Vegetation bashing by the Scrapes and Lake

We started our day moving Lark and Taurus across the road to one of the other Heath paddocks, and after a few false starts they were both happily munching on pastures new.

After the early morning excitement of moving ponies we cleared back Net Ride 36 ready for bird ringing activities this Sunday, when Eleanor happened upon a leaf sporting interesting swollen red spots and aecia (specialised reproductive structures that produce aeciospores). These most likely belong to the Puccinia genus of fungi, all of which are plant pathogens and more commonly known as rusts.

Aside from tackling the encroaching vegetation on Net Ride 36 we have also been scrub bashing on the Scrapes and by the Lake, where Peter happened upon another rust coloured being within the stem of a Thistle.

This red cocoon looks similar to that of the Angle Shades moth (Phlogophora meticulosa), however I would not want to be held to this identification as there could be any number of moth cocoons that look similar to the untrained eye.