Pylewell Park

Waterside Natural History Society visit to Pylewell Park

The government has recently published its ‘National Ecosystem Assessment’ report and our visit to Pylewell Park was an opportunity to carry out our own assessment of the value of the countryside. The idea of putting a monetary value on the countryside for the year 2000 was that the value can be compared in future years to assess if it has improved or deteriorated. Some of our members could set the benchmark a half century earlier and regularly say what has happened since but this does not stop us checking the current state.
We started our walk from the end of Shotts Lane to the east of Lymington and walked down a track towards the shore. The intention was to walk along the shore eastwards and turn back inland along the old smugglers route called Tanners Lane. When we reached the Solent Way footpath we were to turn westwards and back to Shotts Lane thus walking round Pylewell Park and house. The tide level was low when we arrived; we had seen the level as we drove through Beaulieu, so we went along the shore as soon as possible.
The dry weather in the spring and early summer followed by heavy rain in June has upset the flowering times of many plants. Some of the early flowering ones have had a short flush of weak growth before going quickly to seed then flowering again and the later ones have tried to flower early before putting on a spurt of vegetative growth. The result of this confusion is that there is a great variety of plants in flower at the moment. Amongst the umbellifers Cow parsley has turned to seed in the hedgerows but has been replaced by Hogweed and Rough Chervil. This latter was suffused with purple but Hemlock Water Dropwort on the contrary was an innocuous grass green colour, exactly the opposite of what you would expect a poisonous plant to look like. A patch of Celery leaved buttercup was seen in a boggy stretch of path with its small petals and large pineapple shaped seed heads.
Plants along the shingle beach have adapted to the conditions and add variety to those growing inland. The yellow Biting Stonecrop and pinkish white English Stonecrop gave a rockery effect to the shore whilst Common Centaury grows inland or on the seashore. Scarlet Pimpernel and Sea Campion were also seen as well as Sea Milkwort. This latter plant is not a member of the milkwort family and is unusual in not having any petals. The sepals take the place of petals and are a pink colour so the plant survives quite happily with its adaptation. A single Yellow Horned Poppy plant that had established itself will surely start to colonise the area.
The weather was quite windy during our walk so we were not surprised when we did not see many butterflies. We did however see a few Meadow Browns, a Red Admiral and a Small Copper. Birds were also difficult to see but quite a large flock of Canada Geese were resting on the mudflats and the usual Black Headed Gulls were fighting for anything in sight.
Our walk was a very enjoyable one with a wide range of wild flowers and scenery. How did we value the countryside after our walk? Well ‘priceless’ seemed to be the majority decision.

