DAILY DIARY

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This afternoon I had to collect some new spectacles from Hayling Island and I chose the roundabout route through Northney knowing I had a fair chance of adding another flowering plant (Hedgerow Cranesbill) to my November list - in fact I did much better than expected with four new flower species and at least three new fungi for the month.

As expected Hedgerow Cranesbill was flowering but I only saw one plant with flowers immediately inside the kissing gate as you enter from the carpark. Near the point where a path goes off to the west along the south of the marina inlet I passed a single Dog Rose flower which I have not seen this month, and in the jungle of dead Teazel plants east of this point I had a real surprise with a single plant of Hemlock well grown and covered with white flowers. The fourth species was found back in the carpark - a couple of flowers still showing on an almost dead plant of Viper's Bugloss.

After seeing the Dog Rose I walked on east to the bay north of the new houses and here, with the tide high, I counted 54 Shelduck on the water (this is always a good winter site for Shelduck but this is the first large winter flock I have seen - later there may be up to 100 here). The tide had also brought a moderate flock of 50+ Lapwing into the Marina area but there was little else to see in the way of birds.

On my way back I collected samples of several toadstools which I had passed on the way out and, as usual when you start actively looking, I found more than I had noticed earlier. Some, such as the Stubble Rosegill (Volvariella speciosa), were so easy to name that I did not take specimens but I did pick samples of at least four species which puzzled me and then had the usual frustration, back at home, of finding pictures and descriptions in one book which seemed to fit well but which were quite at odds with those in the two other books I was using. Subsequently I checked out the possibilities via pictures on the internet and have come to the conclusion that my haul included at least one species that I have never come across before - Mycena pelianthina. One other was an old friend - the deadly poisonous Clitocybe rivulosa - and I thought I had another that I knew in Lyophyllum decastes (my specimen looked exactly like the picture in Roger Phillips book had a cap colour much darker than his picture of Lyophyllum loricatum) but the consensus of other sources was that L. loricatum was the best choice (and that L. decastes is less common and very variable in appearance so Roger Phillips had probably photographed a non-typical specimen). The fourth specimen also gave me trouble - the lilac colour of the gills and the muddy brown of the cap and stem were all correct for Wood Blewitt but the stem was only about 3cm tall so that the cap was only just above the level of the surrounding grass. In the end I concluded that it was a Wood Blewitt suffering from growing in an unusual situation. These fungi were all growing on the seawall area away from woodland but they were growing close to the path which has been re-surfaced last summer with materials that have come from elsewhere, maybe including woody material, and the fungi may well have come with the material.

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Great Northern Diver: At least two, and maybe four or five, were around south Hayling on Nov 15 (birds seen in Hayling Bay and in the south of Langstone Harbour may or may not be the same as two which flew west from Sandy Point). In Dorset on Nov 17 there were at least six in the Weymouth Bay/Portland Harbour area and on Nov 18 one was off Titchfield Haven

Slavonian Grebe: On Nov 14 one was in Cams Bay (where Fareham Creek meets Portsmouth Harbour) and on Nov 15 one (which probably arrived there on Nov 12) was in the north of Langstone Harbour (Chalkdock area) and that one may have stayed in Langstone Harbour to be see from its west shore on Nov 17

Cattle Egret: One was briefly in the lower Avon valley (just north of Christchurch) on Nov 15 but has not been reported since.

Spoonbill: One was seen sleeping on Baker's Island in Langstone Harbour on Nov 15 but has not been reported since

Bewick's Swan: The family of three (pair with one juvenile) which arrived in the Ibsley/Harbridge area of the Avon valley on Nov 10 were still around on Nov 17

Pale Bellied Brent: The first three were in the Weymouth area on Oct 4 and eight were there on Nov 3. That goup had increased to 18 (at Ferrybridge) on Nov 17 and to 20 on Nov 18

Black Brant: On Nov 17 three were still at Ferrybridge

Egyptian Goose: Seven appeared at Pulborough Brooks on Nov 15. Three were there on Aug 21, eight on Sep 21 and now this goup. A pair had raised five goslings at Petworth Lake in April and these may be the seven now at the RSPB site

Gadwall: A count of 166 on Dogmersfield Lake in north Hampshire on Nov 16 were a surprise as there had been no reports of any there earlier in the year (the only report I have seen was of 52 on Tundry Pond in the same area on Feb 19)

Pintail: The first to arrive back at the Blashford Lakes this autumn were a group of 18 seen on Nov 17 (up to 240 were there last March)

Pochard: On Nov 15 Mike Collins saw a male on the Budds Farm Pools at Havant distinctively marked with a plate attached to its upper bill showing a blue J. Mike had seen this same bird here on Jan 20 this year and found it had been marked in France.

Hybrid Ferruginous Ducks: On Sep 8 I believe I saw the regular male Ferruginous x Pochard hybrid ('Fudge Duck') back on the Budds Farm pools to which it has been returning each winter since 1999 but it has not been reported there by others until now when Mike Collins saw two similar hybrids at Budds Farm in Nov 15 but believes that neither was the original bird. On that same day Steve Mansfield believes the original Fudge Duck was on the Sinah gravel pit lake on south Hayling.

Long-tailed Duck: Two of these had been in Langstone Harbour on Nov 12 and one of those (a male) may be the bird that was in Freshwater Bay (Isle of Wight) on Nov 14 and 15. The other bird, a female, may have stayed in Langstone Harbour to be seen in the Chalkdock area on Nov 15

Goldeneye: Five were in the Chalkdock area of Langstone Harbour on Nov 15 - other than a single bird seen on Nov 6 these seem to be the first in Langstone Harbour this winter

Smew: None reported in Britain so far this winter but one was seen in Belgium on Nov 15 (another single had been in Holland on Oct 3 which may have been too early for a wild migrant?)

Marsh Harrier: These are increasing in numbers throughout Britain and many remain with us through the winter. They have been regular visitors to Titchfield Haven for many years and this winter we may have one based in Langstone Harbour as there have been sightings of a female at Farlington Marshes on Nov 6, 12 and 16. I was surprised to see (in 'Birds of Hants') that between 1961 and 1992 there had been 64 sightings in Langstone Harbour and only 50 at Titchfield Haven, and I see from recent annual bird reports that there have been more sightings at Farlington Marshes than I was aware of so perhaps I should not see the current three reports as being unusual

Goshawk: A female was seen over Kingley Vale (north of Chichester) on Nov 15 (and on Nov 16 a male Hen Harrier was being harrassed by a Peregrine there)

Merlin: A female got her picture on the Sandwich Bay website after an incident on Nov 16 in which a resident near the bird observatory had called for help in resolving a dispute between a Sparrowhawk and a Merlin taking place in the kitchen of the resident's home - this was resolved without permanent damage to either bird or serious damage to the property

Avocet: The flock at Farlington Marshes which had not exceeded 11 birds up to Nov 7 was up to 21 birds on Nov 12 and 16. On Nov 18 there was a first mention of five birds in Pagham Harbour

Sanderling: The high tide flock at Black Point on Hayling Island numbered 270 on Nov 17. This is the first mention of Sanderling in this area since 70+ were seen on the Pilsey sands on Sep 6

Black-tailed Godwit: A count of 168 at Titchfield Haven on Nov 15 is the first report of the species at the Haven since Aug 27 when numbers had decreased to 50 from a summer peak of 160 in July - I guess this return of the birds to the site may have something to do with the dryness of the ground in the autumn followed by recent heavy rain! Locally there have been 100 or more in the Nore Barn area west of Emsworth since the start of November and the number reached a peak of 146 on Nov 17 (also on Nov 18 a lone bird was back in the pony field south of Wade Court at Langstone - this field includes the orginal course of the Lymbourne stream before it was diverted to serve Langstone Mill and on Nov 15 the field started to flood as if does each winter)

Bar-tailed Godwit: One in summer plumage was present at Black Point on Hayling on Nov 17 - several wader species seem to have occasional individuals with wrongly set biological clocks causing them to wear summer plumage in winter and (I think) winter plumage in summer though I am not sure if the fault keeps them permanently in summer plumage.

