Hawthorn ..... A seasonal feast!

Male blackbird

This hawthorn tree has provided good feeding for various migrant thrushes (inc. blackbirds) in the past few weeks.

The main visitors being redwing, fieldfare and blackbirds.

Male blackbird

Redwing

 

Redwing

Fungi on Bodmin Moor

Fly agaric

We found some fungi on the moors today that were still in pretty good conditions especially as the weather has been very wet of late.

Fly agaric and waxcaps were the best we found so here are a few specimens.......

Fly agaric

Fly agaric

Fly agaric

Fly agaric

Waxcap

Waxcap

Some more Autumn fungi.

A few more fungi pictures taken yesterday just a few yards down the road from the Fly agaric's.


Typical moss covered Cornish stone walls on the edge of the moors were really good for fungi although most of the big Boletus species had gone past their best.

Still a good place to remember for future years.

Fly agaric fungi en masse.

Fly agaric

A tip off from a relaible source led us to a super display of Fly agaric fungi on the edge of Bodmin Moor this morning.

The light was good for fungi although the rain wasn't that good for camera gear!

There were several other species of fungi but I'll put them in a seperate post later.

Meanwhile enjoy these colourful specimens.

American Golden Plover......... eventually!

American Golden Plover

Well I eventually caught up with this super looking plover this afternoon at the 3rd attempt!

I was a bit lackadaisical last week and kept thinking I'll pop up to Davidstow on Monday when it's quieter. (Shows I lack the true credentials to be a twitcher).

I went up on Monday and along with about half a dozen others couldn't locate it.

So yesterday I saw that it'd been recorded again so popped up in the afternoon and again couldn't see it.

When I got home I had an e mail from Brian Craven who I'd chatted with up at the airfield and he told me it was lurking near a pool in the centre of the runways.

So today after doing all the shopping we took a drive up there again and lo and behold I came straight onto it with not another soul about.

The lighting was a bit low but for Davidstow that was GOOD!

Not too sure that my carbon footprint has been good for this bird but always a treat to see such an attractive plover.

In the final image you can see areas of golden plumage on the head, back and rump as it stretched it's wings.

American Golden Plover

 

American Golden Plover

Autumn fungi at Lanhydrock, Cornwall.

Porcelain fungi

A few fungi images taken on our Cornwall Wildlife Trust Photographic Group field trip to the National Trust property of Lanhydrock on the outskirts of Bodmin.

Not too many fungi to be found but the lone magpie inkcap and the porcelain fungi were particularly good although challenging to photograph!

Porcelain fungi

Porcelain fungi

 

Magpie inkcap

Earthball

Stagshorn

Oyster fungus

A very white wagtail at Davidstow 12th September 2014

I found this very white wagtail this morning on the old airfield at Davidstow.

I'm not sure of it's ID but reckon it could be a white wagatil with partial albinism or leucism as they don't usually have a white head.

I know there are many variants of wagtail so interested to hear people's comments!

Curlew sandpiper at Davidstow this morning. 12th September 2014

Curlew sandpiper 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Curlew sandpiper

I came across this curlew sandpiper feeding with a small group of ringed plover on the old airfield at Davidstow this morning.

The light was good but the bird was busy feeding so didn't keep still for very long.

Curlew sandpiper

Curlew sandpiper

Seals, dolphins and sunfish on the Cornish coast.

Grey seal

A great day on the monthly POLPIP seal survey on the North Cornwall coast from Padstow.

We monitored from the Quies up the coast to just above Boscastle.

Today we saw many seals, numerous seabirds including Gannets, Manx Shearwaters and a Sooty shearwater. Also a  few sunfish, Risso's dolphins and a pod of Common dolphins which came to look at us and put on an amazing display.

My personal thanks to Chris and Annabel for their hospitality aboard Atlantic Diver.

Grey seal

Grey seal

Risso's dolphins

Risso's dolphins

Common dolphins

Common dolphins

Common dolphins

Common dolphins

Common dolphins

Common dolphins

Common dolphins very close to the boat

Sunfish

Sunfish