Exmouth with Shearings

Exmouth Coach Tour
On Tuesday 4th April we embarked on a coach tour to Exmouth with Shearings. We did not have to meet our feeder coach in Southampton until 10.47 so we had plenty of time to make our own way from Hythe. The weather being good we walked with our cases to the ferry at 09.45 and arrived in Southampton town Quay at about 10.00. It took a good twenty minutes to walk to the National Express coach station and we stood waiting for the coach. It arrived on time and was a ‘Grand Tourer’ coach so we travelled in comfort to Membury Service station where we were due to pick up our holiday coach. It was a good job the coach was comfortable as we had to call at Eastleigh, Winchester and Basingstoke before arriving at Membury. We got lost twice, once at Winchester where the driver missed a turning back on to the motorway, and once at Basingstoke where the wrong postcode was entered into the satnav.
On arrival at Membury an official lady boarded the coach and informed us which coach bay and time to be at for our onward travel. Unfortunately she did not use the coach speaker system and the coach being one of the latest was quite long. All this and people standing in the aisle meant that us at the back could not hear what she said. She seemed quite surprised when we got off the coach and asked what she had been talking about. As we had about an hour at Membury we toddled off in search of refreshments. The café upstairs was a drab affair with basic wooden floors, metal chairs and canteen tables. The food I had was a toasted cheese and ham Panini squashed flat by the toaster; quite the worst food I have had in a long time. On top of this at £17 it was one of the more expensive and poor value for money.
We boarded our holiday coach that would transport us for the rest of our holiday and met our driver Graham for the first time. He introduced himself and took us all the way to Exmouth with commentary as we went. We learned lots of interesting facts like Somerset is derived from Summer settlement. Originally the Somerset levels were flooded in winter and the monks came down from the high land in the spring to graze their animals and plant crops on the fertile land. Since then dykes have been built so the water runs off to the sea on one side and the river on the other.
The coach went along the M4 and the M5 motorways before turning off at Exeter and we soon arrived at the Grand Hotel in Exmouth. We were greeted by a blue hydraulic platform in front of the hotel which stayed there the whole week doing repairs and painting to the hotel façade.
Shearings obviously go to great lengths to pick their hotels because they are all the same. All are old terraced houses with walls knocked out to accommodate dining and function rooms; passageways are constructed on multiple floors and bedrooms are identical. If you want a bit more luxury you have to pay for it in the form of their ‘town and country hotels’. One such, as the driver pointed out, was next door to our hotel and had been refurbished to the tune of millions of pounds.
The meals, as we found out that evening, are also specified to the last pea and could be found on any Shearings holiday. Having said that we never had any complaints about our food and the waitress was very efficient and helpful. This was also helped by the fact that a free glass of wine was provided with every meal and a selection of free drinks given on production of your room card. It was waitress service only in the restaurant and she got very upset if anyone came to her serving table and tried to help themselves. We met our dining companions for the first time on this evening who were a couple called Dave and Dorothy who like us were from the north east and had moved down to Southampton to live in retirement.
After dinner we moved in to the function room and sat at the same table as Dave and Dorothy and were joined by an elderly gentleman by the name of Kevin. Kevin was a southerner through and through although originally from the north west but he was fascinated by the north east accent and sayings which he would try and prompt us to speak at every opportunity.
The Tuesday was our first full day of touring and Graham was waiting with the coach at 09.30. Most of the places on our holiday ended with mouth but the general theme on this day was the moors of Devon so we headed inland and our destination was Tavistock which you will notice does not end in mouth. The weather was dry but overcast when we set out but a light drizzle started when we disembarked from the coach in Tavistock. We had two hours to explore on our own and did not fancy wandering around to no purpose so on seeing a local tourist information office we asked for a town walk. They not only provided us with a town trail document but gave us a plastic folder to keep off the rain.
The walk itself started by going uphill to a viaduct carrying a disused railway line which we walked along through a steep sided gorge. At the end of the gorge we turned left through a modern housing estate to join a canal along which we walked back towards town. The canal was replaced by a river as we neared the town centre and the weather was changing to a steady drizzle. We missed off the last bit of the route so we could visit the indoor market which we had been told was worth a visit. The market contained a good selection of stalls including second hand furniture, old mantel clocks, haberdashery and various food stalls but we did not buy anything.
We re-joined our coach at 12.30 and proceeded to Princetown for our lunch. Princetown is famous for Dartmoor prison which is not located there by coincidence being miles away from anywhere. According to Graham our driver Dartmoor is no longer a top security prison but has been downgraded to category ‘C’. It used to house the ‘Axe murderer’ before he escaped with help from the Kray twins who apparently arranged for his killing and burial.
When on holiday you generally hope for good weather but on this day the drizzle had changed to heavy rain and fog. This weather was exactly the sort you read about in books like ‘the hound of the Baskervilles’ and ‘Jamaica Inn’ which is used to give a sense of menace to the story. How anyone can enjoy living in a land of moors, bogs and granite rocks is a mystery but some people obviously find it romantic. Looking out of the coach window we could only imagine the conditions through the rain and fog but an occasional sight of moorland ponies with rain sodden coats reminded us of the real dangers of getting lost on the moors.
