An Enjoyable and Busy Day

Sunday, October 30th 2011

Eco Club met this morning and the topic was Birds.  Tony talked about migration and what factors persuaded birds to move between continents.  We also looked at why birds lived in particular habitats and the management of these habitats to ensure that they remained attractive to the birds and provided the right conditions for them.

The importance of the reed bed was mentioned and the management work in the Scrapes could be seen.  We walked along net rides and looked at new ones being created before watching Robin felling a tall conifer as part of the on-going management work.  There were lots of berries but we decided that the ones the birds liked best were Rowan and Hawthorn - most of the others were not eaten!  The ones the children liked best were the sloes!  We visited the wetland hide and saw a Kestrel and Buzzard during our short visit.

In the afternoon the Fungal Foray took place led by Keith.  We walked through the woodland just a little concerned that the weather conditions were not quite right. We need not have worried though as a variety of fungi were seen; some were identified immediately but some needed more time and were collected for identification later.

Hand lenses were used to look closely at some fungi and the books came out to assist us.  In the woodland a Dog Stinkhorn was found (Mutinus canius) and it has not been recorded since 2001.  Another find in the new plantation was Wrinkled Club (Clavulina rugosa), shown below, which usually grows in deciduous woodland and only occasionally near conifers.

Thank you to everyone who helped during the day to make both events so enjoyable.

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