What's In A Name

It's been a good week, rounded off nicely with a few warm days, mostly calm too. The Mere looked just beautiful with a mirror-like surface reflecting the blue sky perfectly.

Yesterday I walked south to north along the sea front and then back, ending up at Rolston after trudging on the top of South Cliffs. I used to love walking on here when we had a caravan at Longbeach, and then afterwards when we moved here and could see the cliff tops from our bedroom window. In years past the habitat was good and supported many species of birds but now the owners don't give a damn as long as they are making money developing the land, or can make it look tidy 😢😵‍💫

The long grass at Hornsea Lakes has been cut to within an inch of its life so the habitat is just naff now. Short-eared Owls were in there last year when the grass was long - can't see any hanging around now though.

Grass cut (to make it look tidy for the visitors?!?)

Nice patch of brambles cut down to tidy it up

Apart from Skylarks and Meadow Pipits (and a passing Wheatear) there were no other birds along here. A few Linnet were further along towards Rolston though.

Skylark

A teasel that the tractor missed

Sanderlings are back on the beach now and it's good to see them again. Along with Turnstones and Purple Sandpipers they are our only regular waders.

Sanderling

Sanderlings

The warm sunny weather tempted a few insects out of their torpor and they really brightened up the place.

Marmalade Hoverfly on a Prickly Oxtongue

Common Darter

At last I saw a Wheatear. I thought this would be the first year since my records began that I'd miss seeing one through the year. A late arrival was very welcome.

Wheatear at last

Today I walked to North Cliffs to see what had arrived or was passing through. Lots of Pink-footed Geese were seen and heard all morning, as is usual this time of year, and very grateful I am too for their company. I much prefer North to South Cliffs now as the lodge and caravan developments are much less in evidence.

 Along North Cliffs there were plenty of birds to see and hear. Bullfinch, Reed Buntings, Tree Sparrows, and a dozen or so Long-tailed Tits were chattering and flying past three Stonechats in the hedgerow.

Long-tailed Tit in early morning light

Stonechat female

Stonechat male

Stonechat, looking like it was leaning into the wind

Pink-footed Geese on the ground

Chiff Chaffs are still around - some singing but most not. This one was in the boat yard willows.

Chiff Chaff

 Autumn is the best time to go fungi spotting. I tried it for a couple of seasons but largely gave up on it as there are too many similar species, and it's frustrating when you can't differentiate between them to put a name to them. I think this one is Yellow Fieldcap, a common enough species that I see most days as I walk through the fields.

 When I first started off in the world of fungi ID the first question I researched was to ascertain the difference between a toadstool and a mushroom. The answer, which took some finding, is that there is no scientific difference between the two. We Brits took it upon ourselves to generally call edible fungi "mushrooms" and poisonous fungi "toadstools". This is a sweeping generalisation that doesn't work on many levels so it's best to avoid it. Me? I just call anything in the field "fungi" and anything in my dinner "mushrooms". I don't use the word toadstool at all 😂

Bolbitius titubans - Yellow Fieldcap