Our visit to Princetown was limited by the weather to lunch at ‘Lords Gifts ‘which was a rather basic affair although somewhat cheaper than Membury Services. After lunch we boarded the coach and travelled to the ‘House of Marbles’ near Bovey Tracey. To get there we descended below the cloud level and the rain had stopped when we entered the factory cum shop. There was a lot of marbles for sale and a glass blowing area but marbles are no longer made on site. One feature that was absorbing was a ball race covering one of the end walls of the building. Balls the size of snooker balls are lifted to the top by a motor driven chain drive and they run under gravity along wire channels initiating levers and rotating ball carriers that divert the balls according to the order in which they start.
We returned to our hotel, had dinner, and settled down for our evening’s entertainment. The entertainment provided followed the same pattern on the next three nights of our holiday but the presenters were different. On the first night it was a female singer and she began with a game of bingo. We did not join in for this one but we did subsequently and lost every time. After the bingo there followed a quiz which we attempted every night. Our first attempt gave us joint first place but we lost the decider question. The quiz was followed by a few songs from the singer and the evening concluded with records to which we could dance if we wished. At the end of all this we were more than glad to get to our beds.
Wednesday was an optional excursion half day to Teignmouth and Dawlish which we opted to do. I thought the driver said Tinmouth initially and I had quite a bit of trouble finding it on the map. We got there by following the coast westwards from Exmouth but we had to travel a fair way towards Exeter before we were able to cross over the river Exe at Topsham. Again according to Graham Sir Trevor Macdonald had a house here but was a naughty boy and had to sell his house to pay alimony to his wife. Teignmouth turned out to be a pleasant seaside resort and we had a good walk along the coastal path. The path is between the sea and the main railway line to the west built by Brunel. On our return to the town centre we decided to have lunch in a café called ‘The Pickwick’ and settled on the Devon crab sandwich. This turned out to be the culinary delight of our holiday. We returned over the moors via Dawlish to our hotel at about 13.15.
The afternoon was time at leisure and we decided to go on a river boat trip up the Exe estuary. We knew the boat left at 14.15 so after the coach got to the hotel we walked directly up to the marina from where the boat departed. When we got to the quay we were one of the first to arrive but as the boat got ready to embark passengers a coach drew up and about thirty people got off for the boat trip. The boat was almost full when we left. All boat trips usually begin with emergency procedures and this one was no exception. The only difference was that the procedure in case of emergency was to go over the side and walk to the shore. We knew that the tide was low but the skipper told us that the depth was only three feet maximum and that the exe had a tidal range of about four metres. Having being reassured in this way the boat moved slowly up river winding between mud flats. Even so we were not able to go very far inland before turning round and heading towards the sea. The skipper told us that the Exe was a favourite spot for bird watching and explained the different types of birds as we went along. He did however miss one bird that we and a few passengers saw and that was an Osprey which swooped down to the water a couple of times before being chased off by other gulls.
We returned to our hotel, had dinner, and settled down for our evening’s entertainment. This evening we tried the bingo and won the quiz outright. The prize was a bottle of champagne perry with a strength of 5% which we had difficulty disposing of as no one wanted to drink it. The entertainment was a guitarist by the name of Steve Davis who played tunes from around the world on a variety of guitars including a Russian balalaika. He was generally accepted to be very good.
Thursday was a full day touring starting with a trip to the city of Exeter in the morning. We decided to spend our time in Exeter with a visit to the cathedral even though it cost £3 each entrance fee. The cathedral is a very pleasant sanctuary from the noise and bustle of the city streets and the entry fee was well worth it. A friendly guide explained everything we needed to know but I was most interested in what the cathedral was like in the time of Henry V111. The cathedral was spared the ravages of monasteries but during a normal day the clergy were separated from the common people by a wood carved enclosure from within the cathedral. Outside of this area people carried out their daily activities to a general background of prayer and music.
After our visit to the cathedral we just had time to find a bank ATM and have lunch at a Café Nero. Our coach then transported us to the seaside town of Sidmouth. Sidmouth is a typical seaside place and the day turned out to be a very warm and sunny one. We decided to walk through a park and up a steep hill overlooking the town where we sat at a wooden bench on a grassy knoll. After a short rest we walked back along the promenade to the town centre for an ice-cream. The day being hot and with us having our fill of seaside towns ending in mouth we sat on a covered seat in a small park near the bus station. We were soon joined by an elderly couple who I assumed was on another bus tour but it turned out they lived locally and had just come for a day out.
The last evening followed the same routine as those previously but was hosted by a fair haired lad of small stature who was probably older than he looked. He was jokey and laughed a lot at his own words but he was difficult for us to hear and the bingo and quiz were quite an ordeal. Luckily we did not win the bottle of champagne this night. His singing was a bit amateurish too.
On the Friday we had to get up early in order to have our cases outside by 07.15 and we set off on our long journey home. Unfortunately my wife had contacted a stomach bug and was violently sick several times on the journey. It took her nearly a week to recover. We cannot say exactly where she caught the bug so don’t know if it was anything to do with Shearings but we will be a bit more cautious next time.

