New Species - Scarlet Elfcup

I have seen this before but this is my first record for The Beeches. It is the Scarlet Elfcup (Sarcoscypha austriaca) which occurs on damp and rotting wood. In fact there is apparently a Ruby Elfcup which is rarer and is indistinguishable in the field. I found out from the excellent web site 'First Nature' that looking at the hairs on the outside of the cup at 400x maginification is a way to distinguish between the two species. The Scarlet Elfcup has coiled hairs and the Ruby Elfcup straightish hairs. My specimen has coiled hairs and so is confirmed as Scarlet Elfcup.

First deer of 2019

I haven't seen any deer for a while but a single Fallow Deer turned up the other day walking daintily down the steps in the back garden. I have only ever seen Fallow Deer on site though Muntjac and even the occasional Red Deer have been seen locally.

Hogs #7 and #8

We recently released two more hogs and both seem to be sticking around. Since the release of hog #6 we have been putting the soft release pen in the barn and surprise, surprise, the hogs seem reluctant to move their sleeping quarters from the barn. They have snug houses filled with hay and protection from rain and hard frost so I can understand how they feel. We think hog #6 may also be in the barn as there is a big pile of hay where we think she may be resting up. The photo is hog #8 who broke out of his soft release pen on night one by digging underneath it and then broke back in again to sleep in the hedgehog house in the pen. We have named him 'Steve McQueen'.

Euphrasia update

I have at least two species of Eyebright (Euphrasia spp) on site and the more interesting one has long glandular hairs which means in practical terms it is either E. rostkoviana, E. montana or E. anglica (newer names used) Previous study by me in 2014 ruled out E. anglica and it looked like it was E. montana. That would have been the first record for the area. However now that there are enough plants to send six examples to the Eyebright referee it turns out it is E. rostkoviana. One thing I had not counted correctly was the lowest flowering node. So it is Rostkov's Eyebright - not quite as uncommon as E. montana but still an exciting find.

Hogs #5 and #6 released

We released two more hogs as part of the release plan from the local hedgehog rescue place. They are just the ones that can't be placed back where they came from. The aim is to get a breeding population going in this hedgehog-friendly environment that can hopefully meet up with a second release site about a mile away as the hedgehog walks. For the first time a hog has come back to their temporary house after release. They are kept in a couple of days then the cage is removed and they are free to go - which they rapidly do. However after one night away one of the two released hogs turned up back in the house. Just in case it is contemplating hibernation and to keep it warm and safe in those circumstances we have moved the temporary house to the barn. Hopefully the trail camera will reveal whether the hog is still feeding or whether it has popped off to sleep for a while. The photo captures the hog returning to the release house and partaking of the food we left out.

The King of Waxcaps is back

#25 for the season here and probably the last one I will find is a great finale. The Splendid Waxcap (Hygrocybe splendidissima) is both rare and stunning to look at. The colour depth and vividness of the red cap is matched by an amazing contorted stipe that is both red and yellow. The gills are a deep pinkish red with an orange margin. At a distance it might be confused with either of the other large red waxcaps (the Scarlet and the Crimson Waxcaps) but close up it is in a class of its own.

Ivory Bonnet

Only the second time I have found this attractive bonnet Atheniella flavoalba on site and this time it was a single example. It was in the West Field this time so a new record for that field. The subtle but distinctive pale yellow centre does not come out well on a photo but is clearly distinguishable to the naked eye.