Common Sandpiper: So far I have seen no reports of wintering Common Sandpipers in the Havant area but two were seen at the Lower Test (Southampton) on Nov 11, one was in the Holes Bay area of of Poole Harbour on Nov 14 and two were in the lower reaches of the R Adur in Sussex on Nov 17

Grey Phalarope: Six reports between Nov 15 and 19 come from Devon and Cornwall on Nov 15, from Ferrybridge (Weymouth) on Nov 18 when one was at the Badminston pits on the edge of the New Forest near Fawley and on Nov 19 that one was still present as was one in Chesil Cove at Portland which may have been the Ferrybridge bird

Little Gull: Still very few on the English south coast (max 4 off Portland on Nov 16) while large numbers are being recorded on the French coast (1454 off Normandy on Nov 16)

Sandwich Tern: A count of 9 seen from Black Point on Hayling on Nov 17 would seem to reflect wintering birds in Chichester Harbour but may include some late migrants as there were 102 off the Normandy coast on Nov 16 with 71 there on Nov 17

Stock Dove: Very few have been reported on the move so far this autumn when compared with the vast numbers of Wood Pigeons but on Nov 17 Durlston reported 243 Stock Doves going over (along with 21,000 Wood Pigeons)

Ring-necked Parakeet: Another hint that these might be preparing to burst out of their London stronghold came on Nov 17 when ten were seen flying south down the M23 near Crawley

Swallow: Still eight reports (all of singles) between Nov 15 and 18. On Nov 18 one was feeding over Runcton Lake at Chichester and another was on the north Kent coast at Reculver

Black Redstart: On Nov 17 the male and female were still present around the houses at the east end of the Eastoke promenade near Sandy Point on Hayling and on Nov 19 one was reported near the Inn on the Beach at the other end of Hayling Bay

Ring Ouzel: One was still in Cornwall on Nov 15 (they do occasionally winter in this country)

Blackbird: The SOS news on Nov 15 had a story of one Blackbird eating the corpse of another which had died after being caught in chicken wire (probably blown into during a gale)

Fieldfare: A birder in the Kent Stour valley on Nov 15 estimated more than 4500 Fieldfares there that day

Redwing: A massive roost (probably exceeding the 4500 figure for Fieldfares!) has been found in the New Forest but the birder who found it is asking for help in assessing the actual number of birds - watch this space.

Penduline Tit: Two were seen at the Dungeness RSPB site on Nov 15 and three were there on Nov 16

Brambling: On Nov 17 Durlston reported 230 passing over (they had reported 125 over on Nov 2 but so far no one has had a settled flock greater than the one of 100 birds in the New Forest on Nov 11)

Snow Bunting: The flock of 31 on the Sandwich golf course on Nov 11 had increased to 35 birds on Nov 15 (while a flock of 100 has been seen in Norfolk recently). The single bird at East Head in Chichester Harbour has not been reported since Nov 16

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Several new additions to the flowering list this week bring the November total of species in flower to 105

Cranesbill: Dove's Foot freshly flowering in Emsworth and Small-flowered by the A27 at Bedhampton were both surprise finds this week

Stork's-bill: Flowers seen on Nov 17 in a regular spot by the Broadmarsh slipway

Wood Avens: A very unexpected find for the time of year at Emsworth on Nov 18

Wild Angelica: Freshly flowering in Brook Meadow at Emsworth on Nov 18

Common Centaury: A marginal find of an almost dead plant still holding up two unopen flower buds in the Broadmarsh area on Nov 17

Water Figwort: One plant had been revived into full flowering by the resumption of the overflow of water from the Bedhampton springs into the Hermitage Stream on Nov 17 (also there were fresh flowers on Hybrid Water Speedwell and Water Cress but no sign of Water Crowfoot)

Germander Speedwell: This is not plant which I expect to find flowering in winter but one plant was in full flower at Warblington Cemetery and another at Emsworth on Nov 18 (Common and Grey Field Speedwell and Thyme-leaved Speedwell have all been seen this month)

Garden Lobelia: This was flowering as a garden escape at Emsworth on Nov 18 (when other escapes seen flowering were Green Alkanet and Honeysuckle)

Golden Samphire: This is almost universally over by now but I found a plant in full flower in a sheltered situation near Farlington Marshes on |Nov 17

Fleabane: Both Common and Blue Fleabane were flowering by the A27 at Broadmarsh on Nov 17

Winter Heliotrope: This is now in full flower with more than 100 spikes beside the main road through Emsworth on Nov 18

Lesser Burdock: This and Pineappleweed were unexpected finds flowering by Warblington Church on Nov 18

Fungi: On Nov 16 the annual display of Giant Polypore could be seen at the base of one of the old Horse Chestnut trees in Havant park and there was a surprising show of Honey Fungus growing alongside the Langbrook stream running along the south of the park. Also on Nov 16 Yellow Brain Fungus and Coral Spot were seen at Durlston. Several more species were found in the Warblington cemetery area on Nov 18 - the first was a large Agaricus in the meadow west of the cemetery (its size and pale pink gills suggested what Roger Phillips shows as Agaricus excellens but this species is not listed by the Hampshire Fungus recording group). In the old cemetery a magnificent show of Tawny Funnel Cap was seen no more than 50 metres west of the cemetery toilet block (under a small cedar type tree south of the path going west) and in the new extension there was another great display of Stubble Rosegill (Volvariella speciosa) with a single example of Bolbitius vitellinus (Yellow Fieldcap) and some other smaller, white gilled, toadstool that were probably one of the poisonous Clitocybe species. In Pook Lane the Wrinkled Peach (Rhodotus palmatus) which I had first seen as buds on Nov 15 were probably as large as they will get when I photographed them on Nov 18

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This afternoon I walked to Warblington cemetery before coming back via Pook Lane where I took some photos of the Wrinkled Peach fungus in almost darkness under heavy clouds, luckily getting home without rain,

Walking down the Billy Trail I noted what is probably the last Honeysuckle flower of the year and in the Wade Court south meadow there was still a good showing of 50+ Teal, today accompanied by two Egrets, seven Grey Heron, three hen Pheasants and a lone Black-tailed Godwit (the first time I have seen it on this field this winter but probably the same single bird that used to feed there last winter). Out on the mud the Shelduck count was up to 16 but there was little else to see on the mud exposed to the strong wind.

