Greater pond sedge...Mitford castle
Earthfan...Harwood forest
Latticed heath...Weather head
This baby Rabbit thought it could hide behind 2 blades of grass
Cladonia floekeana...ChartnersYesterday I cycled from the car park at Rothbury forest to Chartners as well as Cycling a couple of miles of the forest tracks. The first couple of miles are heavy going (for me) and very steep in places. Riding over the moorland beneath the crags of Simonside was uneventful except for lots of Red Grouse calling and flying about. A mile or two into Harwood forest Weather head is a good place to rest. This is the highest point in the forest and you get wonderful views here in all directions. Also here were dozens of Latticed Heath moths and a Raven with 2 young. Also Cuckoo here and a few Tree pipits and abut 50 Crossbills at Rothbury forest but none in the part of Harwood where I was.
On the return journey I came across a strange fungi called Earthfan spreading across the ground and over some dead pine branches. Coming back over the moorland was 5 Emperor moths, all males. I'd love to get a pic of these but they were constantly on the wing and flying at speed. A Garden warbler was singing back at the car park.
Today there was a lot of butterflies on the wing around Morpeth. Two new ones this year was Wall and Small copper. Two Garden warblers were fighting at Mitford castle and a Marsh tit was carrying food here.
4 comments:
Lovely pictures - a good range of sightings. I'm very jealous - any chance of a map reference for the Weather Head location in Harwood Forest where you saw the moths. I assume this is the Harwood Forest above Elsdon?
I find my FZ28 is just a little too slow at focusing on some subjects but that seems to be its only drawback.
beware of the naked bloke at Chartners!
That Earthfan is one strange fungi. One i`ve never seen and the same applies to Emperor Moth.
Thanks for commenting.
Emma: Weather head is NZ018975.
IPIN: It must be a weekend thing as Ive never seen anyone there when I visit.
Dean: Unusual Fungi..it has a strange furry texture. The first time I have come across it but there were a lot of it around.
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