Potteric Carr 07 10 2018 Fungus Foray
Transcript of Potteric Carr 07 10 2018 Fungus Foray
Visit to Potteric Carr Yorkshire Wildlife Trust Reserve - 7th October 2018 – Fungus Foray
5 members travelled to Potteric Carr with the intention of carrying out a Fungus Foray, mainly to try
and see Earth Stars in better condition than on previous visits. This was combined with the usual bird
and flower count etc.
Linda & Mick Fairest, Graham Gill, Brian Smithson and Malcolm Swift.
We parked in the “new” car park and there recorded Jackdaw, Great-spotted Woodpecker, Long-tailed
Tit and Black-headed Gull. The weather was fine following a wet day and an overnight frost.
At the visitor centre we were informed that a Bittern had been seen at Decoy Hide so we had a chat
amongst ourselves and decided to take the Railway Route first and leave the woodland at Beeston
Plantation (fungi) for later. Along the railway route we soon came across a group of Giant Puffball
fungi along the top of the bank just before Decoy Hide. A little further on we saw a large clump of
Honey fungus feeding on an old tree stump along with Fly Agaric and Sulphur Tuft. A good start to
our Foray. At Decoy hide we noted Shoveler and Mute Swan but no Bittern to be seen. We also
became aware of a dead Mute Swan in the reeds, probably a victim of Avian botulism (caused by the
increase in blue green algae due to the exceptionally hot summer) which has killed 30 plus swans at
nearby Lake Side.
Further along, and after a little searching off the footpath we saw several Earth Star fungi (Geastrum
Triplex) just emerging from the leaf litter and hoped to see better specimens later.
At Eaa Hide we recorded Little Grebe, Moorhen, Mallard and heard a Cetti’s Warbler calling in the
distance. Despite it being October there were still plenty of wild flowers to be seen, probably a second
flush after a drought summer? Sow Thistle, Viper’s Bugloss, Musk Mallow, Devil’s-bit Scabious,
Water Mint and Weld to name but a few.
We made our way around to the Education Centre and Willow Pool Hide where we saw Willow Tit,
Blue Tit, Chaffinch and Great Tit. On then to the hides overlooking Huxter Well Marsh.
At Duchess Hide we recorded Snipe, Black-tailed Godwit, Wigeon, Lapwing and Cormorant etc.
Between the hides and the railway beneath the trees we found specimens of last year’s Earth Stars
along with more Fly Agaric, Common Earth Ball, Brown Birch Bolete, Shaggy Parasol Mushroom
and others which were photographed for identification later. After our packed lunch we proceeded
along the trail calling at each hide as we went proceeded towards Roger Mitchell Hide. En route we
were lucky enough to see a Roe Deer close up before reaching Tofield Hide.
We carried on around Huxter Well Marsh and looked in at Piper Marsh Hide but as time was passing
by and we were aware the car park closed at 5pm Mick went to move the car to the overspill car park
which is not secured. The rest of us went around the Discovery Zone Trail to Beeston Plantation in
the hope of more fungi. As we approached the woods we saw another Roe Deer running across a
field. Along the trail we recorded Orange Peel Fungus, Birch Polypore, Tinder Fungus, Penny Bun,
Common Yellow Russula etc. Eventually we met up again with Mick and returned to the car having
spent nearly 8 hours on this reserve! Alas, no fine specimens of earth stars, but a good day with
plenty to see.
Flowers 51 Birds 42 Mammals 4 Insects 1 Amphibian 1 Fungi 30
Reporter: Linda Fairest
Flowers Birds Black Knapweed Guelder Rose berries Jackdaw
Black Medic Hawthorn berries Great Spotted Woodpecker
Bladder Campion Rose Hips Long-tailed Tit
Bramble Sloes Black-headed Gull
Bristly Ox-tongue Mare’s Tail Great Tit
Buddleia Robin
Common Ragwort Blue Tit
Common Toad’s Flax Goldfinch
Creeping Thistle Chaffinch
Dandelion Mammals Dunnock
Devil’s-bit Scabious Roe Deer Pheasant
Enchanter’s Nightshade Grey Squirrel Little Grebe
Field Scabious Stoat Coot
Fleabane Mole hills Moorhen
Great Bindweed Wigeon
Great Hairy Willowherb Mallard
Greater Knapweed Cetti’s Warbler
Ground Elder Insects Mute Swan
Groundsel Speckled Wood b/f Shoveler
Herb Robert Redwing
Hogbite Amphibian Carrion Crow
Hogweed Wren
Meadow Buttercup Froglet Grey Heron
Michaelmas Daisy Willow Tit
Moonpenny Buzzard
Musk Mallow Snipe
Nettle Shelduck
Perennial Sow Thistle Lapwing
Perforate St. John’s wort Gadwall
Pineapple Mayweed Teal
Purple Loosestrife Wigeon
Red Campion Cormorant
Red Clover Starling
Red Dead Nettle Jay
Ribwort Plantain Great Crested Grebe
Scentless Mayweed Greylag Goose
Selfheal Lesser Black-backed Gull
Sneezewort Herring Gull
Sow Thistle Little Egret
St. John’s Wort sp. Black-tailed Godwit
Traveller’s Joy Pied Wagtail
Viper’s Bugloss
Water Mint
Weld
White Campion
White Clover
White Dead Nettle
Wild Carrot
Wild Strawberry
Yarrow
Yellow Wort
Fungi
Jelly Tongue (Pseudohydnum gelatinosum)
Giant Puffball (Langermannia gigantea)
Earth Star (Geastrum triplex)
Honey Fungus (Armillaria mellea)
Fly Agaric (Amanita muscaria)
Sulphur Tuft (Hypholoma fasciculare)
King Alfred’s Cakes (Daldinia concentrica)
Hairy Stereum (Stereum hirsutum)
Trentepohlia algae (tree fungus)
Tinder Fungus (Fomes fomentarius)
Bonnet Mycena (Mycena galericulata)
Many Zoned Polypore (Tremetes versicolor)
Tawny Grisette (Amanita fulva)
Brown Birch Bolete (Leccinum scabrum)
Shaggy Parasol (Lepiota rhacodes)
Rooting Shank (Oudemansiella radicata)
Wood Woolly Foot (Collybia peronata)
Common Inkcap (Coprinopsis atramentaria)
Blushing Bracket (Daedaleopsis confragosa)
Glistening Inkcap (Coprinellus micaceus)
Penny Bun (Boletus edulis)
Common Earth Ball (Scleroderma citrinum)
Blackish-Purple Russula (Russula atropurpurea)
Grey Russula (Russula grisea)
Jew’s Ear (Auricularia auricula-judae)
Common Yellow Russula (Russula ochroleuca)
Birch polypore (Piptoporus betulinus)
Scaly Wood Mushroom (Agaricus sylvaticus)
Orange Peel Fungus (Aleuria aurantia)
Coral Spot (Nectria cinnabarina)