My first port of call was Warblington cemetery which I approached from the sea wall across the meadow taking the official footpath and near the hedge of this field I found a large and very edible looking Mushroom with a cap 11 cm across but rather pale gills. There was no sign of yellow staining and I wonder if it is an example of Agaricus excellens?

In the cemetery I found Green Alkanet in flower plus Thyme-leaved Speedwell and a very unexpected plant of Germander Speedwell in full flower. Wandering across the grass among the graves I found a very colourful troop of Tawny Funnelcap toadstools of which I took the photos below (including the pale gills of the Agaricus mushroom).

Troop of Tawny Funnelcaps in Warblington cemetery (plus underside of Agaricus excellens?)

I then went to the cemetery extension, finding Lesser Burdock, Black Nightshade and Pineappleweed all in flower along the track passing south of the church. In the extension many Stubble Rosegill (Volvariella speciosa) fungi where flourishing, inviting more photos, and near them were more troops of smaller pale fungi (possibly one of the poisonous Clitocybe species - dealbata or rivulosa). One isolated toadstool was identifiable by its yellow cap as Bolbitius vitellinus (the Yellow Cowpat toadstool)

Stubble Rosegill (Volvariella speciosa) - young and old - in Warblington Cemetery extension

Heading now for Pook Lane I passed two more fungal species in the grass beside the new road connecting Church Lane to Pook Lane but have not got near to identifying them. In Pook Lane, despite being almost in the dark, I managed to get a couple of shots of the Wrinkled Peach (Rhodotus palmatus) specimens

Wrinkled Peach (Rhodotus palmatus) fungi on old tree trunk in Pook Lane

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This afternoon I cycled to Broadmarsh finding at least ten unexpected plants in flower plus three or four fungi of which I could only identify one for certain - also seen were Sparrowhawk, Kingfisher and 75 Lapwing resting motionless on the stony shore at Broadmarsh.

I set off past the new Tesco store which will be open in a couple of weeks (when we will regain use of the footpath between the store and Langbrook stream) and I followed the Wayfarer's Way path through the Bedhampton Water Works area after negotiating the large scale building works taking place along Ranelagh Road. That road has recently been dug up to lay a very large water pipe between the Water Company offices area and the Bedhampton springs and as I squeezed along the narrow path left open I asked one of the workman what else was going on - as I suspected he told me that when they have finished their work house building will start on what has up to now been a grass field (sometimes with sheep in it) along the north side of Ranelagh Road.

Emerging from the 'war zone' I immediately had a Sparrowhawk high overhead (patrolling, not hunting) and was soon watching a Grey Wagtail by the Hermitage Stream. Here, where the Bedhampton Springs overflow into the stream, Hybrid Water Speedwell, Water Figwort and Water Cress all had fresh flowers but there was nothing else of interest until the Broadmarsh slipway area where Storksbill had flowers.

Reaching the cycle way to Portsmouth below the A27 embankment I spotted a single plant of Common Centaury which still had two pink flower buds and in the Chalk Dock area I came on a whole bush of Golden Samphire still in flower. My best finds came as I returned along the cycleway around the outside of the Broadmarsh open space. Here, where the cycleway comes up to the level of the road just before reaching the Harts Farm Way roundabout, was a patch of roadside grass in which Black Knapweed, Blue Fleabane, common Fleabane and Small-flowered Cranesbill were in flower (more proof that wild flowers love the warmth and funes of motor cars!). Before crossing the Hermitage Stream by the road bridge I noticed a troop of 'Horse Mushrooms' under the trees on the slope of the Broadmarsh 'mountain' but did not stop to check their identity. After the bridge however, passing the electricity substation opposite the 'Amenity Tip', I did stop when I saw a troop of Volvariella speciosa (called Stubble Rosegill because they are normally found in harvested arable fields but here thriving on woodchip mulch under planted shrubs). Also in the mulch were some large Panaeolus type fungi with a thin white stem 13cm tall and a large bellshaped cap more than 4 cm across the base and 3 cm tall - I think this must be a large P. semiovatus - and near them were some smaller very white capped tufted fungi with curved stems up to 5cm long and caps 3 cm across and less than 1cm in height (so far no suggestion for a name but probably related to Panaeolus)

I turned down the path beside the Brockhampton stream in the hope of seeing the Kingfisher which was not there when I arrived on the bridge close to his favourite perch but before I moved on a small bird came whizzing upstream with the sun behind it, saw me and piped its annoyance before turning round to seek privacy elsewhere.

On Budds Farm Pools the duck numbers were low - a couple of Swans and two or three each of Shoveler, Gadwall, Tufted Duck, Pochard and Mallard with only one Teal and a couple of Little Grebes seen.

Heading on up Southmoor Lane both Large Flowered Evening Primrose and Musk Mallow still had flowers in the wildflower planting, and further up the roadside grass had Herb Robert, Sweet Alison and Creeping Thistle in flower while the Water Wheel area of the Langbrook stream still had Water Forget-me-not in flower. Not a bad list for mid-November!

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With trees nearing breaking point in today's strong wind I was amused to find a cluster of Mycena inclinata (Clustered Bonnet) fungi, with stems only 1 mm wide but 110 mm tall, managing to support caps 2 cm wide without even swaying, in wood debris on the ground below Beech, Walnut and Plum trees at the end of our garden.

The wind discouraged a long walk but I did chose a different route to the shops today, going around the southern side of Havant Park where one of the old Chestnut trees has its usual massive display of Giant Polypore and another had a smaller display of Glistening Inkcaps. Walking beside the concrete channel of the Lavant/Langbrook stream across the road from the bus station I was surprised to find a really big display of Honey Fungus coming up under the metal railings which prevent you from falling into the stream - I suppose there were trees growing here in the past and that the remains of their roots are still decaying under the concrete and tarmac to feed the fungus which probably extends over a stretch some thirty metres long

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Mid-day sunshine suggested a quick cycle trip to see if the Winter Heliotrope was now in flower by Wade Lane outside Wade Court and it was - at least three flower heads now up.

Continuing to the shore end of Wade Lane I heard the 'belling' of Teal back on the newly flooded field south of Wade Court and counted more than 75 birds there.

Cycling along the shore to Pook Lane I noted a dozen Wigeon and a couple of Shelduck among the Brent at the end of the lane, and almost as soon as I had turned into Pook Lane I passed a massive display of rotting fungi on the bank above the streamlet - I have found Agrocybe cylindracea (Poplar Fieldcap) here in the past and I found just one specimen fresh enough to establish that that was what these fungi had been. Half-way up the lane (just north of the field gate opening off on the west side of the lane) there is (among brambles on the east side of the lane) the cut end of a large tree which came down several years back and which has had the uncommon Rhodotus palmatus (Wrinkled Peach) fungus on it in the past - today two small buds had just appeared on the wood and the delicate peach pink of their caps was enough to tell me that the species was still present here (hopefully photos in the near future).

