Sunday 25 September 2016

Autumn Has Arrived

Autumn is here! My eagle-eyed nephew went looking for owl pellets, as teenagers used to do, and found these hidden among the debris of some conifers. It's a species of Earthstar, but not sure of the exact species at the moment. I had to gently lift them, and place them on the grass to make the most of the better light. It's a new species for the cemetery. I saw my first Earthstars near the very tip of Spurn Point perhaps around the millennium, and then at Potteric Carr a few years ago, and again last year. I never expected to see any so close to home.
Earthstars
 Earthstar
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At the time of writing there are a couple of vacancies on Wednesday and Friday afternoons.  There are fewer vacancies in the mornings. If you are interested in another session, please ask. 

In the Autumn we'll be looking for special migrants including: Redstarts, Whinchats, Wryneck, Spotted Redshank, Jack Snipe and Hen Harriers. Autumn is also the best time of year to enjoy really good views of Bearded Tits, so we'll be going to see them. 

So, if you are interested in learning more about your local wildlife in beautiful and secluded venues for less than £10 a week, then this is the course for you! We visit a different local hotspot each week and identify all the birds and as much other wildlife as we can. This includes mammals, and fungi with butterflies, dragonflies and wild flowers. The course runs twice daily Tuesday to Friday. If you are interested in more details of the course, or wish to be placed on a waiting list, please leave a comment next to one of my posts or email me on the address above.

Meanwhile the Sparrowhawk came back for a bath in the sunshine a few weeks ago
Male Sparrowhawk
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1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Have you forgotten about the Earth-stars in Hessle I showed you?

If you want to send me some spores, I don't mind examining them for you.

Barry.