Morpeth fungi

Coral Spot fungus and Dead Moll's fingers...2 common species on Sycamore

Sheathed Woodtuft...sometimes difficult to see among the dead leaves

Cortinarius sp...hundreds growing beneath Willows and Birches at Abbey Meadows

With winter firmly embedded in up here the bulk of the fungi have gone but there are still some good species in the woods around Morpeth to be found. I'm a week late with this post. I have been checking the ponds at Stobswood and had some good sightings at the new Woodside lake on the former Maidens Hall opencast site at West Chevington. The highlight were the White fronted Geese with about 320 counted, possibly more. I was joined by ADMc here and this is the first time I have encountered more than 8 birds, not even getting into double figures in the county in the past and this is one of several flocks in the county at the moment. Around Morpeth the Tawny Owls are vocal with birds calling from every woodland surrounding the town. One was sitting in a Pine tree early one morning at Cottingwood. I have also seen a couple of Woodcock here at dawn.