Coral Slime Mould

 

Today's find had me puzzled at first.  To the naked eye, it just looked like mould ( or a fungus.) In fact, if I am totally honest, I have been stepping over this piece of decaying wood and ignoring it for a few days now. It was only Chris's new-found interest in lichens that made him take a hand lens (a magnifying glass would be a great thing to take on a walk if you have one.) Upon closer inspection, we could see the frost-like protrusions (some of them shaped like little fallow deer antlers.)

This is no fungus.  I have said many times how fascinating I find slime moulds but this is even more awe-inspiring! Slime moulds are actually organisms that can live as single cells but that come together to reproduce.  This (or should I say, "these"?) are Ceratiomyxa fruticulosa, sometimes known as coral slime mould due to the structure of these reproductive bodies. These will produce spores but I am not sure whether my photography skills or my eyesight will be up to seeing those.

This slime mould is actually found throughout Britain but most people would never notice it.  Like much of nature, we have no idea how the single cells come together to form the colony and these leave us with more questions than answers but that is why I find them so fascinating!

Snacking on apples

 

Many animals make the most of windfall apples. In our garden the blackbird and the dogs have been enjoying them by day but I guessed that they were being eaten at night (the dogs were often interested in the apple tree in the morning.) This fox was a bit suspicious of the camera initially but a snack of apples was just too tempting.

Like a lichen

Xanthoria polycarpa

I find Lichens one of the most awe-inspiring aspects of nature. They actually consist of both a fungus and an alga (or sometimes a cyanobacterium) which live together, producing an amazing array of life forms.  The shape of most lichens is completely different from that of the components.

The relationship is usually described as symbiosis: the fungus provides protection, anchorage and some moisture collection, while the alga provides carbohydrates from photosynthesis. Living together they are able to extend their range and both benefit.

There are possibly around 2000 different lichens in the UK and a sunny day in autumn or winter is a great time to see them (especially those growing on trees as the leaves have fallen.)

Evernia prunastri

 Many lichens are sensitive to air pollutants such as nitrogen and sulphur dioxide, so generally, the better the air quality, the better the range of lichens.  I certainly think of the Caledonian Pine forests of the Cairngorms when I think of lichens hanging off trees but even here in the South east of England we have a fantastic range and there is no way that I could identify all those we have found today. 

I think it is the diversity that I love so much (apart from the unlikelihood of them existing in the first place, let alone reproducing!)  They can spread vegetatively but the fungal component can also produce spores which would then have to re-associate with the alga or cyanobacterium.

So have a look next time you are out and marvel at the variety of lichens in your area.

Aspen

 As I was walking under this tree, it sounded as though raindrops were pattering on the leaves.  Looking up, I noticed that it was an Aspen and could see the leaves trembling in the wind. Unfortunately the phone has picked up the noise of the wind more than then pattering but hopefully you can see the characteristic fluttering of the leaves, even though there aren't many left!

Aspen trees are quite widespread and can be pioneer species but many people seem not to notice them.  In fact, I have walked beneath this one a number of times but never really thought about what type of tree it was. The Latin name is Populus tremula, quite literally, trembling Poplar, which is a very good description of it.  So next time you are out, keep your eyes open for a tree where the leaves are trembling.

 I don't know about other parts of the country today but we have had an amazing volume of rainfall.  All the streams have become muddy, gushing torrents and all the paths have become streams.  It will be interesting to see which fungi flourish after this, although it is late in the season.  There are still plenty of different species around but I have been noticing more micro fungi (moulds, mildews and rusts) and very small fruiting bodies of macro fungi recently.  

When the sun came out here, we made the most of it with an even more local walk.  Walking slowly meant that we noticed many more lichens on the trees and fences but as with so many aspects of the natural world, it has left us with more questions than answers.  I was surprised that the oak tree on the right (slightly further up the hill, so possibly exposed to marginally more wind) still has all its leaves but the one on the left has shed them all.  Could it be a genetic difference? Age? Stress (there are obvious fungi on the right hand one.)  I shall never know the answer (or remember to look in future years) but I could never be bored out in the countryside!

World Kindness Day

 

Today was World Kindness Day; a global day that promotes the importance of being kind to each other, to yourself and to the world.  Without knowing this, a friend took me on a lovely long walk around local footpaths (at a social distance, of course!)  Many people have great ideas for random acts of kindness but it can be as simple as showing someone a walk that they wouldn't do on their own or just making the time to chat on the phone.

Being kind to yourself can also include a walk.  Sometimes when there is a dry day or even a sunny spell, you have to be kind to yourself and not feel guilty about the chores that didn't get done if you went out to enjoy the day. 

Being kind to the planet is something that we all need reminding of.  Walking is a wonderful way to appreciate the wildlife where you live.  'Take nothing but photos; leave nothing but footprints' is often quoted but an important mantra.

 

 The Forest was extremely busy today. Unsurprising as exercising outside is encouraged under Lockdown 2 but even where it is fairly quiet I didn't see much wildlife today.  It did make me think more about the habitat though. I walked past an exclusion plot (a fenced area to exclude deer grazing.) It also happens that the area around this plot has been mown regularly too.

The fenced plot was full of bracken, with some overgrown heather. The mown area was Purple Moor Grass (Molinia caerulea) with heather (Calluna vulgaris.)  Bracken is invasive and there is a lot of it in the area, so the heathy grassland provides important habitat for heathland species.  The mowing here certainly seems to be keeping the bracken in check.

There was plenty of sunshine today, although I mostly walked before and after it!  Again I missed getting a photo of the mixed tit flocks (or of the Marsh tits on our feeder) but there were wasps in our greenhouse, making the most of the autumn warmth and the grape juice.  They won't be around much longer and the grapes have gone too mouldy for us to eat.

Not really wildlife but definitely adding to wellbeing, we still have roses flowering in the garden.  The weather conditions really seem to have favoured them this year and they are a delight to see in November.