Passing the Pook Lane stables, just before turning onto the footbridge over the A27, a plant of Cow Parsley was covered with fresh flowers, and in the 'twitchel path' leading from the north end of the bridge back to Wade Court Road I was delighted to see a single bright pink flower of Shining Cranesbill

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After some very heavy showers this morning I took a short walk to the Havant Eastern Road cemetery where a good show of Field Blewits had come up alongside a couple of other toadstool species. One was the unmistakeable Amethyst Deceiver (the ordinary brown Deceivers were also present) but I cannot name the other precisely - it is clearly a Tricholoma species but could be one of several. It is a smallish, trooping toadstool flourishing on grass under Common Lime trees and the caps are 35 to 66mm across, smoothly convex with a dark brown skin flaking everywhere to reveal thin white flesh below - the flakes curl up and give a very ornamental look. The stems are fairly short and thin, not much more than 40 mm tall on the larger specimens and with a width of 4 to 8 mm. The gills are whitish and fairly dense, contracting as they near the stem (technically 'emarginate'). The stems are whitish but with a hint of the brown from the cap and have no sign of a ring. Perhaps the most likely candidates are Tricholoma atrosquamosum and T. argyraceum

While in the cemetery I found just one flower on the Early Dog Violets and Burnet Saxifrage was flowering with Hedge Bedstraw. Of the planted wildflower seed Cornflower and Red Campion could both be seen and both Scarlet Pimpernel and Creeping Cinquefoil had flowers.

Up the road I could still tick Weasel's Snout and Common Ramping Fumitory and en route I noted Pellitory of the Wall, Common Gorse, Creeping Buttercup and Hawkweed Oxtongue while the flower beds in my garden still have Common Fumitory, Yellow Oxalis and Field Speedwell in flower.

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Divers: On Nov 12 six Red-throated were seen in Christchurch Harbour while just across the channel on Nov 11 there were 26 of them at one site on the Normandy coast. On Nov 9 two Black-throated were off Bexhill and on Nov 12 one was seen at Christchurch Harbour. Great Northern are becoming relatively numerous with 10 off the Devon coast on Nov 8 when 2 were in Weymouth Bay and 1 in Southampton Water

Grebes: At least 99 Great Crested were in Langstone Harbour on Nov 6 (and 45 were seen from the Hayling Oysterbeds on Nov 12). One Red-necked was at Dungeness on Nov 11 and three Slavonian were in the Lymington area on Nov 8 (with one in Langstone Harbour on Nov 12). There have been no reports of the Langstone Harbour Black-necks since six were seen on Nov 8

Bittern: In the three days from Nov 10 to 12 there were reports of singles at Dungeness, Rye Harbour, Poole Harbour and Radipole (Weymouth)

Great White Egret: One was still at the Blashford Lakes (Ringwood) on Nov 8 and another at the Dungeness RSPB reseve on Nov 11. Over on the continent a total of 43 were seen at half a dozen sites on Nov 9

Glossy Ibis: Two are still based at the Dungeness RSPB reserve where they first appeared on Sep 22. Over in Holland two Sacred Ibis are still present

Spoonbill: No news of the Pagham Harbour bird since Nov 7 - maybe the bird seen at Hook/Warsash on Nov 11 had come from Pagham?

Bewick's Swan: When I started to take an interest in birds in Hampshire in the 1980s a regular large winter flock of Bewick's could be expected in the Avon Valley (I think the peak count was 275 birds on 11 Jan 1986) but we are lucky to have a count of 10 birds nowadays (in 2008 ten were present for one day only and in 2009 there were 10 there on three days between Feb 14 and Mar 4). The first report for the valley this winter is of 3 there on Nov 10. Elsewhere the first migrants were reported in Holland on Oct 9 (just 3 birds), the first 14 birds reached Slimbridge on Nov 1 and on Nov 2 there were at least 56 at three continental sites followed by two reaching Dungeness on Nov 4 (four there next day)

Brent Goose: I think a new wave of birds arrived in the English Channel on Nov 9 when 3748 were reported off Pointe du Hoc on the Normandy coast (on Nov 11 there were more birds than I expected on the Langstone South Moors shore - possibly new arrivals still moving west) but these have brought no indication of a good breeding season with them.

Black Brant: Nov 5 brought the first report of one in the West Wittering area but I suspect this may have been a sighting of the bird which was first seen around Thorney Island on Oct 14 (but not mentioned again after Nov 17)

Shelduck: The first count to exceed 100 this winter was of 149 off Pointe du Hoc (Normandy) on Nov 9 and this may reflect the major arrival of birds in our area for this winter

Wigeon: On Nov 6 Jason Crook estimated that 250 were present around Farlington Marshes and on Nov 11 I had my highest count (76) on them in the mouth of the Langbrook Stream off the Langstone South Moors

Pintail: Further evidence of a major wildfowl arrival on Nov 9 is in a count of 634 off Pointe du Hoc in Normandy

Pochard: A count of 218 at Slimbridge on Nov 11 is another 'highest count so far this winter'

Scaup: Five were at Abbotsbury in Dorset on Nov 10 after three had been seen there on Nov 6 (both counts are the highest so far in southern England this winter)

Eider: Another 'highest so far' is a count of 27 in the Pegwell Bay area of east Kent on Nov 9

Long-tailed Duck: One passing Spurn Point in Yorkshire on Oct 16 was the first I know of for this winter and it was followed by on in Devon on Nov 1 and one in Cornwall on Nov 8. In this setting the appearance of two in Langstone Harbour on Nov 12 (seen from the Oyster Beds) is significant

Goldeneye: The first of the winter in the Channel area were seen on Oct 13 (Warsash) and Oct 14 (south Hayling) but so far the highest count has been of 4 at the Blashford Lakes (Ringwood) on Oct 20 with 4+ there on Nov 1. The first in Langstone Harbour was seen on Nov 6

Red-breasted Merganser: 56 in Portsmouth Harbour on Nov 4 seems to mark the first major arrival with Langstone Harbour having 68 on Nov 6 and 77 on Nov 12

Rough-legged Buzzard: There is a confident report of two flying in off the sea at Hastings on Nov 9 but these may, like the Woodpigeons, have been making a minor detour from a south westerly path across Europe to Iberia and probably did not remain in England (on that day 4 separate singles passed over continental sites)

Osprey: Also on Nov 9 a late Osprey was reported passing over Belgium (the first anywhere since Oct 28)

Common Crane: It would appear that the major departure of these birds from north west Europe started on Nov 2 when Trektellen carried reports from five separate sites with counts of 82, 57, 21, 16 and 1 birds passing. By Nov 10 this had stepped up to counts of 164, 118, 54, 47 and 2 birds. No reports from southern England since one was on the Isle of Wight on Oct 26 and 27

Avocet: The number at Farlington Marshes was up to 11 on Nov 6 and 7, and with 21 there on Nov 12 - whether all these will stay there through the winter is not certain but last winter there were 33 or 33 there on Jan 1 (2009) with 29 still around on Feb 11

