Snow arrives at Hainault 10th December 2017

Essex Field Club Social and Exhibition at Wat Tyler Park, Pitsea.

December miscellany

There have been a dozen or more pairs of Shoveller ducks on the lake throughout the month. These are winter visitors and can be seen usually in pairs with beaks on the water surface collecting food and insect debris from the water surface. The drake is seen on the left above, and the female on the right.

15th December 2017. Photos © Brian Ecott

And finally.........

Wishing everyone a Happy Christmastide and  New Year's Greetings.

Remembrance

Carrion Crows

The Heathland

Wow! After years of neglect by previous officers of the Woodland Trust, the heathland has had a makeover, and has been cleared, leaving the European gorse, Dwarf gorse, Broom, Heather or Ling. Petty whin is still hanging on. Previously the cattle that were present to keep the vegetation down could not even enter the site due to overgrown bramble,  birch  and aspen scrub. Thanks to Nathan and Paul and the team. The site is unique together with a patch in the Chigwell Recreation Ground across the road. The sandy soil was dumped here at the last glaciation and represents the most southerly extent in this part of Essex. A few soil scrapes suggested by Dr Kenneth Adams across the road has seen the recovery of Lousewort and hopefully here which was last seen in the nineteen ninties..

The Lucombe Oak - A notable tree 

The Lucombe Oak Quercus x hispanica Lucombeana at the back of Hainault Lodge Local Nature Reserve, on the edge of the Redbridge Cycling Centre. The tree retains its leaves in the winter.14th November 2017. Photo © Brian Ecott.

Leaf lengths vary from 3.5 - 7.5 cm  Mean of 20 leaves 5.3 cms

Fungi

   The Deceiver Laccaria laccata on Cabin Hill 22nd November 2017

Photo © Brian Ecott

Lilac bonnet Mycena pura is a large bonnet up to 5 cms across cap. The base of the stem is covered in white fibres. Found in beech litter by the golf course. 22nd November 2017. Photo © Brian Ecott.

Old faithful, Fly agaric Amanita muscaria appears at last at a spot on Lower Cabin Hill near a Silver birch tree with which it has a symbiotic relationship. It appears regularly at this spot although it is two months later than those seen elsewhere in September (see this page).

22nd November 2017. Photo © Brian Ecott.

Two Wood Blewits on Dog Kennel Hill. 24th November 2017.

Photo © Brian Ecott

24th November 2017. Photo © Brian Ecott

Lichens

Autumn

Invertebrates under bark

Queen hornet Vespa crabro (above) hibernating upside down under bark of oak log, and fitting snugly in  cut out chamber in the rotting log (pictured below)..

Hog hill. 26th November 2017  Photo © Brian Ecott

Photo © Brian Ecott

14th November 2017  Photo © Brian Ecott

Photo © Brian Ecott

Photo © Brian Ecott

Common rough woodlouse Porcellio scaber. Two small yellow centipedes also present. 14th November 2017  Photo © Brian Ecott

Photo © Brian Ecott

Photo © Raymond Small

Photo © Brian Ecott

Underground Common Wasp nest

A Common wasp nest on a ditch bank near the Oak path has been dug out probably by a Badger. There is no honey in a wasp nest, but the wasp grubs provide a rich source of protein  The wasps feed on sugary foods, nectar or fruit. Honey is also sourced if they are able to steal it from a bee colony. As sources are depleted in autumn the wasps will turn to a ready source of sweet things at the Café. 6th November 2017 Photo © Brian Ecott

 Four grubs are seen in this honeycombed layer. The grubs are fed on pieces of insect, and it is little known that a vast quantity of pests are removed by wasps. Photo © Raymond Small 6th November 2017.  Pictured right is a Common wasp feeding on a Red admiral butterfly nearby on the Oak Path to feed the grubs. and pictured last month 20th October 2017. Photo  © Raymond Small.

The wasp mimic hoverfly

Volucella zonaria

on a sycamore leaf, Hog Hill

15th September 2003

Photo © Brian Ecott

In Autumn the Hoverflies Volucella zonaria and V. inanis pass freely into the wasp nest without being challenged and lay their eggs among the wasp grubs. The larvae are voracious feeders and feed on the wasps by grasping them over the thorax and abdomen where they are safe  and are able top devour them. They overwinter in the nest and  emerge in the spring as adult Hoverflies. The grey larva in the top left corner is Volucella zonaria.  Photo © Brian Ecott 7th November 2017.

