Fungi Day At Minsmere

Wednesday 26^th September 2018

Day at Minsmere

WEATHER

21’C in car when we arrived. Sunny, bit of a chill in the Wind (did not need a Coat on). The sun was a bit Glary.

Walking from the car park to the Visitors Centre, we were sheltered from the wind but you could still hear it in the treetops along the path, the wind is starting to blow the leaves from the tree.

We were still sheltered from the wind as we walked to the pond and as we got past the Pond, near to North Bush you could start to feel the wind and hear it more in the trees. As we got more in the open was when we felt how much the wind was blowing. The North Wall was very quiet with not much birdlife; the wind was blowing right across The North Wall. I don’t think the wind is as strong as it was last week so I don’t think I’ll be sailing down to the Beech, I did have to put my hat behind me in my Wheelchair. At the end of The North Mash Path near the Beech, the wind was quite gusty at time and the walk back along the path the wind was a bit more in our faces, as we got close again to North Bush (digger Ally) the tree started the block out the wind. The wind has dried out the sandy path along Digger Ally, which was a bit harder for my Wheelchair to be put over.  

I did notice a lot of Fungus around Minsmere more than last week. At the path where you can turn to the North Hide or turn to Digger Ally, I noticed there were some Parasol Mushrooms and hiding in the undergrowth was a Fly Agaric.

Parasol Mushroom

Fly Agaric

We did not stay at North Hide long this as the Reed are still too high from me to see over. However, I did see a Red Admiral and a large number of Dragonflies flying between the Hide and the Reed bed; they were sheltered from the wind being low in the Reed Beds it just show that the Hides are not just for watching birds there are other wildlife to lookout for. Walking back to the pond, I remembered that last year that there was some Red Agaric and Parasol Mushrooms just behind the pond. Today there was just Parasol Mushrooms, the Red Agaric had been eaten by something, but I will keep checking each week to see what appears?

Parasol Mushroom

We sat outside for lunch again this week; it was warm sitting outside the café away from the wind. The Dragon Flies were darting overhead out of the wind; they are excessively too quick for me to ID them in flight sometimes I can get the ID right if they fly close or land nearby so I can get a Photograph of them. After Lunch, we head for the Sluice, and then do the South Hide and Wildlife Hide on the way back. Walking (or riding in my case) through Woodland Walk I noticed some more Fungi on a log; I think it is Porcelain Fungi? I can remember seeing some near to the same place as this year.

Porcelain Fungus (I think)

All the way, from the Woodland Walk to the Sluice we could hear the wind in the treetops and we could see it blowing across the Reed Beds and at time when the wind blow a little harder I got to see over the Reed as the wind bent them over. Hiding low down in the Reed along the Path were a number of Damselflies. Past the South Hide to the Sluice the path is still nice and firm to put my Wheelchair, you might have to dodge a biggish stone but it is still pass able. A little way down the path, we saw the Konik Polski Ponies and their Foals too, the Foals have grown since the last time we saw them.

Konik Polski Ponies and their Foals