A Foray into the Worlds of Butterflies and Fungi

RSPB Mersehead Blog 6^th – 12^th July 2024

In this week of rather changeable weather, we have been continuing to focus on maintenance work at Mersehead.  While it sometimes feels like we are trying to beat a strimming world record, it’s important that we keep our electric fencing clear of vegetation and the water troughs in good working order for the livestock, during our summer of conservation grazing. 

Moving on to slightly smaller species, in this week’s blog we are looking at summer butterflies and the wonderful world of fungi.

Counting our Summer Butterflies

In our blog we regularly mention the butterflies we have seen when we are out and about or doing our weekly butterfly survey.  The surveys we do are part of the UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme (UKBMS). These take place once a week from the start of April to the end September, over a defined route (transect) and are very much weather dependent.  We need the temperature to be at least 13^oC with bright weather.  You can imagine how difficult it has been to meet these requirements over the last couple of months! Our findings are then recorded on the UKBMS website, which helps monitor the abundance and status of UK Butterflies.

Doing the butterfly survey is one of my favourites and on the last survey it was great to see so many Meadow Browns, Ringlets, Common Blues, and a Painted Lady.  We just need a bit more sunshine!

Painted Lady Butterfly Photo Credit: C Glass

Ringlet Butterfly Photo Credit: C Glass

If you would like to get involved with a butterfly and day-moth survey and have a spare 15 minutes, why not sign up for the Butterfly Conservation’s Big Butterfly Count 2024?  Launched on 12 July and running until 4 August, there is still plenty of time to get involved.  More info is available at Big Butterfly Count (butterfly-conservation.org)

It’s a great way to help support the understanding of what is happening to the UK’s Butterflies with the added benefit of taking some time out to enjoy nature.

Alternatively, if moths are more your thing, please join us at Mersehead for a Moth Morning where we will look through what has gathered in our moth trap from the night before.  Over 1,100 species of moth are known to occur in Dumfries & Galloway, so it’s always a treat to see what’s on the reserve.  There are dates available in August and more details are available on our events page RSPB Mersehead events.

A Foray into Fungi

I’ve always found fungi fascinating and recently did a short course on fungi field skills. The aim of the course was to provide a beginner with some of the tools to help collect data out in the field which could then be used to identify a fruiting body, the bit that we can generally see, for example a mushroom!  In addition to noting the shape, texture, smell and colour of fungi we also need to consider what it is growing from and where it’s growing, for example, a dead tree in a woodland. While some species can be easy to identify, others take a bit more work and can be tricky for a beginner!

Over the last 2 weeks I’ve been out at Mersehead putting into practice what I learned from the course.  I still have lots to learn, and I don’t think you ever stop learning about fungi, it is great to spend time in the woodland and grasslands trying to spot fungi.  While autumn is generally a better time to see a variety of fungi in woodland, there is still lots to find over the summer so worth a look. 

On the way to Media Hide I found bracket fungi growing on a dead tree trunk and in our wet grassland I found a colourful waxcap.  There is also fungi growing in the drying pools where previously we were searching for Natterjack Toad activity.

Bracket fungi with a pen to show scale Photo Credit: C Glass

Waxcap fungi found in grassland at Mersehead Photo Credit: C Glass

Once you start looking, it’s amazing what you can find.  Some delicate lichen on a dead tree trunk and a slime mould commonly known as Moon Poo or False Puffball which grows on dead wood and will eventually split to reveal brown spores underneath. Spongy to the touch, I had originally thought it was a type of jelly fungi.

Lichen found on the edge of a dead tree trunk at Mersehead Photo Credit: C Glass

Moon poo slime mould Photo Credit: C Glass

Always great to see what you can find when you take the time to look.

Carol-Ann Glass, Trainee Warden

Upcoming events: For more information on individual events and to book a place, please go to our website: https://events.rspb.org.uk/mersehead

At Mersehead you will find the RSPB’s only self-catering holiday cottages - Barnacle and Shelduck. Available dates are currently going quickly, so please follow the links to book your next holiday.

*Flooding - Please note that Mersehead nature reserve is prone to flooding during periods of high rainfall and/or strong winds and tidal surges. To avoid disappointment at these times, please contact the reserve in advance of your visit by email in the first instance at mersehead@rspb.org.uk or check the RSPB Dumfries and Galloway Facebook Page for daily updates.