Garston Wood

Garston Wood

Our March outdoor meeting was a visit to Garston wood near Sixpenny Handley just over the Hampshire border in Dorset. Sixpenny Handley has nothing to do with money but was derived from two medieval hundreds Saxpena and Hanlega. A hundred was 100 hides. A hide was an area of land about thirty acres which was enough to support a family. Saxpena means hilltop and Hanlega a high clearing in a wood.
We were a little apprehensive about visiting this venue so early in the year as spring had not really become established. On our arrival we found that car parking had been moved to a temporary car park so that renovations could be carried out on the old one. The old car park had been torn up by heavy machinery and piles of earth were waiting to be removed. The track behind the car park had also been damaged by machinery used to clear woodland areas. This walk up the hill was only last year one of the most beautiful woodland walks in the country and will take some time to recover.
A sign near the entrance provided information on why some areas were being cleared. Apparently the fungal disease ‘Phytophtora ramorum’ which is associated with ‘Sudden Oak Death’ has now been found to infect Larch, Beech, and Birch as well as Oaks. Fungus is essential for the breakdown of dead wood but this particular fungus can also transfer to healthy or weakened trees. Larch and Beech trees which do not form a major part of Garston wood had been cut down and the wood was being removed to prevent infection. It is only a few years ago that leaving dead wood on the ground was seen as a good thing to encourage small animals and insects and particularly in Garston Wood where the Dormouse was being encouraged to breed.
Garston wood is managed by the RSPB and although some of the ash and oak trees are very old many of the coppiced hazel trees are renewed every twelve years or so. The hazel wood is plaited to make fencing screens which we saw being constructed during our visit. These screens have been used to keep out deer whilst the younger growth recovers but are now supplemented by wire fencing.
The good news about our visit was that warm spring sunshine had arrived at last. One of the joys of life is walking through mature woodland with warm sunshine on your back, spring flowers at your feet and birds singing in the treetops. Although the flowers were not sufficient in number to carpet the forest floor there were early examples of most spring flowers. Dogs Mercury and the spotted leaves of Lords and Ladies are always amongst the first touch of green trying to push back the memory of a colourless winter. There were some Wood Anemone with their creamy white flowers and a touch of pink. Shiny golden yellow Lesser Celandine flowers contrasted with the pale yellow of the primroses. Early Dog Violet plants were scattered at the side of and sometimes on the paths as if they wanted to be trodden on.
Large queen bumble bees were in constant flight looking for a place to make a hive and hover flies droned around the yellow catkins of pussy willow. The catkins also attracted Blue tits and Great tits giving their chests a yellow tinge from the pollen. Marsh tits and coal tits were also seen on the older oak trees and a Tree Creeper starting on dead wood on the forest floor gradually worked its way up a tree looking for insects. A Nuthatch warning call directed our attention to one part of the woods only for the rustle of Deer crossing our path to make us turn around just as they disappeared from view.
The sounds of bird calls played an important part in our walk with Buzzards calling overhead but the most welcome call was that of the chiffchaff which we eventually located; a sure sign that the summer is just around the corner.

