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Alan Rayner explaining the territorial interfaces of fungi on a beech stump |
On a
bitterly cold winter’s day, twenty members met to explore this
small Local Nature Reserve in Twerton, which includes woodland,
grassland and a small stretch of the Newton Brook and was designated
in 2006 as an “urban fringe” LNR. After admiring the frosted
capsules of Clustered Feather-moss (
Rhynchostegium confertum)
on an old wall, we headed into the east strip of woodland along the
top of a steep bank above the railway. Immediately we disturbed a
flock of Great Tits and Blue Tits, busy in the trees together with
Chaffinches and a Coal Tit. Several Blackbirds were feasting on Ivy
berries and we soon saw a Grey Squirrel, a Robin and a Magpie.
Beside the old stone steps, a legacy of the garden of Wood House (now
demolished), we examined two different species of snowdrops, the
common Snowdrop (
Galanthus nivalis) and Pleated Snowdrop (
G.
plicatus) and their hybrid (
G. x valentinei). Continuing
along the path, we found fruit bodies of Jelly Ear Fungus
(
Auricularia auricula-judae), admired two more mosses, Tender
Feather-moss (
Rhynchostegiella tenella) and the dendroid
Fox-tail Feather-moss (
Thamnobryum alopecurum), then spotted a
Buzzard in the trees on the slope just below us. Shoots of Ransoms
(
Allium ursinum) and Celandines (
Ficaria verna) were a
tentative hint of spring!
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Territorial interfaces between fungi on a Beech stump |
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Emerging
into grassland, Alan and Marion Rayner showed us another world on
branches of an Ash tree: an amazing array of lichens and mosses,
including Wood Bristle-moss (
Orthotrichum affine)Green
Yoke-moss (
Zygodon viridissimus), a bright pink parasitic
fungus (
Marchandiomyces corallines) growing on the lichens,
and a tiny liverwort, the Minute Pouncewort (
Cololejeunea
minutissima), with five-sided perianths, like tiny bishops’
hats!
The
west edge of Carrs Woodland has impressive Beech trees along the top
of a steep slope above the Newton Brook, with far-reaching views of
the hills west of Bath. A “clattering” of Jackdaws flew out of a
tree, with a couple of Carrion Crows, to announce our arrival.
Several ancient Beech trees have been felled: a large stump gave Alan
the opportunity to explain that the tortuous black and brown lines in
the wood represent the territorial interfaces between different
invasive fungi. We saw the fruiting bodies of the Artist’s Bracket
(
Ganoderma applanatum), which attacks the heartwood of Beech
trees and Beech Woodwart (
Hypoxylon fragiforme) growing on
dead Beech, and also the Yellow Brain fungus (
Tremella
mesenterica) which is parasitic on a resupinate fungus on wood.
Meanwhile other members spotted a small flock of Redwings and a Jay
and a very large bird which was in fact a tree surgeon, high in a
Beech tree! We stopped to watch a pair of Bullfinches busy in
Alders, heard Greater Spotted Woodpeckers drumming, and some saw a
Nuthatch and Song Thrush, and heard a Green Woodpecker. As a
reminder that we were in an “urban fringe” LNR, we encountered a
lot of fly-tipping at the edge of the wood, and a vast sheet of the
invasive alien Three-cornered Leek (
Allium triquetrum).
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Buzzard |
A
slippery icy path through rough, ungrazed grassland took us down to
the brook, where we saw a Wren and marvelled at the fiery red and
orange wood of a recently felled Alder. Alan showed us the
delightful Elegant Bristle-moss (Orthotrichum pulchellum) with
calyptras like tiny ballerinas’ skirts, growing with the more
common Lateral Cryphaea (Cryphaea heteromalla). On a
fantastic ancient Ash tree beside the stream, we saw the Shaggy
Bracket (Inonotis hispidus). Marion was pleased to find
Pointed Lattice-moss (Dialytrichia mucronata) on concrete
beside Pennyquick Bridge: this species grows on periodically
inundated substrates.
The
spoil heap of Pennyquick Colliery has been landscaped and was sown
with a wildflower mix, now well established. We admired the wintry
remains of Mugwort (
Artemisia vulgaris), Teasel (
Dipsacus
fullonum), Bristly Ox-tongue (
Helminthotheca echioides),
Ox-eye Daisy (
Leucanthemum vulgare), large clumps of Salad
Burnet (
Poterium sanguisorba) and little tufts of Curly
Crisp-moss (
Trichostomum crispulum) with hooded leaf-tips.
Returning along Newton Road we saw Wood Pigeons and Starlings, a tiny
pink flower of Field Madder (
Sherardia arvensis) at the edge
of the pavement, and on a street tree (a Lime) Alan showed us Small
Hairy Screw-moss (
Syntrichia laevipila) with wonderful long
silvery hair-points to the leaves. During this gentle walk on the
urban fringe, we saw at least twenty different species of bird and
all enjoyed exploring a little-known reserve not far from the centre
of Bath.
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Lichens and bryophytes on an Ash branch |
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Young Jelly Ears |
[HJC]