Please refer to the Introduction Page to understand the context behind the monthly photographs.
Definately Fungi month due to the persistant wet weather.
Birds
Butterflies
Crickets
Ladybirds
Oak Galls
Oaks, especially the native species are the host plants for more than 70 species of cynipid gall wasp. These galls are part of the biodiversity a healthy oak tree supports. The plant gall are initiated by mites, beetles, flies, gall wasps, plant sucking bugs (psyllids), aphids and sawflies.
Trees
The Spindleberry is a British native, often seen in hedgerows on chalky soil in the south of England. Fast growing, it is an attractive shrub in autumn when the leaves turn bright red and contrast with the strange pink 4-lobed fruits, which split partially open to reveal bright orange seeds..
Fungi
Note - This Coral Tooth fungus which is on the Red Data List of endangered species has appeared on this log end for the past two years. The first two photographs below were taken in early September at an early stage and remainder taken 4 weeks later in early October.
Other Fungi
Rusts
Blackberry Leaf Rust Fungus (Phragmidium violaceum), also known as the Violet Bramble Rust forms wine-coloured blotches that appear individually peppering the upper surface of leaves and can spread to fuse together. On the underside of the leaves the Violet spot burst through and appear as black specks which contain the rusts spores. The rust is pretty common and whilst it affects the plant it is not enough to affect its future.
Slime moulds
Lichen
Lichen are only recorded at each new OS Grid location (hover for Grid Ref). They are then entered on the British Lichen Society spreadsheet and submitted for their Warwickshire VC38 Lichen database and Lichen mapping.
Ones that escaped the camera lens this month
a) Southern Hawker Male.
b) Common Darter pair in cop.
b) Hornets.