Aylsa worries about a net

hainaultforest.net

is one year old

Click here

to see Raymond's refreshing site

and finally

New Dog seen at Hainault No. 129

ALAPAHA BLUE BLOOD  BULLDOG Photo © Raymond Small 21st November 2017 CLICK HERE to view all the dogs seen in Hainault

Relaxing after planting acorns hopefully to dig up later in the winter, this grey squirrel was photographed © Michael Trump on the 1st October 2017.

What do wasps eat? This Common wasp was seen eating a Red admiral butterfly along the Oak path near the New North Road entrance,

Photo © Raymond Small 20th October 2017

Red October day

This was the sky at 3pm on Monday 16th October 2017 on Hog Hill © Raymond Small. By the time children were leaving school around 4pm. Barkingside High Street was dark and gloomy and the street lamps were on. The tail end of the notorious Hurricane Ophelia brought tropical air from the Sahara carrying sand and added to by the smoke from Forest fires in Spain and Portugal. The next day the sky was back to normal,

Important: Late flowering ivy and Michaelmas daisies for insects.

Squash bug Coreus marginata on nettle 9th October 2017 Hog Hill..

Photo © Brian Ecott

Honey bee on ivy collecting pollen. Note the pollen sac on its leg.

16th October 2017. Ivy bush near Global café.  Photo © Brian Ecott.

Hoverfly Syrphus vitripennis 17th October 2017 on Hogweed.

Photo © Brian Ecott

Tachinid fly on Michaelmas Daisy. Photo © Raymond Small. 24th October 2017.

 Del Smith, Recorder of Diptera, Essex Field Club reports that this is almost certainly a Siphona geniculata female. Parasitic on Craneflies

Cranefly on Global Café window

Cranefly on Global café window.

The picture on the right - a body close up shows two club shapes organs which are replacing the second pair of wings lost in evolution.

 In two winged flies (Diptera) the halteres provide a means of encoding body rotations of yaw, roll and pitch during flight. This enables the insect to make corrections to enable a smooth flight.

Dogfight over Hainault

A Carrion crow approaches a gliding Buzzard, flies above it and then swoops down attacking it from behind.  Photos © Michael Trump. 1st October 2017.

Crows and other birds will often try to chase a potential predator away,

Fungi

  Charcoal burner Russula cyanoxantha 6th October 2017 Hog hill.

Photo © Bran Ecott

Pink stemmed, pink pored Bolete. In Horse pasture. Possibly damaged by a pony. Yet to be identified, Help please..

20th October 2017, Photo © Brian Ecott.

Sulphur tuft Hypholoma fasciculare. Growing on a small stump on the ridge path of Dog Kennel Hill. 27th October 2017     Photo © Brian Ecott 

Ivory bonnet Atheniella [Syn. Mycena] flavoalba in several grassland areas,

23rd October 2017  Photo ©  Brian Ecott

Pleated inkcap Parasola [syn. Coprinus] plicatilis. 24th October 2017.

Photo © Brian Ecott

Waxcaps on grassland

Cherry galls

Veteran Tree - 1   Silver birch Betula pendula

Silver birch trees' Betula pendula usual life span is around 25 - 40 years before they are blown down or the tops are snapped off in gales. They may also succumb to fungal disease such as Birch bracket. Fortunately they are good recolonisers after storms and fires. There are several stands of trees that have grown following the hurricane of '84.

Along the ridge of Dog Kennel Hill are several birches where the girth measured at four foot shows them to be veterans. Here Raymond Small is measuring the girth which was 2.55 metres

Photos © Brian Ecott. 10th October 2017.

Miscellany

Long serpentine mines on Creeping thistle Cirsium arvense,

Possibly Chromatomyia 'atricornia' 8th October 2017. Photo © Brian Ecott.

In the Farm and Zoo

and finally........the things I do for the website!

On the Lake

Dogs Breeds at Hainault  126 and 127  Click HERE for webpage

Insects

This magnificent picture of a Batman Hoverfly Myathropa florea. Female. Note the Batman logo on the lower part of the thorax, Wing length 7-12mm.

19th September 2017. Photographed on an ivy leaf, © Raymond Small.

This spectacular  moth caterpillar sent to me by the Galpin Family and found feeding on waterlilies in their garden pond in Lambourne End is the larva of The Elephant Hawk moth Deilephila elpenor. Common food plants include the Willowherbs and Fuchsias.  Photo © Janet Galpin. 23rd August 2017.

