Wind and Rain and Brimstone

Went out without a lot of hope. Sharp heavy showers competed with even shorter periods of sun to make life as tricky as possible. The wind made things a little difficult as well. I thought that at least I'd get a good walk. I had given up, even with this simple aim, and was returning home when I discovered this beautiful fungus. I climbed over the obligatory barbed wire fence, picked up the obligatory cut and set up my tripod in the obligatory holly bush, in the rain. Despite this, it was worth the effort. I knew this tree harboured this fungus as I had seen it growing here before, but I had always arrived a bit late. This time it was in its prime. Which was more than could be said for the Oak tree. Despite being much the same age as those either side it was swaying alarmingly in the wind. The fungus is known as Sulphur Bracket (Laetiporus sulphureus) and is a brown rot fungus working on the heartwood of the tree. Though this sound serious you have to remember that this part of the tree is dead. Only a thin layer just beneath the bark is alive - this years ring forming. In a large, old oak, heart rot can be an advantage. A hollow trunk reduces weight and allows greater flexibility in high wind. In a small Oak like this one it could lead to failure of the trunk and the tree going over. Coming back to the present we have a still have a reasonably healthy Oak and a spectacular fungus. Could be all change with a bit more wind.

Dog Rose (Rosa cannina) is also in flower another great flower. Might try making rose hip syrup from this later in the year......

18th of May: Slime Mold

I came across this splendid little specimen while walking the dog. It is a member of an odd zoological group called the slime molds. These are a bit odd. They spend part of their lives as mobile cells, with little tails for swimming. This stage is haploid meaning it contains half the normal genetic material, it is the slime molds sex cell. With luck it will meet another such haploid swimmer and they will fuse. It will now grow more like a fungi, forming a network of strands and feeding. Often these threads are so thin they are not visible to the naked eye. The slime molds tend to come to our attention when they fruit. These pictures show the fruiting body of a slime mold called Wolfs Milk (Lycogala epidendrum). This is the immature phase, it is still soft and a rather beautiful coral pink colour. As the fruit body matures it will darken and become a mass of spores. These then disperse - if they survive then complete the cycle becoming little motile cells again.

The slime molds are worth looking for, they can be tricky to find as they are so small. Many however are common and it should not be long before you find a few.

15 of May 2011: Flowers and Spiders

One of the Hawkweeds

Nature is really starting to wake up now. A lot more flowers out and a lot more insects. The familiar buzz of tiny wings at high speed, a constant reminder of just how much life is crammed into the Welsh hills. 

The Bluebells in the wood are going over now, greater stitchwort and Pignut are taking over, we have moved from blue to white. Even the insects are colour coordinated - a couple of Large White butterflies were fluttering around under the trees.

Out in the fields the flowers are really going for it. A lot of yellow around. Dandelions have dispersed to the winds and now it's the turn of its cousin the Hawkweed. The photograph shows the family resemblance, but it has a much flatter flower. A real stunner.

A few sheltered spots have some tired Bluebells left and these are being pollinated but large numbers of Bumble Bees. Good to see given the problems our bees have been having. Most were the Red Tailed Bumble Bee.

Hunting Spider (Pisaura mirabillis)

I also came across a leggy blond. In this case eight legs and carrying an egg sac. This splendid specimen was a Hunting Spider, Pisaura mirabillis, a real killer in damp, rank vegetation. This area certainly fitted that description and smelt strongly of horse manure - I found out why when I stood up. Such are the perils of photography. I had to stalk this girl for a while before she broke cover enough for a photograph, very fast. Even more impressive when you consider the load she is carrying in her fangs.

Also seen, but not photographed; a very pale common blue and a high speed small copper. Great to see, would have been nice if they hung around for a bit. Saw my first Garden Chafer, these guys are real characters, managed to get a snap just as he decided it was time to leave. In past years we have had huge numbers of these beetles.

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Garden Chafer Phyllopertha horticola

08 of May 2011: Leaf Beetles

The sun following some pretty serious rain has brought out the insects in numbers. Notably the Dock Leaf Beetle (Gastrophysa viridula). This beetle is small, about 4mm long, but comes in a stunning metallic green. Being spring, a beetles thoughts turn to breeding, plenty of that was going on. Despite their diminutive size they are easy to spot. Little flashes of iridescence in the longer patches of grass and hedgerow plants. As with a lot of British wildlife the colours rival anything the tropics can throw at you, just a bit smaller.

In the picture the female is at the top, already heavily swollen with eggs. This has not stopped another male chancing his luck with a mating. In fact, a bit of a queue has formed with two other males in waiting. They were not successful as the female took her male off to a more private location under a leaf.

The female will lay eggs on a dock leaf, hence the beetles common name, and the grubs that hatch will feast. After pupating another cycle of breeding starts again. 

At Right is a picture of a solitary male. In this shot you can really enjoy those colours. The colour is not due to pigments, no chemical is involved. The colour arises from the close spacing of fibres (chitin) on the beetles body. These are so close they interfere with the light shining on them and only reflect certain wavelengths of light. In this case mainly green, but also some red. The beetles are in fact black. It is hard to see the advantage to this colouring. It makes them standout, they are slow movers, don't really fly and are not toxic. Can't be much of a problem however as they are everywhere!

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