Ovington Village Snowdrops

Waterside Natural History Society goes in search of Snowdrops

If someone asked you what flower looks like a flake of snow then you would immediately think of a snowdrop. Snowdrop or ‘Galanthus’ meaning milk flower was also a slang term for US military police in WW2 but everyone knows what a snowdrop looks like. Garden Centres have them in small pots, town gardens have small groups, older country gardens may have a larger patch; but nothing can compare to seeing large drifts of them in a winters landscape.
Hampshire is lucky to have several locations where you can see snowdrops in large numbers and we chose to visit Ovington village near Alresford which we had heard was a particularly impressive sight. When we arrived at the Bush Inn in Ovington we did not have to look far as snowdrops spread in every direction. When outdoor events are arranged months in advance it is always a matter of luck whether the plant or wildlife is in season but snowdrops are very predictable. Global warming or any sort of weather does not seem to affect them and you can guarantee a good sighting every February.
Our short walk consisted of a round trip to Itchen Stoke and back to Ovington so we set off alongside the Inn towards a bridge over the river Itchen. The river here was broad and shallow so you got a sense of being surrounded by water especially when we walked between the river and the drainage channel running alongside.
Turning away from the river we went up towards Itchen Stoke along a narrow lane with several old houses on either side. The houses were built using flint stones which are common in limestone areas. One house had a small front garden full of a variety of spring flowers. The sweet smell of Daphne at head height was complemented by sweet violets on the ground. Snowdrops, winter Aconites, daffodils and crocus were all in flower together with the purple and pink flowers of one of the Borage family. It would have won first prize at any time of year.
The church in Itchen Stoke was well worth a visit. Although not in use St. Mary’s church had been expertly renovated by the Church preservation society and was an excellent combination of the new and the old. This was typified by the new font inside the church and the old font which was found in pieces around the gravestones. It had been rebuilt and placed just inside the church door. The church’s design was based on that of ‘La Sainte Chapelle’ in Paris. The new and old aspect was reflected in the plants outside. The old represented by the snowdrops and the new by crocus and daffodils. No old church would be complete without an old Yew tree and this was no exception. Further on we came across a carpet of cyclamen that had naturalised on the roadside near an old farm gate.
Walking alongside the road towards Alresford one of our members noticed an animal at the far end of one of the fields which was identified as a deer. Some moments later it was thought to be a donkey as it had big ears. As we all gathered to give our individual opinions it was suggested it might even be a kangaroo. Two passing locals were asked if any strange animals had been seen in the area. When the animal moved it was again thought to be a deer and this was confirmed later when three Roe Deer bounded away across the field. It is easy to be critical of anyone’s identification skills in this age of instant information on the television but in the wild identification is often a matter of several opinions and time to think.
Birds were evident more by their sounds than their sight. Nuthatch, Great tit, and Blackbird were all heard but the most striking were the drumming of the Woodpeckers. One was of a deep bass sound and thought to be a Greater Spotted Woodpecker. Another of a higher pitch was supposed to be a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker although actually seeing the bird was difficult.
Returning back to Ovington alongside a stream we saw great swathes of snowdrops highlighted by the green fronds of Harts tongue ferns and reflected in the clear water of the stream. Spring was definitely on its way.