Cardinal beetle Pyrochroa coccinea larvae (approx 2cm length) under hornbeam log in Lambourne Wood. 26th September 2017 Photo © Brian Ecott.

INSET: Adult Cardinal beetle often found on nettles.

Mines in the leaf of Lesser Burdock caused by the larva of a tiny fly Phytomyza lappae. The larvae live, feed and grow. in the mines but pupate outside the leaf to become adults. 22nd September 2017.  Photo © Brian Ecott.

Galls

Four tiny galls, 3mm, on the midrib of a Turkey oak leaf  and a more mature red one caused by Pseudoneuroterus saliens ♀♀ [syn. Neuroterus].

Photo © Brian Ecott 23rd September 2017

A plethora of Ramshorn galls Andricus aries have been seen this year at Hainault. 5th September 2017. Photo © Brian Ecott.

Yellow rust on bramble leaves

Creeping thistle, bleached tops

Creeping thistles at the back of the lake appear to have White tip disease. This is found in the South-East and also in Canada, and is caused by the fungus  Phoma macrostoma.  9th September 2017, Photos © Brian Ecott. The reference below gives an abstract of a paper on White tip disease, part of which is printed below.

  http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-3180.2012.00951.x/full

Lichen

Cladonia chlorophaea a cup lichen on a rotten log in the horse pasture. Each cup measures 5-6mm and around the cup edges are red projections.

14th September 2017. Photo © Brian Ecott

Slime mould

Polypody ferns

Common Polypody fern Polypodium vulgare between the roots of a Yew tree at the front of All Saints Church, Chigwell Row

17th September 2017 Photo © Brian Ecott

Western Polypody Polypodium interjectum  a moss covered branch on Cabin Hill. Photo © Brian Ecott.

Dwarf mallow

Dwarf mallow Malva neglecta  on path edge Chigwell Row 19th September 2017. Photo © Raymond Small.

Fungi 

Parasol Mushroom Macrolepiota procera in a small grassy clearing in Woodland on Cabin Hill  23rd September 2017. Photos © Martin Bell..

Cap 28cm diameter  Note the very large white ring on the stem.

Autumn Fruits

Woody nightshade aka Bittersweet Solanum dulcamara berries by the lakeside 2nd September 2017 Photo © Raymond Small  

Black nightshade  Solanum nigrum berries (unripe are green)  Waste ground along Retreat Path, Chigwell Row. 19th September 2017 Photo © Raymond Small.

Yew berry or Aril near Sheepwater  19th September 2017 

Photo © Raymond Small,

Sweet chestnut fruits opening to show the edible sweet chestnuts. Several trees in the secondary woodland and on the Golf course. 23rd September 2017.   Photo © Brian Ecott.

And finally........

How many octogenarians, I wonder, have a cake decorated with a grass snake, several stag beetles and a couple of dragonflies (wings made of gelatine).

My birthday celebrations were held on the 17th September 2017. Thankyou to cousin Lynda Hunt for making and decorating the cake..  

Photos ©  Raymond Small.

Lambourne Well

Early Autumn Fungi

 Tawny Grisette Amanita fulva  Cabin Hill, 22nd August 2017

Photo © Brian Ecott

Zoned rosette Podoscypha multizonata. Path on Dog Kennel Hill.

8th August 2017  Photo © Brian Ecott.

Hare's Ear fungus Otidia onotica. Notice the pink flush inside. In secondary woodland  behind the aerial play area. 12th August 2017. Photo © Brian Ecott

The Woodland Trusts'- Havering Park Farm Fields

Who likes eating the blackberries? 

 But what is this? Is the poo a clue to who also likes blackberries?

It's been a good year for blackberries.

The poo (above) is in a scrape alongside the bushes, and there is only one animal that is particular about its toilet arrangements and that's the BADGER.

The poo (right) has visible pips in it. I suppose that if you've eaten a stomach full of berries you might be caught short and don't have time to get back to your sett, which can be a long distance away, to use the toilet! 

Below separate poo areas (12 in all) are marked along a hedgerow in Lord's Pond Field.

Pictures for this feature © Michael Rumble, Raymond Small and Brian Ecott

Line drawing Brian Ecott.

Heather aka Ling Calluna vulgaris on the Heathland. Nathan Fall of The Woodland Trust is attempting to restore a much neglected site. 17th August 2017. Perhaps a scrape or two might see the return of the Lousewort. Photo © Brian Ecott.

Water mint Mentha aquatica  Around the lake and pond edges throughout.