Purple Sandpiper: The first report from Southsea Castle this winter was of 9 birds on Nov 9 with at least 6 there on Nov 10. A count of 37 at Pegwell Bay in Kent on Nov 8 seems to indicate an influx of which the Southsea birds were a part

Snipe: A count of 95 at Farlington Marshes on Nov 12 was unusual (counts there did not exceed 33 in the previous autumn and did not reach 100 until March in 2008)

Black-tailed Godwit: The number at Farlington Marshes (which had peaked at 760 on Oct 4 this autumn - on Oct 1 there were 1215 birds at Brownsea Island in Poole Harbour) dropped back to 400 on Nov 6

Wilson's Phalarope: One was at Slimbridge from Nov 7 to 11 (at least)

Little Gull: We have seen very few in southern England so far this autumn but plenty are now passing along the French coast with a peak count of 2144 off the Normandy coast on Nov 9 when other nearby sites recorded counts of 1499, 637 and 348

Herring Gull: Hampshire saw more of these this week with a count of 504 passing south over the Test Valley north of Romsey on Nov 12

Auks: Two Razorbills were in the mouth of Chichester Harbour on Nov 1 but across the Channel there were 835 mixed Auks on Nov 2 and 959 on Nov 9. England has fared better with Little Auks of which a maximum of three have been reported from the continent this week while Cornwall had 12 on Nov 8, Spurn Point had 4 on Nov 9 and one was in Southampton Water on Nov 10

Wood Pigeon: Locally Jason Crook watched 2960 of them fly west over Broadmarsh at Havant on Nov 6 and similar numbers are still being reported along our south coast (e.g. 2840 over Poole on Nov 8) while big numbers are still moving on the continent (on Nov 9 five sites in Holland and Belgium had counts of 22434, 10046, 7526, 6302 and 5557)

Shorelark: Last week (Nov 5) one was seen briefly at Sandy Point in Hayling before it flew east but the only report since then is of one at Swalecliffe on the north Kent coast on Nov 8

Swallow: Latest to date is one over Christchurch Harbour on Nov 11

House Martin: One flew south over the Thanet area of Kent on Nov 10

Wren: These are normally seen singly by day with two often confronting each other so the sight of a cluster of six perched on one bush in the company of a tit flock on Nov 11 was reported as unusual. I suspect that these may have grouped together (as most bird species do) for company on their travels (perhaps they had just come across the Channel with the Tits?) but even when settled for the winter we have all heard reports of numbers like 50 all crammed together in one nest box for mutual warmth on a freezing night.

Common Redstart: One seen in east Hampshire on Oct 25 seemed to have been the last of the year until I saw a report of a late female still present in Devon on Nov 5

Wheatear: One at Southsea on Nov 9 was the first anywhere since Nov 5

Ring Ousel: Two were still in Dorset on Nov 9 (at Lodmoor and Ballard Down) and one was in Holland on Nov 11

Blackbird: These are still arriving from the continent daily with a peak of 100 (plus 50 Song Thrushes) at Portland on Nov 9

Dartford Warbler: 107 were found in the New Forest on Nov 7 during the first of this winter's surveys - last year there were 103 found by a similar survey on Nov 23 (shrinking to 84 in the next survey on Dec 21). Similar counts in 2007 were of 77 birds on Nov 18 and 59 on Dec 15.

Taiga Flycatcher (Ficedula albicilla): Photos of what might have been a bird of this species appeared on the Cornwall Birding website after it had been seen on Nov 6. If the id had been proved this would only be the third record for the UK after two individuals were seen in 2003 (one in Yorkshire and one in Shetland)

Brown Shrike: The long staying bird was still at the Staines Moor site near Heathrow on Nov 7

Great Grey Shrike: Just one was recorded during the New Forest wide search for them on Nov 7/8

Brambling: A flock of 100 was at Barrow Moor (just east of the Rhinefield Ornamental Drive in the New Forest) on Nov 11. This is the first large flock in Hampshire this winter but there were 125 passing over Durlston on Nov 2 and 562 passing Hamburg in Germany on Nov 7

Common (or Mealy) Redpoll: One had been caught and ringed at Sandwich Bay on Nov 4 and another was reported from Durlston on Nov 11

Parrot Crossbill: First report for this winter comes from Hamburg in Germany where 6 birds were seen on Nov 12

Bullfinch: Latest reports of migrants come from Farlington Marshes (two birds there on Nov 6), Hastings (six passing on Nov 9) while on Nov 11 six were seen together in Ashdown Forest and 7 in a copse on the eastern edge of the New Forest adjacent to Hythe.

Snow Bunting: After a report of 13 at Sandwich Bay on Nov 8 there wre 16 there on Nov 10 followed by a flock of 31 in the Thanet area on Nov 11. Also on Nov 11 one was seen at East Head near West Wittering and that one was still there on Nov 12

Corn Bunting: 8 were found in the Longwood Warren area (below Cheesefoot Head to the east of Winchester) on Nov 8. As with the group of 5 seen at The Burgh on the Sussex Downs near Amberley on Nov 6 some of the male gave intermittent song

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Nothing new to report but 77 species have been found in flower in the first half of November and these include Sweet and Early Dog Violets, Golden Samphire, Green Alkanet, Mouse-ear Hawkweed, Common and Ramping Fumitory plus Weasel's Snout (or Lesser Snapdragon)

Fungi: A number of Field Blewits have appeared in the Havant Eastern Road cemetery this week along with the first Amethyst Deceivers of the autumn and a Tricholoma species that may be T. argyraceum. On my lawn the Deceivers, Mycena flavo-alba, Snowy and Parrot Waxcaps have now been joined by a number of Orange Mosscaps (Rickenella/Mycena fibula). By far the most important fungal news this week relates to a couple of fungi found several weeks ago in Danbury Court (off Westbourne Avenue in Emsworth) - until this week their identity was disputed but we now have an expert opinion that they are Neolentinus lepideus, an uncommon fungus causing drastic rotting of coniferous wood which has not been sufficiently protected by creosote. It's official English name is Scaly sawgill but I prefer the unofficial name of 'Train Wrecker' which comes from its ability to turn railway sleepers to powder and thus derail trains.

(Link to previous day’s entry)

This morning I took a few photos (below) of fungi on my lawn showing the current state of the Deceivers and Parrot Waxcaps (which I showed when they first appeared) plus the more recent Snowy Waxcaps.

For those with a general interest in fungi who may have recently seen pictures of a mystery fungus on Brian Fellows website (they can still be seen at http://www.emsworthwildlife.com/0-0-0-wildlife-diary.htm if you scroll down to the Nov 1 entry about the Danbury Court fungi) I have just had confirmation of their identity from the Hampshire Fungus Recorder who has consulted with an expert and tells us they are a rather uncommon species called Neolentinus lepideus (formerly Lentinus) which is related to Lentinus tigrinus (which was my inexpert guess at their name). Both species appear in the Collins New Generation Guide to Fungi by Stefan Buczacki (a highly recommended backup to the many books which have photos of fungi - this has good colour drawings but its main advantage lies in the wealth of background info which the New Generation guides include).

