight. I was reminded of Arctic Terns attacking Great Skuas and in turn being seen off by the tiny Wilson's Storm Petrel but in terms of size differential this is just as impressive.

Waxcaps in a new place

I have been waiting for the waxcaps to appear in the field that has put on such a good waxcap show in the last couple of years but nothing so far. Meanwhile two species of waxcap have appeared in a field where I had not seen them previously. They are the Blackening Waxcap (Hygrocybe nigrescens) and the Butter Waxcap (Hygrocybe ceracea) neither of which had I definitely identified from the 'waxcap' field. I am wondering whether the appearance is due to the timing of the cutting of the hay in that field (it was done relatively early in mid July) or whether I just hadn't spotted them in previous years when the grass was longer at this point. I am still waiting anxiously for the normal waxcap field to deliver. Pictured is the Butter Waxcap.