11th August 2017. Photo © Brian Ecott

Marsh cudweed Gnaphalium uliginosum Horse field. 8th August 2017.

 Photo © Brian Ecott

Fyfield pea Lathyrus tuberosus along Spurgate Brook footpath.

15th August 2017.  Photo.© Raymond Small

Insects

Forest shieldbug Pentatoma rufipes on Poplar leaf  11th August 2017.

Photo © Brian Ecott

Pupa or Chrysalis wrapped in the head of Ragwort. Identity unknown.

12th August 2017 Photo © Brian Ecott

Walnut tree

Above: A three year old Walnut tree grown by Bob Cable and donated to the Country Park  was planted behind the visitor centre near the horse paddock on the 24th August 2009.   Photo © Brian Ecott..

Right: Now aged 11 years old the tree has grown into a tall, healthy specimen, when I inspected it on 10th August 2017.

Photo © Raymond Small.

Miscellaneous

Feathers of Greater spotted woodpecker (top)  and Green woodpecker (below)

Flowers of Tan slime mould Fuligo septica on Lambourne Woods. 

15th August 2017. Photo © Brian Ecott.

 A Pointer dog retrieves a stick from the lake. 11th August 2017.

See also Dogs at Hainault

Autumn fruits

Sweet chestnut developing fruits, Cabin Hill 2nd August 2017

Photo © Brian Ecott

Galls

This strange arrangement of leaves on the tip of a Crack willow is known as a Camellia gall is caused by a midge Rabdophaga rosaria. By the Lake edge. 8th August 2017.  Photo © Brian Ecott. It is found on other willows and sallows.

This strange looking gall is a chimera. Jerry Bowdrey writes "The picture with A. aries [Ramshorn) protruding through A. kollari [Oak marble] is most likely to be a result of multiple oviposition in the same bud, I guess each wasp cannot tell if another has already laid and both galls develop simultaneously and grow into each other. 12th August 2018, back of lake.  Photo © Brian Ecott.

Pictured above is a Robin's pincushion gall on a Dog rose bud and a smaller one on a leaflet. . These are the result of an egg laid by a very tiny gall wasp Diplolepis rosae. Hedgerow, Lord's Pond Fields. 8th August 2017. 

Photo © Brian Ecott

A  new gall for Hainault. Found on a Turkey oak on Hogg Hill  A blister on the upper surface and an erineum (formed by mites) on the underside is shown above. Jerry Bowdrey gall recorder for The Essex Field Club, and Chairman of The British Plant Gall Society comments "The Quercus cerris gall is, I think, good for Aceria ilicis (a mite). There is sometimes no discernible bulge on the upper surface which has led some to suggest that there may be two species involved, but this hasn't been established definitely as far as I know."  Thanks Jerry for your help with this and the chimera .

And finally......

Marbled white female butterfly Melanargia galathea butterfly found by Sarah White and photographed © Simon Taylor 29th June 2017 on the Woodland Trust's farmland near Lambourne End. On the 2nd July Raymond Small and I saw them flying on the wild flower area on Hog Hill. This I believe to be their first appearance in this area. Simon Taylor is Vice President, and Sarah White is General Secretary of The Essex Field Club

Dragons and Damsels

On the 14th July 2017 Southern Hawker dragonflies Aeshna cyanea were emerging from one of the ponds on Hainault Lodge Local Nature Reserve. It was an overcast day and the top picture shows a newly emerged dragonfly resting on its nymphal cast (exuvia). They can easily be handled as the wings have to be pumped up, dried and the colours enhanced.  They also need to warm up to fly. Above right shows an exuvia from which the dragonfly has emerged. These can be collected and identified by experts. Photos © Brian Ecott.

Pictured above are two views of a female Black-tailed Skimmer dragonfly Orthetrum cancellatum and close ups of their heads.

Photos © Colin Carron 9th July 2017

I found this pair of Dragonflies by the Lake edge on the 17th July 2017. Having difficulty in identification, I sent the photograph to NaturePlus at The Natural History Museum and received the following reply from member Mulberoo who wrote "This is definitely a Black-tailed Skimmer pair", and referred me to the webpage  http://www.surfbirds.com/gallery/search2.cgi?species=black-tailed+skimmer which contains a similar picture by Chris Baines.

.

Above: Blue-tailed damselflies Ischnura elegans in wheel. The female is green They are a small and elegant species. 