I see that in Sep 2009 the Hampshire fungal database had just one record of this species, found somewhere in the very centre of Hampshire - now, thanks to Keith Wileman (who found the fungus) and Brian Fellows (who publicised its presence) - the county has two records.

Back to my lawn ....

Mixed Parrot & Snowy Waxcaps; a big troop of Deceivers; Mycena Flavo-alba

A pair of Deceivers and a group of Snowy Waxcaps

Fresh cluster of Snowy Waxcaps

An elderly group of Parrot Waxcaps with an unnamed bystander plus Young with old Parrot Waxcaps

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This week I have changed my procedure for gaining information about continental bird movements. Previously I have gone to the Trektellen website and laboriously looked through the complete reports from all the sites in France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Great Britain (and occasionally other countries such as Germany and Spain), selecting what I considered to be interesting items (not necessarily those highlighted as 'exceptional' by the reporter. This week I went to the Trektellen home page and just selected 'Remarkable' (leftmost entry on the second row of options at the head of the page). This takes you to a page showing all the entries for one day, selected at the head of this page, which have been highlighted as 'unusual' by the observers. These entries have been sorted by species so you see e.g. four reports of Great White Egret from different sites, followed by reports on the next species, on the selected day (each line gives the Site name, the country it is in, the species name, and the reported count). Using this list I get most of the information I want for my summary with minimal effort though I amy miss reports of species that I would think to be of interest but which are not exceptional at the reporting site. In the near future I hope to update my Links page to show all the sites from which I get news for my summaries.

(Skip to Insects)

Divers: Among other reports one Red-throated flew west off Worthing on Nov 1, one Great Northern was off Sandy Point (Hayling) on Nov 3, and a Black-throated was seen at Dungeness on Oct 31. Great Northern are becoming relatively common with seven reports in the first four days of November, Red-throated has had just two reports in this period (both from Worthing) and there has only been one sighting of two Black-throated from Jersey (Channel Isles) on Nov 4

Cormorant: A new Dorset county record was set on Nov 2 when 687 Cormorant were counted in Poole Harbour (481 going to roost on Brownsea Island)

Bittern: Three were seen at the Dungeness RSPB site on Nov 4 (all other reports of Bittern so far this autumnhave been of single birds)

Little Egret: Our coastal birds will soon be heading inland for the winter and a report of one at Fleet Pond in north Hampshire at dusk on Nov 1 may be a first indication of this. Confusingly the report says .. "left N to roost; unusual at site." .. leaving me uncertain if the 'unusual at site' referred to the presence of the bird or the direction in which it left - I presume the former and that this was the first Egret seen there for some time (I have no reports of Egrets at this pond over the past three years).

Great White Egret: My impression that Great White Egrets are relatively common just across the English Channel is supported by Trektellen reports for Nov 1 when 12 Great White were at Hageven Lommel in Belgium with five other sites reporting counts on that day of 6, 3, 3, 1, 1 birds

Glossy Ibis: Two remained at the Dungeness RSPB site up to at least Oct 31 and two others were near the North Walls of Pagham Harbour on Oct 30 and 31

Spoonbill: The young bird was still at Pagham Harbour on Nov 4 and 14 were based at Brownsea Island in Poole Harbour from Oct 27 to Nov 2 at least while four were in the Scillies on Nov 1

Bewick's Swan: 14 (possibly 18) of these arrived at Slimbridge on Nov 1 when they had to struggle against a strong headwind to complete their 2,600 km journey from Siberia. They were a week later than expected. Just over 50 newcomers were seen on the near continent on Nov 2

Whooper Swan: These have been arriving in small numbers since the beginning of October but current news is of one satellite tracked bird arriving at Caerlaverock in Scotland on Nov 5 (just in time for the morning feed!) after completing an 800 km non-stop flight from Iceland in 14 hours (record for this trip is 11 hours)

Canada Goose: A very leucistic bird (seemingly pure white from a distance) was seen on Nov 4 flying east over the Warsash area with 80 other Canadas, probably heading for Titchfield Haven. This bird has been at the Haven over the last two winters and is now returning for at least its third year there. What I presume was a different white bird was seen in the Portsmouth area during several winters in the 1990s (?)

Shelduck: Winter numbers are now building up at south coast sites to judge by a count of 57 at Newtown Harbour (IoW) on Nov 2 (highest previous count this autumn on the south coast was 38 off south east Hayling during the Oct 17 WeBS count

Pintail: Around 90 were at Pulborough Brooks on Nov 2 was also a highest count for this autumn following 53 in Langstone Harbour on Oct 4

Red-breasted Merganser: 56 were in Portsmouth Harbour, seen from Gosport, on Nov 4 - this is another highest count with 26 in the south of Langstone Harbour on Oct 14 being the previous peak

Goosander: ... and another peak for this autumn was a count of 16 on the Blashford Lakes at Ringwood om Nov 1 (previous high of 12 at that site on Oct 20

Ruddy Duck: ... and another peak with 12 at the Blashford Lakes on Nov 1 (8 there on Oct 6 and 10 on Oct 31)

Hobby: Another late bird was seen in Dorset on Nov 4

Common Crane: No more news of the young bird seen in the Isle of Wight on Oct 26 and 27 (presumably an off course migrant) but over on the continent the main autumn passage seems to have got underway on Nov 1 when 18 flew over a Belgian site, followed on Nov 2 by a count of 82 over one Dutch site and counts of 57, 21, 16 and 1 at other sites

Avocet: Three were at Farlington Marshes on Nov 2 and 4 (and up to ten have dropped in there recently)

Lapwing: 2100 flew over one Dutch site on Nov 4 (a total of 1850 seen on Oct 28 was the previous peak movement)

Curlew Sandpiper: A late bird at Christchurch Harbour on Nov 4 was the first anywhere since Oct 26

Green Sandpiper: The longest period when this species was not reported somewhere in the south this year was from May 6 to 27 and groups of up to 34 were seen on several dates in August so a report of two birds at Budds Farm in Havant on Nov 2 and one flying over the Hermitage Stream in Leigh Park (Havant) on Nov 4 is of local interest only but probably marks the start of regular winter sightings in the Havant area (so far no news of wintering Common Sandpipers in the Havant area)

Great Blackback Gull: 96 were seen at Sandwich Bay on Oct 16 (presumably just pausing on passage) and 45 were similarly resting in a coastal field near Worthing on Oct 20 so a flock of 99 resting on the HMS Sultan playing fields at Gosport on Nov 1 may well have been a passage flock (last year there were 42 there on Nov 9). In 2007 Rye Harbour reported 700 on Oct 27 while Christchurch Harbour had 109 on Dec 18 seeming to indicate that some of these large 'one off' gatherings are of birds remaining in the south coast area through the winter and this is supported by two isolated counts in the early months of 2007 (100+ in the Sussex Cuckmere Valley on Jan 31 and 1200 there on Feb 10 with 343 at Rye Harbour on Feb 1). No similar counts in early 2008 but this year I saw a report of 300+ in the Cuckmere Valley on Jan 25