Blashford Lakes

Waterside Natural History Society visit to Blashford Lakes

The green shoots of recovery or Spring as it used to be called are on their way. Rooks are nesting high in the trees, Song Thrushes are singing on top of the lower trees and catkins are appearing on the hazel bushes. All this was evident as we travelled to Blashford Lakes in search of birdlife.
Blashford Lakes, being a nature reserve, is different to walking in the countryside in that much of the time is spent in the six hides. The hides provide shelter and a good view of the lakes upon which many birds spend the winter but they also provide a meeting point for all the visitors. Some people go singly looking for peace and quiet and some go in groups, such as ourselves, to catch up on the latest news and gossip. In addition some people like to eat their lunch in the hides and some people don’t approve. On the whole it is best to be tolerant of other people and enjoy the sights for what they are.
The information board at the entrance to the hides gave an idea of what birds to expect and their numbers. One board indicated that 800 Wigeon were present on Ibsley Water. Although this may be a calculated estimate there was no indication that it was not the exact figure and a more truthful wording would probably be ‘a large flock’. Whatever the number none of our members were prepared to dispute the figure and there certainly were ‘a lot’.
Besides the Wigeon there were a large number of Goosanders which always tend to congregate around a shingle spit in front of the appropriately named Goosander hide. Tufted Duck were scattered about the lake but always dived under water whenever binoculars were focused on them. There were also several Goldeneye and a single Avocet on the same shingle spit as the Goosanders.
Water fowl were not the only birds present in large numbers. Near the visitor centre bird feeders attracted a seemingly endless parade of Siskin with several Redpolls and the occasional Nuthatch. These birds also visited the feeders in front of the Woodland hide together with Brambling, Chaffinch, Goldfinch and a single Greater Spotted Woodpecker.
On our way to the Ivy North hide we met two of our number who had already been there and they had seen a Bittern from the hide. When we arrived the hide was full of visitors all waiting for a sight of the bird. Such a large number of people in a closed space in wet weather meant that the windows were all steamed up and the air was rather rich. We left the hide and met the two who had seen the bird earlier and they noticed the Bittern from a gap in the fence alongside the hide. It took me several minutes to see the Bittern as it was difficult to spot even when I knew where to look. Bitterns are a master of disguise, in a manner similar to the Snipe, in that they have black, brown, yellow and white stripes but in their case in a vertical plane up their neck and head instead of the horizontal of the Snipe. This enables them to blend with the vertical reeds and they even sway in time with the wind blown reeds. It was not until I saw the bird move forwards against the vertical reeds that I was able to recognise the bird and once seen it seemed incredible that I had not spotted it before. Besides being difficult to see they are also quite rare but increasing at the moment due to intensive work by voluntary organisations. Their number is counted by noting the number of booming Bitterns in the spring although since males may have several mates in the same area their numbers may be underestimated.
We enjoyed our visit to Blashford Lakes. It has a good combination of lots of birds together with the occasional rare specimen. The hides are well established and the reserve appears to be settled. The weather was also in our favour being dry and mild for a winter’s day but the rain resumed in earnest as we left.

Stanpit Marsh & Hengistbury Head

Waterside Natural History Society visit Stanpit Marsh and Hengistbury Head

Christchurch is fortunate to have two Nature Reserves on its doorstep both of which border onto Christchurch harbour. Stanpit Marsh is on the northern landward side of the harbour whereas Hengistbury Head is on the southern seaward side. The higher land of Hengistbury provides a natural shelter for the harbour and also for Stanpit Marsh. Although they are close together they are separated by the water of the harbour so a fifteen minute car journey is required to move from one to the other.
We started our visit at Stanpit Marsh which is a low lying area of reclaimed mud flats although the sea claims large areas back again at high tide. Unfortunately high tide coincided with our visit so we were not able to access some of the reserve. Nevertheless there were large numbers of migrating birds crowded onto the remaining land and seashore; the sight of which was the main object of our visit.
Stanpit Marsh Reserve has a modern visitor centre and provides a welcome board of information about tide levels and what can be seen that day. On this occasion it also provided information about Godwits which we saw in good numbers during our visit. It informed us that Godwits get their name from old English meaning ‘Good Creature’; a reference to their being good to eat. In the nineteenth century the attitude to wild birds was different to that of today. Charles Dickens mentions in his book ‘Martin Chuzzlewit’ that a ‘Bird Fancier’ has a shop in which wild birds are sold for keeping in cages or as target practice for gun clubs. We think of ourselves as more caring these days but wild birds had a better chance of survival then than they do today.
Besides the Godwits, which were Black Tailed Godwit, there were Redshank, Little Egret and Curlew scouring the grass for food. In the water Wigeon and Teal were increasing in number from their winter migration. Most of the birds we saw were on some form of migration or using the sheltered marshes for a rest and to refuel. Canada Geese and Black Bellied Brent Geese were seen on one of the sandbanks together with Cormorants which flew to higher ground as the water rose above their chest level.
We saw a great number of Lapwing which was an encouraging sign as they face difficult survival conditions from loss of habitat and predators. It would be a pity to lose these birds as they offer a unique sight and sound experience when they fly in flocks over the harbour.
The Black Headed Gulls and Coots are usually overlooked but they fill the landscape with their movement and squabbling. Looking between the movements we saw Oystercatchers, Dunlin, Ringed Plover and the occasional Grey Plover. Although we did not see anything unusual it was good to see the vast numbers of birds which were particularly spectacular when disturbed by something such as the Kestrel that occasionally flew over.
After lunch we travelled over to Hengistbury Head. There were few birds to see at this time of year, most of them sensibly kept to the shelter of Stanpit Marsh, but we liked the idea of a brisk walk. We were not the only ones as most of the population of Christchurch seemed to have the same idea and the car park and pathways were crowded with people out for a Sunday walk. On the way back to the car park we passed a family going the other way and a small boy said to his mother “Those people are all wearing blue coats Mummy”. It was only then that we realised we were wearing identical Berghaus coats and I thought perhaps most people are wearing a uniform and don’t realise it.