Left: Close up of the delicate wing structure and the blue/black  pterostigma cells on the wing tips. These structures on the wings of damselflies, dragonflies  and other insects aids in gliding.

To quote Wikipedia:

The purpose of the pterostigma, being a heavier section of the wing in comparison to nearby sections, is to assist in gliding. Without the pterostigma, self-exciting vibrations would set in on the wing after a certain critical speed, making gliding impossible. Tests show that with the pterostigma, the critical gliding speed is increased 10–25% on one species of dragonfly.

13th July 2017 in Ted's Field by the lake. Photo © Brian Ecott

Ninja turtles

At one time tiny Red eared terrapins were available at pet shops and aquaria and sought after as pets for children. Unfortunately they get too big for their tanks and get thrown into ponds and lakes where they get even bigger. Here are a couple resting on a log by the lakes island  Photo © Brian Ecott 18th July 2017.

Roe's Well

This is Roe's Well, a small spring fed pond in the Ash woodland towards Chigwell Row. It is formed in an area of Chalky Boulder clay which was deposited here during the last glaciation, and is the most southerly deposit in Essex. Glacial drift (sand) on the edge of the glacier forms the small patch of heathland near Chigwell Row Church and across the Romford Road in the Chigwell Row Recreation Ground. This heathland is unique and a valuable asset. Where else can you find Petty whin, Dwarf gorse, Heather and Lousewort? The Woodland Trust has a duty of care to maintain it.15th July 2017 Photo © Brian Ecott

Often in summer at Roe's Well the water will turn blood red due to a tiny microscopic green single celled alga Haematococcus sp. (Pictured left).

While sitting on the nearby seat we were surprised to see a small bat flying over the pond and around the oak and ash trees - it was 4pm. It is not unusual for some bats to fly in the long summer daylight hours.

Galls

I took the first photograph of Ramshorn gall Andricus aries in early August 2000 in Hainault Forest, three years after it was first recorded in this country. It is now very common in Hainault especially this year. 22nd July 2017. Photograph © Brian Ecott.

Stem gall on Creeping thistle 15th July 2017. Photo © Brian Ecott

Right above: Turkey oak leaf with blister gall. Right below: Underside of leaf showing erineum.  Above left: Enlargement of erineum. Scans 29th July 2017. © Brian Ecott. Identified by Jerry Bowdrey, Chair of The British Plant Society, as caused by Mite  Aceria ilicis.

More insects

Six-spot Burnet moth on Common  knapweed Zygaena filipendulae. Insets are pupal cases before emergence of the moths.13th July 2017.

Photos © Brian Ecott.

Web spinning Sawfly larvae Neurotoma fasciata on hawthorn bush near the rough grassland Yellow Ant colonies. 5th July 2017. Photo © Brian Ecott.

Striped caterpillars of Cinnabar moth feeding on Common Ragwort. 5th July 2017. They will strip the plant to a few stems close to the ground and move on to another Ragwort plant.29th July 2017  on Hog Hill. Photo © Brian Ecott.

 Speckled bush cricket male Leptophyes punctatissima on yellow iris leaf. 13th July 2017  Photo © Brian Ecott.

Meadow Grasshopper Chorthippus parallelus and Lesser Marsh Grasshopper C. albomarginatus captured on Cabin Hill 6th July 2017 Photos © Brian Ecott.

This large hoverfly alongside the Greenbottle is Volucella inflata male. A woodland species. Photo © Michael Rumble 1st July 2017        

This tiny (3mm.) ball of fluff was seen walking on an ash leaflet on the 13th July 2017 at Roe's Well. I sent the photograph to the Natural History Museum web site NaturePlus and was told it was the larva of a Lacewing which has eaten its prey and stuck the remains on itself as a disguise. Photo © 13th July 2017.

Discarded wings of an Oak Eggar moth Lasiocampa quercus following predation, possibly by a bird. 1st July 2017. Photo © Brian Ecott

Slime mould - Wolf's milk

Above and left are Slime moulds. They have been common this year on fallen rotten logs. They measure 15mm or less across. There are several species and they often appear after rain.

Pictured is Wolf's blood Lycogala epidendrum. Notice the large one in the group on the right of the picture above. This has been squeezed and a pink fluid has  exuded (see left) and contains millions upon millions of tiny unicellular organisms.

During my time at school we were taught that there were two Kingdoms of living things - Plants and Animals. Now we know that many things do not fit these categories. Now there is the Fungi Kingdom and the Slime moulds belong to the Kingdom Myxomycetes. Other Kingdoms exist.

