Watcher of the skies.

Despite the number of hours I spend in the field I have never been a raptor watcher hence I am always looking downwards for anything that creeps, grows and flies a short distance. So today I have been trying to watch the skies over Morpeth for possible Honey buzzards but I am easily distracted. The rains have brought a bounty of fungi including a couple of new ones for me. I was delighted to come across Spectacular rustgill (Gymnopilus junonius) and Rubber buttons (Bulgaria inquinans) growing close together in woods next to the common (top two). Also my first Amethyst deceiver this year, the poisonous Fly agaric which is evidently not poisonous for something as all of them had large mouthfuls taken from them and a lot of old Meadow puffballs along the wanny line.

On the bird front a lot of Willow warblers, Spotted flycatchers and Blackcaps moving along the bushes at the Wanny line. On the golf course there were two Yellow wagtails among the sixty or so Pieds (viewed from the Wanny line of course , I don't play that silly game). I'll try and watch the skies for the rest of the day before I start a week of nights again.