Micro-fungi !

Whilst clearing out an old log heap in my garden, I spotted these tiny 'fungi' on a dead fruit wood branch.  Closer inspection, using my camera, revealed a whole new landscape, in miniature.

 These bowl-shaped discs, only 2-8mm (around 1/4 inch) across, I believe to be the 

somewhat dried fruiting bodies of the 'Variable Oysterling' (Crepidotus variabilis) fungus. 

Whilst less certain about these structures that look like a copse of 'miniature trees' - only 2-3mm tall! - they could be the fruiting bodies or sporocarps of a slime mould, such as Comatricha nigra.

Fungi popping up everywhere

There seem to be toadstools popping up everywhere at the moment - in the lawn, in the flowerbeds and in the woods.  Andy M has taken a few pictures, and hazarded a guess at identifying some of them - suggestions welcome !

Sprouting en masse from an old tree stump on Granta Park. 

Cap about 1cm across.  (Coprinus disseninatus)

Growing in the lawn at home - cap about 3-4cm across. 

Gills white and well spaced. Stipe streaked pink. (Hebeloma spp?)

Hard and scaly, eventually splitting to release black spore-mass inside.

Growing in the soil, about 4-5cm across. Common Earthball (Scleroderma aurantium)

Crazed, reddish-brown cap and red stipe, about 7-8cm across, with characteristic 

tube-shaped 'gills'. Growing on woodland edge at home. (Boletus pulverulentus)

Large fleshy cap with brownish scales and splitting edges 

- around 12cm across. Pinkish-white gills and chunky white stipe. 

In the mown grass on Granta Park.  (???)

Moths in the bathroom!

Having accidentally left the light on in the bathroom, Andy M had number of 'mothy' visitors yesterday evening.

Brimstone moth (Opisthograptis luteolata)

Willow Beauty moth (Peribatodes rhomboidaria)

Setaceous Hebrew Character moth (Xestia c-nigrum)

7-spot ladybird in Church Lane

Peter B found this ladybird (in the green bin) while pruning the shrubs on Sunday 13 August:

Butterflies on the LSA

Emma Jones took these photos of Gatekeeper, Common Blue, Red Admiral, and Peacock butterflies on the former LSA in July / August.

Brimstone Butterfly

Andy M took these pictures of a Brimstone butterfly in the lovely sunlight in his garden today.

Small Whites, Large Whites, a Gatekeeper and a Red Admiral were also seen, as well as a dragonfly - probably a Southern Hawker.

Elephant Hawk Moth caterpillar

Pat Wallman saw this visitor on 7th August:

Sparrowhawk in Cambridge Road

Derek took this photo through the kitchen window on the morning of 5th August of a Sparrowhawk on a Woodpigeon.

He has heard from Marion Rusted that a Little Egret visited her pond the same morning and through her also heard of a Kingfisher in Sluice Wood earlier this week.

Hummingbird Hawk Moth on South Road

Anne reports that they have had a Hummingbird Hawk Moth in the garden all day today (4th August). It has worked its way through the flower border, choosing first red Valerian and then Honeysuckle until finally reaching the tall Verbena (pictured).