Swiftly letting in the light

A healthy group of Nature Forcers turned out in spite of the weather forecast on Wednesday.

After getting a thorough soaking the task was to transform a path through the wood where a tunnel had grown.  Trees on either side had formed an arch keeping out the light.  Also, some of the wood had become dense and several trees needed to be removed.  This then allows the remaining trees to flourish.

The off-cuts, or brash, is then used to form dead-hedges to line the route. These hedges take time to decompose and give shelter and dwelling places for a number of species.

 

 

Remember the Summer Butterflies?

Local recorder Bridget was amazed to find butterflies were already exploring newly planted Diamond Jubilee Wood adjacent to Ashlawn Cutting LNR in August. They were nectaring on Ragwort and other wild flowers that have appeared between the young trees.

As the wood develops they will be restricted to the path edges and open spaces left, but could be encouraged to breed there if the larval food plants and more nectar sources can be established. Bridget took advantage of the lovely day to photograph some of what she found.

Further Fungi Findings

David Champion who is now Chairman of the Cotswold Fungi Group http://cotswoldfungusgroup.com/ came to identify the fungi with Phil.  Margaret found the lovely yellow fungi with picture taken by Phil Par and it is confirmed by David as Tremella lutescens. Apparently it is a fungi that grows on other microscopic fungi feeding on the wood, not on the wood itself.

We took the opportunity to look for other fungi on the reserve, and some of them are listed below.

David pictured the following:-

  •  Macrotyphula fistulosua, (this is uncommon and maybe the first record in Rugby)
  •  Mycena pura, (Lilac bonnet)
  •  Mycena haematopus,  (bleeding fairy helmet, the burgundydrop bonnet, or the bleeding Mycena)
  •  Crepidotus applanatatus ,( similar to the oyster mushroom)

Phil pictured the following:-

  • Tremella mesenterica, the yellow form we found has been called lutescens (Yellow Brain) on Dog rose;
  • Auricularia auricular-judae,  (Jew’s Ear)
  • Xylaria hypoxylon, (Candle snuff, or ‘stags horn fungus’)

 

 

Sunday’s Work Party

Several volunteers turned up for a morning’s work in the sunshine.

We are trying to get all the grassland cut and raked off before the really bad weather sets in. Half the party were tackling some of the encroaching scrub with the aim of having different vegetation heights to suit different species.  Some were drastically reducing rather large trees along the path to allow more light to the grassland.

 

Autumn Highlights

Photos courtesy Phil Parr