There is a distinctly autumnal look to the Downs now.

I encountered a large mixed bird foraging party this morning, comprising Great Tit, Blue Tit and Long-tailed Tit. Jays are still very conspicuous as they build up their winter nut stocks.

Yet another new species for the Downs, having previously found it at Box Hill, is the Common Striped Woodlouse (Philoscia muscorum).

A Goat Willow (Salix caprea) showed the leaves on some branches infected with a white powdery mildew, Willow Mildew (Erysiphe adunca). Each of the tiny coloured spheres (cleistothecia) seen on the white mildew in the photo fully enclose perhaps several thousand asci (spore sacs) each containing 8 spores. The colour of a cleistothecium ranges from white when very immature, through yellow, orange, reddish brown, dark brown and finally to black when fully mature.

Two new fungi were seen. I make no attempt to properly identify them and simply post their images.

                                                                                              <<<< Previous page | Next Page >>>>