30th Oct 2018 - Bushey Leaze Wood Larch Bolete. Larch Bolete (1).JPG Yellow Stagshorn. Yellow Stagshorn.JPG The Common Cavalier. This one fooled me for a while. The stipe and gills were obviously correct for this species but the cap was grey. All the Common Cavaliers I have seen (they even grow in m...

The Brocas - 28th Oct 2018 Purple Swamp Brittlegill – I’m not sure why they are called “Swamp” Brittlegills as I have only ever seen these on dry acid or sandy soil in or on the edge of woods; but the “Purple” part is obvious. Purple Swamp Brittlegill.JPG The False Death cap again but this one is th...

Alice Holt Woods - 27th Oct 2018 Common Rustgill. Common Rustgill (1).JPG False Death Cap – Separated from the real Death Cap by its light citrus tinge (usually!). False Death Cap.JPG Hairy Curtain Crust – A fine example spreading across the end of a log. The first pic is from above. I then rolled t...

Frensham Little Pond - 26th Oct 2018 Bay Bolete. Bay Bolete (1).JPG Chanterelles are one of the best edible mushrooms. However I am only about 90% sure of this ID. The remaining 10% is because these were perhaps the biggest examples I have ever seen. Chanterlle (1).JPG Conical Brittlestems arranging...

I went to Broxhead on the last day of October and found no Small Coppers – in fact no butterflies at all. Although the temperature got up to 11 degrees this was after a spell of cold, wet and windy days. It may well be the end of the butterfly season around here so since I have had some welcome supp...

Thanks, David. Glad you like the fungi. You may well regret you said it though after my next few posts which concentrate on fungi rather than butterflies.

Oh, wow. You are doing well aren't you? Clouded Yellows, Holly and Common Blues, Small Coppers, Red Ads, etc, etc. Is it really the last week of October?

And what about that fresh-looking Brown Argus?!?

Broxhead 24th October 12.15 - 1.15 pm, full sun, warm at 16 degrees I thought I might be really pushing my luck with Small Coppers at Broxhead today. I was here on the 22nd with the aim to get 4th brood fliers in the fourth week of October and achieved my aim – I saw three on that occasion if you re...

Matzukaze. Ah, so I'm not going mad then. My original assumption was that it was a Common Darter, but it was an assumption at the time rather than really knowing. I have been fooled before you see. See a previous diary entry of mine re my confusion between Darter/Skimmer. On that occasion my "D...

I am sorry I have not been keeping up with other people's diaries for some time and I don't know why but today I thought I'd look at one. That one was yours! I am stunned by your news. I know its a bit belated but I am so sorry to hear of your loss. I am happy to know that you are bearing up though....

Wurzel - Thanks for confirming the Bee ID. Although my book says its common, it is in fact the first time I have ever noticed it. One for my lifer list! Also, I will be sure to look out for your fungi pics. As I say, I am no expert and fungi are devilishly difficult to ID sometimes. Bugboy - Thanks ...

20th October – Four Marks A Red Admiral at close range in flight? What amazingly good luck. P1030252.JPG No. I admit it. I cheated! This one was actually perched on the polythene roofing of the garden centre at the village of Four Marks. 21st October - Kingsley Speckled Wood – note that wear is caus...

David - you are right - those Inkcaps come and go very quickly. Also I was lucky with the Copper on an Aster shot too. I have subsequently been back twice and it was nowhere to be found. Wurzel - Its a great time of year. Still got the butterflies to a certain extent and also the fungi at the same t...

Wurzel and David Thanks for your comments. It was so great to see this mushroom species that I went back again today. The caps don't last very long. A couple I saw the other day had caps that had already melted away. It was strange to see just the stalks poking up and nothing on top! But a few other...

Today I came across one of the fungi I have been wanting to see ever since I bought a book on fungi years ago and saw it in there. And there was a dozen or so of them along the roadside verge at Kingsley. It is the Magpie Inkcap. One of them was about 8 inches tall! Another had a cap that was flippi...

David M – Yes I was amazed a Brown Argus was still flying so late in the year. I now wonder if I shall see a Small Copper in the fourth week of October – not something I have ever seen before. But maybe after the storm we just had, that is asking too much. Neil – That’s the first time I’ve seen that...

Broxhead - 9th October 2018 In my last post I said I would add to my PD on occasion if I found something of note. Today at Broxhead I found a Brown Argus still flying - but only just as it was very frayed by now. This is the latest in any year I have ever seen a Brown Argus in flight! I recognised h...

Noise made by Peacock butterfly. Its not Lycaenidae but I mentioned this in the brainstorm list. I have been looking back through past posts on the general topics and came across this thread from 2006 which is of interest... start thread by Steve Skingsley » Tue Feb 28, 2006 2:44 pm I was moving som...

Thank you all. I'll see if I can make it to that social. I think I have ID'd the beast in the wood as Grufallus silvestrii. I have also heard that the even rarer Hominis stickus has been seen there too. I'll let you know if I see him. :D By the way - I looked it up. It was Neil Hulme who took those ...

The Last Post - 30th Sep 2018 Today is my last planned diary entry of my first year on UK butterflies. Its been great to read about the things that other people have seen and I have learnt a lot from you all. I thought I’d take this opportunity to recap the best moments that I remember from other pe...