Common Spotted Orchid Count at 28th May

Every year I do a count at this date and the year on year results are puzzling but I guess must be explicable through weather or climate effects. The point is that the count does not seem to be a reliable predictor of the final count. The graph shows that in three of the last six years (2018,2019,2022) the count at 28th May was exactly 33% of the final count. However in 2021 it was 61% and in 2020 it was 73%. This year feels much more like a 2020 year or perhaps an even 'worse' year as the appearance of new Common Spotteds has almost dried up over the last ten days or so. However maybe some rain would change the position as we have had a prolonged dry spell. So the total for this year at 28th May is 369 spikes. What we end up with is anyone's guess at the moment.

Trial Deer and Rabbit exclusion zone

I have built a fenced off area which deer and rbbits can't access. The basic idea was to prevent predation of ochids without having to cage each individual ochid spike but there are interesting side benefits. This year the fields look less plump with grasses and flowers. I think this may be partly a weather/climate thing but also the numbers of rabbits and deer keeps growing - particularly rabbits this year as the Myxie has not been around for a couple of years. Also the preponderance of hemiparisitic flowers has been growing particularly Eyebright so there is less volume of grass. Interestingly the caged off area looks much richer than the surrounding ground and that effect can only be due to the grazing of the field.

Silverweed in flower

I have seen an increasing patch of Silverweed over a few years but not any flowers...until now. Now it's gone gangbusters on flowering. I don't see any mention in the books that Silverweed is a reluctant or occasional flowerer so I am not sure why this is the case.

Moth Update

I trapped moths on the night of 19th/20th May and recorded 24 species of which 16 were new records for the site. This handily takes me to exactly 100 species. I suspect the next 100 species will take a while. The photo is a Red Twin-spot Carpet (Xanthorhoe quadrifasiata).

New Species - Mocha

There are a lot of new Moth species for The Beeches from the Moth trapping on 19th May as part of the Manor Wood project. I am still working through the lists but one of the most striking for me was the Mocha (Cyclophora annularia). It also is is not particularly common in that it is restricted to Southern England and across the border into Wales and is local to woods with mature Field Maple trees. A nice find and a good-looking Moth.

One of our Helleborines is confused....

There have been nine Broad-leaved Helleborines so far which have poked their head above the surface. One of them however is white! I've done some googling and it may be an unusual variety. I'll ask around and see what's what.

Lesser Horseshoe bat back in the shed!

I think it must be the same individual as it roosts in the same exact spot most of the time. A lone bat presumed to be male has now been in our shed off and on for eight years. This week has been a great week for returning species - Lesser Horseshoe, Stoat and Twayblade!

New Species - Greasy Green Brittlegill

A large stout Brittlegill was near the field edge with an Oak tree closest. Luckily an id was relatively easy as the stipe reacts with Fe2SO4 crystal to give a pinky colour. I will check the spores but it seems conclusive. It is the Greasy Green Brittlegill (Russula heterophylla) which is a widespread species. (Note - spores check out - small and warty)

Stoat back on site

We found a Rabbit carcass the other day so that was maybe a sign. Today for the first time this year we saw an actual Stoat. I don't think it was our original one back again as it looked a little smaller and moved differently. Perhaps it is a female - we assumed the previous one was male but had no proof. Any Stoat is not going to starve here - there are a lot of Rabbits around this year!

Waxcap #1 for 2023 - Golden Waxcap

An early Golden Waxcap (Hygrocybe chlorophana) kicks off the waxcap season. It's not normally one of the early ones but I have seen it fruiting at this time of year once before.

Flowers in 2023

So far nothing new although the apparent appearance of two Greater Butterfly Orchids is great news (only one last year). The two species that seem to be doing exceptionally well are the Bluebells which have put on a great show this year and in the West Field, Spring Sedge which has spread dramatically. A few years back we only had the merest few of Spring Sedge plants so that is very pleasing.

Lots of Turf Mottlegills around

There are not many grassland fungi around at this time of yeat but we do have Turf Mottlegills (Panaeolus fimicola) fruiting. They are a dung-based fungi but I have no idea whether it is the rabbit dung or the deer dung that gets them going. They appear similar to the Brown Mottlegill (Panaeolina foenisecii) but the Turf Mottlegills have a black spore print rather than a very dark brown one and there are differences in the spores.

Roe Deer

We had the pleasure of a Roe Deer in the East Field today - it didn't stay long enough for a photo but it is worth recording as only the second sighting of a Roe Deer here in the twelve years we have been here. They seem to have an elegance that the Fallow Deer who are here every day misses out on.