Fungi Foray

Waterside Natural History Society and a Fungi Foray

In October our normal walk turns into a foray. A foray is the same as a walk except you look at the ground in search of fungi; always hoping that the person in front of you is more of a walker so you don’t get lost. Fungi and foray go together like apples and pears or cake and walk but it probably has more to do with them starting on the same letter. Fungi are very fickle and don’t always appear when and where you want them. The rains we had in early autumn encouraged lots of fungi but the recent dry spell reduced the chances so it was with some trepidation that we embarked on our quest to find and identify the fungi around Dibden Enclosure.
This year we were lucky enough to have with us an expert in the form of Phil Budd which not only makes things easier but has a greater chance of getting the identifications right.
It is usually a help to try and place fungi into groups and the first such group was the Milk Caps or lactaria. We saw the Ugly Milk Cap which has a large slimy dirty olive cap, the Liver Milk Cap which has a liver coloured cap and the Saffron Milk Cap which is mottled orange in colour. The milk which gives the fungi their name can best be seen by drawing a finger nail across the gills beneath the cap. Another group are the boletes which have a spongy mass of pores in place of gills. The Bay bolete with its brown cap and streaky brown stem was found growing on the forest floor.
The group of small fungi growing in massed patches was represented by the Deceiver which is normally red brown or brick in colour but as its name suggests is very variable in form. The Glistening Ink Cap also grows in patches around old tree stumps as does the Sulphur tuft whose name offers a good description.
The Amanita group was represented by theTawny Grisette which gets its name from the grooved cap margins. Also in this group were the Blusher which stains red when cut or bruised and the Fly Agaric. The Fly Agaric is one of the most recognised fungi from its representation in cartoons and gets its name from the ibotenic acid it contains which is a mild insecticide. The False Death Cap, also an Amanita, is distinguished from the true death cap by its paler colour and smell of new potatoes. It is not so deadly poisonous but no one wanted to put this to the test.
The False Chanterelle has decurrent gills running down onto the stem and is separated from the true Chanterelle by having thinner more crowded gills.
The Russula group was represented by the Sickener with a scarlet cap, white gills and stem which if eaten is a stomach irritant and also by the Purple Pine Russule.
Several fungi grow in the form of brackets on the trunks of trees. Some are quite large like the Blushing Bracket and some smaller like the Many Zoned Polypore or Turkey Tail fungus which was once used for jewellery.
Some fungi such as the Green Wood cup are very small but this particular one has the ability to stain the wood on which it grows a bright green.
Another fungus called the Common Stinkhorn is noted for its foul smell and phallus shape which makes it instantly recognisable.
The English names are very descriptive either of the fungi appearance or other characteristics but the Latin names are useful for classification purposes particularly if you want to identify all of the species available.
Altogether 33 different fungi were identified of which the above is a small selection and represent a slightly less number than expected. There are over a thousand fungi varieties in the New Forest area which gives an idea of the unlikelihood of getting the identification right. It is debateable whether picking fungi harms the stock in the wild since the spores will have already spread when they are picked but at best it stops other people from the pleasure of finding them and at worst it could be fatal.