Its a bit cold, wet and windy with snow due, but before the weather turned too wintry, I went up onto the bog around Chew reservoir on wednesday, which is around 1500 ft asl, to do some Lichen surveying. Thanks to Kate for a lift up with the volunteer work party!
When all else , like insects particularly, are not around, Lichens are still showing well and worth a look at - and we have some nice communities developing following the peat restoration programme to stabilise the erosion. This is Cladonia portentosa, often known as one of the Reindeer Lichens.
The Bog is much different than even only 5 years ago when there was so much bare peat. Some terrific hard work to re-plant Sphagnum is really working well too.
One of the early moss colonisers is Polytrchum juniperinum, with P piliferum at lower levels usually. They are so similar, but piliferum has silvery leaf points, while juniperinum has brown, like this one - splendid red sporophytes too - a miniature forest.
I was surprised to see some fungi still showing - given the harsh extremes of weather up there. Moor club, Earthy Powdercap and some Galerina's were showing, with Cowberry redleaf too.
An Oak Eggar caterpillar crossed my path - this is a beautiful Moth that is a parasitoid host for the largest fly in Europe - the Tachinid, Tachina grossa. So a smart move to do its meandering when the flies have died away!
The highlight of the day was , always is, seeing a couple of Mountain Hares - one arced away from me, and was nearly in full white pelage - they have 3 changes during the year - whilst one I spotted a good way off was much browner around the head - it too will be fully white in only a couple of weeks or so. Always makes me chuckle when you can slowly get close - they think they are camouflaged - they will be soon, snow is forecast.
Keep your eyes open!
Ken G.