Morpeth Common

Ochre Brittlegill

Stubble Rosegill

Orange Peel Fungus

Silky Rosegill

I was Brambling along the old Wannie line beside Morpeth Common but I easily get  distracted. A good spot is an old sand quarry which the golf club use to fill their bunkers. The disturbed ground produces a few plants and I noticed lots of Orange Peel Fungus scattered all over the sandy floor. Silky Rosegill (Volvariella bombycina) was growing in the cleft of an Ash. Looking at my reference it is a bit like coming across a Rosefinch or a Red backed shrike in birding terms but I think with few people looking for these things they are probably more common and widespread. Ochre Brittlegill (Russula ocholeuca) and Stubble Rosegill (Volvariella gloioccephala) are common species.

Blue Fleabane

Blue Fleabane (Erigeron acer)

                                 Shaggy Inkcap ( Coprinus comatus)

Old Brickworks looking North with Grangewood in the background, the phone mast was erected to boost the signal for passing rail users.

             Looking West with the Cheviot hills in the distance, doesn't look much but it is a botanic paradise.

Blue Fleabane is at its Northern limit in the UK in Northumberland with only a few records from some coastal areas. Looking in the Eastern corner of the old brickworks where the area is stony I was delighted to come across about 40 plants. This is the first time I have ever seen them and a boost to the numbers of plants found at this excellent brown field site. I may have overlooked them for some years as this is the area where the old colliery railway siding were many years ago and piles of old bricks stood here and I largely ignored this part of the site. There were a couple of other new plants but obvious garden escapes. Lots of Shaggy inkcaps around and some late flowering plants like Common Storksbill, scarlet pimpernel and Common Mallow. I've put in a couple of pics of part of the old brickworks but I will take some more and continue to look for more plants as this site is earmarked for housing in the future.

Local patching

Devilsbit Scabious (Succisa pratensis), Ulgham

Water mint (mentha aquatica), Ulgham

Possibly sharp-leaved mint (Mentha x villosonervata), Stobswood

Sea Buckthorn (Elaeagnus rhamnoides), Stobswood

Beech Milkcap (Lactarius blennius), Cottingwood, Morpeth

Dogtooth lichen (Peltigera canina), Druridge dunes

Bitter Bracket (Postia stiptica), Morpeth Common

My local patch seems to be getting bigger with more ponds to keep an eye on. Still some flowers around, looking around the patch recently as well as the dunes at Druridge and East Chevington, the meadows at Ulgham Grange are still looking colourful with some late flowering species and the dunes at Druridge still have some nice species in flower; Autumn Gentian being my favourite. At East Chevington yesterday there were four Snow Geese with the regular flock of Geese and plenty of other wildfowl. Today in the Borough woods at Morpeth there were two Marsh Tits in the mixed flock in the tree tops.

Nice afternoon

Alsike Clover

By far the most numerous butterfly on the wing

Trying to hide in the grass

New ponds at East Stobswood

Lovely mild and sunny afternoon at Widrington tip. Nice light for some pics. The new ponds at East Stobswood are beginning to attract some birds. There were several Curlews and Oystercatchers, large flocks of lapwings, Canada Geese and Gulls. Also Mallard and Gadwall as well as lots of Swallows and a Wheatear.

Taking a chance

This moth decided to spend the day on my bird table. Quite risky considering the number of birds that are in the garden but somehow they never saw it or were put off by the markings. I think it is a silver Y but it looks a bit dark. I'm not used to seeing these resting. It was very Autumnal at the tip on Friday with very few flowering plants left. 16 Redpolls were flying around and a lone Tree Pipit flew South high overhead. The Green Woodpecker is still around favouring the footpaths of Vanburgh Gardens and West Park. Last night on my way home from work a Badger was walking around the car park of the Wansbeck pub before walking across the road and into the gardens of the houses opposite along Abbey Meadows.

Fungi of Borough woods

Amethyst Deceiver (Laccaria amethystina)

Wood Woollyfoot (Collybia peronata)

Clustered Toughshank (Collybia confluens)

Stinkhorn (Phallus impudicus)

Glistening Inkcap (Coprinellus micaceus)

Stump Puffball (Lycoperdon pyriforme)

Blueing Bracket (Postia subcaesia)

Sorry Kingsdowner but Autumn is well under way up here. September has started very cool and cloudy but a walk through the Borough woods between Morpeth and Mitford along the banks of the river Wansbeck is very productive for fungi at the moment. Above is a small selection of fungi typical of Beech and Oak woodland.