Sandwich Tern: Five were in the Langstone Harbour entrance area on Nov 3 - wintering birds

Common Tern: One in the Hook/Warsash area on Nov 3 was presumably a late passage bird

Auk species: A mixed bag of 835 Guillemots and Razorbills was off the Brittany coast on Nov 2

Razorbill: 504 reported off Cabo Ajo (between Bibao and Santander in north Spain) on Nov 3

Stock Dove: More now being seen in southern England. 79 over Christchurch Harbour on Nov 2, 60 over Durlston on Nov 4 when 160 (presumably new in from the continent) were seen from Hastings country park

Wood Pigeon: 14,990 flew west over Constitution Hill in Poole on Nov 2 when Christchurch Harbour had 7300 and Portland reported 4000 (though probably many more passed over as on Nov 3 Portland did not give a count but reported many flying over at the limit of naked eye vision (around 8,000 feet or 1.5 miles up). Highest of six counts on Nov 4 was 8,000 over Portland (and 7879 over Blairgowrie in Scotland). On Nov 5 Lee Evans saw 2,500 passing over his home in Buckinghamshore and summed up our knowledge of these autumn movements, saying that the birds we see each autumn come from Fenno-Scandinavia (few if any British birds are involved) and head for Iberia and Italy. For some unknown reason they return in spring by a different route which does not take them over Britain

Hoopoe: The bird seen near Brighstone on the Isle of Wight on Oct 15 and 16 was reported to be still there on Nov 2

Skylark: Continental birds still arriving in moderate numbers - at Sandwich Bay 120 were seen on Nov 2 and 28 were seen to fly in off the sea on Nov 3

Swallow: 7 over Portland (and 2 at Dungeness) on Nov 2, then one over Hook/Warsash on Nov 3 (another report of one there on Nov 4 - maybe someone has the wrong date?). Nov 4 saw six over Christchurch Harbour and 27 at Sandwich Bay

House Martin: One at Dungeness on Nov 2 and one at Cap Gris-Nez on Nov 4

Richard's Pipit: One at Langston Herring in Dorset on Nov 4

Olive Backed Pipit: One in the Scillies on Nov 1

Yellow Wagtail: A late female at Weir Wood Reservoir near Crowborough on Nov 3 (previous latest on Oct 28 at Portland)

Bluethroat: One in the Scillies on Nov 1 (one previously this year in Dorset on Aug 15)

Black Redstart: 14 reports between Nov 1 and 4 including one back on houses at the east end of the Hayling Eastoke Promenade (a regular site close to Sandy Point) on Nov 4

Wheatear: One in the Black/Sandy Point area of Hayling on Hayling on Nov 2 with later birds at Sandwich Bay on Nov 3 and Portland on Nov 4

Ring Ouzel: No reports since Nov 29

Black-throated Thrush (Turdus atrogularis): One in Dorset on Oct 27 and 28. This was the 23rd report in Britain but there is uncertaincy about the status of the species. Taxonomists nowadays treat Black-throated Thrust as a subspeices of Dark-throated Thrush (classifying it as Turdus ruficollis astrogularis).

Fieldfare: 1704 in Yorkshire on Nov 4 with 1305 Redwing at the same Yorkshire site on Nov 4

Tree Sparrow: One seen at Ella Nore (near West Wittering on the shore of Chichester Harbour) on Nov 2

Bullfinch: Reports from the Luton area of Bedfordshire are of 50 Bullfinch passing over on Nov 2 and 12 on Nov 3 - I have no idea where these came from or where they were going but it was certainly an unexpected observation. It could be that there are a large number of Bullfinch based in that area as 8 had been seen there on Oct 17 and 23 on Oct 28 but other reports (10 in the Test Valley near Romsey on Oct 13 and 6 over Hastings on Oct 28) indicate some autumn movment with birds probably arriving from the continent.

Lapland Bunting: One was in the Pagham Harbour North Walls area from Oct 31 to Nov 4 at least. There were also sightings of singles at Christchurch Harbour and Durlston on Nov 2

(Skip to Plants)

(Skip to Other Wildlife)

69 species seen flowering in November so far

Ranunculus trichophyllus (Thread Leaved Water Crowfoot): This was still flowering in the Walland Marshes east of Rye on Nov 1. I see the plant was recorded in Sinah Lake on Hayling in 1976 but it is unlikely to be seen there now and is rare in Hampshire

Ranunculus penicillatus (Stream Water-crowfoot): Just managing to flower in the overflow sluice from the Bedhampton Water Works at Havant on Nov 4 despite the lack of any water flow (just puddles of rain water)

Early Dog Violet (Viola reichenbachiana): Four flowers seen in the Havant Eastern Road cemetery on Nov 4 (and one in my Havant garden on Nov 7)

Sweet Violet: 50 flowers out in St Faith's churchyard in Havant on Nov 5

Meadow Sweet: I have already reported an isolated plant by the Lavant stream in Havant on Oct 26 and on Oct 31 Brian Fellows found one flowering in Brook Meadow at Emsworth

Holly: The most unexpected find this week was of flowers on a Holly tree in the Hollybank Woods at Emsworth on Nov 2 (photo with my Diary entry for that day).

Thrift (Sea Pink): Durlston reported this in flower on Nov 1

Yellow Pimpernel: A few flowers on this were another unexpected find in the Hollybank Woods at Emsworth on Nov 2

Apple of Peru: One plant flowering in a flowerbed outside the United Reformed Church in central Havant on Nov 7 - I doubt it was intentionally planted

Grey Field Speedwell: One flower seen in Havant St Faith's churchyard on Nov 5

Dwarf Thistle: Flowering at Durlston on Nov 5

Greater Knapweed: Flowering at Durlston on Nov 1

Snails: Two species get a mention on the Durlston website when they were seen taking advantage of the wet ground on Nov 1 to make their way from A to B for unknown reasons. One was the Lapidary Snail (Helicigona lapicida) and the other the Pointed Snail (Cochlicella acuta) in which I have a personal interest having watched two colonies become seemingly extinct. The Pointed Snail is a small 'spire shaped' animal 15mm high by 6mm wide which is unusual in being an air breathing landsnail which likes to live by the sea (often in sand-dunes but also in coastal calcareous grassland). It is not a rarity but is only found in isolated colonies (apparently it has got to Australia and become a pest species in both arable and pasture fields there). I first came across it at the Portsmouth IBM HQ site which is on land only reclaimed from the sea around 1970 when the M27 was built across the reclaimed part of Portsmouth Harbour - the snails were presumably there before the reclaimation but instead of being destroyed by it they thrived on the mass of chalk brought to build the motorway foundations across the mud (chalk being essential to shell building). In the 1980s these snails could be found there in thousands but by the mid 1990s when I ceased to have daily contact with the site they seemed to have vanished. I then found another colony on the inside of the high seawall bank which holds back the hightide of Chichester Harbour from flooding the west end of the Great Deeps on Thorney Island but in the last few years I have been unable to find live specimens there.

Fungi: A visit to the 'Sling' area of Stansted Forest by the Havant Wildllife Group on Oct 31 listed 35 species and my own visit to the Hollybank Woods on Nov 1 found at least ten more species not on their list while my own garden lawn us given me another half dozen. These finds seem to show that the continuing relatively warm weather coupled with plenty of rain (at last) is giving us a good season for finding fungi. Pick of the bunch (my personal choice!) from the Stansted Forest list are the Porcelain Fungus and Oyster Mushrooms growing on trees, the decorative clusters of Shaggy Pholiota at the base of tree trunks, Magpie Fungus, Clouded Agaric, Wood Mushroom and Wood Blewit standing boldly on the ground, and the Hedgehog Puffball (Lycoperdon echinatum) - this is the only site I know of for this one - joining many smaller species including the colourful Mycena pura (lilac) and Mycena crocata (which at first glance seems to be another of those little brown jobs but which exudes a bright orange/red juice when its yellowish stem is broken), Ramaria stricta (yellow), Snowy Waxcap (pure white) and the black and white Stags Horn or Candlesnuff Fungus. The species found by myself can be found, with some photos, in my diary entries for Nov 2 and Oct 31. Also this week Brian Fellows has found the first examples this year of Agrocybe cylindracea on old willows at Brook Meadow in Emsworth and John Goodspeed has seen Bay Bolete (B. badius) on the Crookhorn Golf Course on Portsdown

(Link to previous day’s entry)

A walk to the shops today found at least 50 flowers on the Sweet Violets in St Faith's churchyard where Mouse-ear Hawkweed is still flourishing. Also seen here was one fresh flower on Grey Field Speedwell and the last few flowers on the Wall Lettuce outside Homewell House.

On my way home I found the Prickly Lettuce plant still flowering in the carpark area of St Faith's Church Hall and, in the east Pallant, many Wasps and Flies were on the Ivy flowers

Later in the day I had an email from Jim Berry with a photo of a fungus he had found (some three weeks ago) on a log beside the path leading uphill east of Idsworth House. The species (Antrodia serialis) is one that I had not heard of before and which is distinctive in having 'exposed pores' so I am including a reduction of Jim's photo which may help others to recognise it - it can be found all round the year and is usually on the cut ends of felled conifers though it can be on other timber

Antrodia serialis (reduced from photo by Jim Berry)

(Link to previous day’s entry)

In several past winters Green Sandpipers have been in the Hermitage Stream where it runs through the Stockheath area of Leigh Park (between Barncroft Way and Purbrook Way) so I was pleased to hear the call of one and see it flying over the stream when I was there this afternoon. In previous years I have had the impression that they move around each day between several local sites so it they are not in the Hermitage Stream they may be in the Budds Farm area or on the pony field north of Langstone Mill Pond (when it is flooded), and today's sighting may have been of one of two birds I saw on Monday during a quick morning visit to Budds Farm which I did not mention in my diary for that day.

This afternoon's cycle trip started with the Eastern Road cemetery where four flowers were out on the Early Dog Violets and Burnet Saxifrage could still be seen, continuing past the New Lane allotments where a couple of flowers can still be found on Weasel's Snout and on the remnant of the Common Ramping Fumitory climbing the wire fence.

My route took me past the outflow from the Bedhampton Water Works site into the Hermitage Stream, where Stream Water Crowfoot still had some flowers but was in a sorry state with no water flowing out along the spillway. Bedhampton Mill Pool was in much the same state - the water level very low and with a lot of weed growth though there were still a couple of Gadwall and a Little Grebe on it.

Today brought my November list of flowering species up to 69

(Link to previous day’s entry)

A brief walk around the Hollybank Woods this afternoon gave me a much better list of fungi than I had expected but also a couple of flowers that I did not expect in November. The first of these was Yellow Pimpernel which is not normally seen after September (this year my last sight of it was on Sep 21) but the second was a totally unexpected find of flowers on Holly (normally flowering from May to the end of July). The photo below is the single example I found - just one branch in an overgrown dark situation.

Fly Agarics and November Holly Flower in Hollybank Woods

Part of a large ring of Clouded Agarics

Entering the woods from the south along Hollybank Lane I first turned right in the hope of seeing Porcelain Fungus, on the Beech Tree on which it has appeared in the last two years, after learning of its miraculous contribution to agriculture (see my notes on Fungi in my latest Weekly Summary) but there was no hint of it on the dead branch of the Beech tree when I got there. Near that tree I began to find lots of Buttercap on the ground with a slimy capped Boletus, similar to Slippery Jack (Suillus luteus) but smaller and definitely not that species as there was no ring on the stem. This one has me baffled as virtually all Boletus type fungi grow in soil near trees but this one was firmly attached to the wood of an ancient fallen branch/small tree trunk. Stephan Buczacki (author of the Collins new generation guide to Fungi) says of the Boletacea family that they are .. "all terrestrial (except one)" .. but so far I have been unable to find out which that one is (or even if the phrase means that all the species except one grow in soil) - it might mean that one extra-terrestrial species is known!!

After going east behind Hollybank House I turned north and came back to Hollybank Lane through the conifer belt south of and parallel to the main path going east from the Hollybank Lane 'cross roads'. Here were several large troops of Parasol Mushrooms (I see that a quick start to separating Parasol from Shaggy Parasol is that the stems of the former are all 15 cm or more while those of Shaggy Parasol do not exceed 15cm). Also here were species associated with coniferous trees (e.g. Gymnopilus penetrans).

I continued west from the 'cross roads' past the Holly Lodge area to the bracken filled 'open area' where I had seen Fly Agarics on my previous visit and soon found a group worth photographing despite the poor light. Beside them were the Yellow Pimpernel flowers that I would not have noticed had I not got down to ground level to photograph the toadstools. I then headed south-east through the trees (not following any path) and almost immediately came on a big troop of Clouded Agarics. Pressing on I came to a track I was not familiar with but my sense of direction eventually brought me to the track along the southern edge of the wood abutting the fields north of Oak Tree Drive and here I came on a lovely fresh specimen of Slippery Jack with the remains of a Russula brunneoviolacea near it, and a little further east I was pushing head height straggly branches of Holly aside when I saw that one had flowers on it. Finally, as I emerged onto the main Holly Bank Lane track close to the entrance gate of the woods, I almost trod on a good specimen on Tawny Funnel Cap.

Views of the same fresh Slippery Jack

Tawny Funnel Cap near exit from Hollybank Woods

At various places along the way I saw Honey Fungus, Brown Rollrims, Sulphur Tuft, Grey Milk Cap, the remains of what were almost certainly two Penny Buns, a tall puff ball that may have been Lycoperdon perlatum, a Collybia species with a large flat, pinkish white cap and the bright yellow colour of what was probably Hairy Stereum on the cut end of a trunk.

While in the woods I heard the chatter of a Nuthatch that I have not heard since the spring.

Finally I am including here a group of fresh Parrot Waxcaps which appeared on my lawn on Tuesday morning before writing this entry plus one that has been there a liitle longer and which I believe to be Mycena flavo-alba.

Parrot Waxcaps and Mycena flavo-alba on my lawn