4tb July 2017.  Photos © Brian Ecott

Summer fungi

Jelly Ear Auricularia auricula-judae  on rotting timber 23rd July 2017.

Photo © Brian Ecott

Summer fruits

Wild flowers

 Rosebay willow herb aka Fireweed. Chamaenerion angustifolium. Once an uncommon garden flower in Victorian times but spread on waste burnt ground during WW2. Common in the forest. 1st July 2017.  Photo © Brian Ecott

Meadow cranesbill Geranium pratense. Gets its name from the seed pods in the picture.  1st July 2017.  Photo © Brian Ecott

Gypsywort Lycopus europaeus by the lake Deadnettle family.

Photo © Brian Ecott. 26th July 2017.

Selfheal Prunella vulgaris in short grassland areas Deadnettle family. 

8th July 2017.  Photo © Brian Ecott

Skullcap  Scutellaria galericulata in an Hainault Lodge Local Nature Reserve pond. Introduced when pond created.. 14th July 2017.  Photo © Brian Ecott

Normal mauve Common Knapweed Centaurea nigra nigra and a white aberrant form on Hog Hill 18th July 2017.  Photo © Brian Ecott

Hoary ragwort Senecio erucifolius Common throughout the forest. Flowers later than the Common ragwort. 18th July 2017.  Photo © Brian Ecott 

Large bindweed Calystegia silvatica var quinquepartita. Normally trumpet shaped, but this is a rare and unusual variety found near Woodhenge.

4th  July 2017.  Photo © Brian Ecott 

White Melilot Melilotus alba 27th July 2017 in the grassland. 

Photo © Brian Ecott

and finally......The First Friday in July!

May weather - Maximum London temperatures °C

The Green Man

Birds

The Jackdaw was photographed © Michael Rumble by the café on the

11th May 2017  

Galls

Insects and other invertebrates

Holly blue butterfly Celastrina argiolus on Goat's rue 27th May 2017

Photo © Raymond Small.

Caterpillar of Purple hairstreak Quercusia quercus on oak leaf. Previously shown to me by Iris Newberry "The Butterfly Lady"  in 2001  Photographed on the oaks on Millennium Hill where the butterfly is generally seen.

© Brian Ecott  21st May 2017.

Common Quaker moth caterpillar Orthosia cerasi  on oak leaf.

Photo © Brian Ecott 8th May 2017.

Male (above) and female (right) metallic green flower beetles aka Thick thighed beetles Oedemera nobilis  on buttercups 28th May 2017.

Photo © Brian Ecott

Leaf bugs Dryophilocoris flavoquadrimaculatus on oak leaf.

Photo © Brian Ecott.

Thanks to Tony of NaturePlus at the Natural History Museum, London for kindly identifying the nymph.

Beetle on nettle Byrrhus pilula. 1cm oval, near Sheepwater.

Photo © Brian Ecott 22nd May 2017.

Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus on meadow buttercup. 27th May 2017.

Photo © Brian Ecott

Hoverfly Helophilus pendulus on  Elder flowers. Photo © Brian Ecott.

Left: Tetragnatha extensa spider by the lake Photo © Brian Ecott.

 I am holding a newly emerged dragonfly at Sheepwater. A Broad-bodied chaser Libellula depressa. It is still pumping up its wings and drying them. The colours of immature and adult females are very similar, but there is time for it to develop the blue abdomen of the male.

Photo © Brian Ecott.  22nd May 2017.

Broad buckler fern 

Wild flowers

As there were so few flowers at Hainault, I looked elsewhere in the Borough and Chigwell to find some other interesting ones.

Yellow rattle Rhinanthus minor near the entrance. 8th May 2017

Photo © Brian Ecott

Creeping cinquefoil  Potentilla reptans on a grave in All Saints Church graveyard, God's acre. Chigwell Row.. Photo © Brian Ecott. 22nd May 2017.

Celebrating the Blues

and finally - the relief of MAFEKING!

Enlarged from a sepia photograph. With thanks to Raymond Small for its use.

I would be very interested to know where this photograph was taken. Any suggestions?

Palm Sunday temperature 22°C and Sunshine brings families out

Speckled wood butterfly

Greylag and Canada geese

Tadpoles

Slime mould

Early Spring flora 

Bluebells are appearing much earlier than times past.

Photo © Michael Rumble 9th April 2017., 

Like the deadnettle above the Ground Ivy Glechoma hederacea belongs to the Deadnettle family 15th April 2017 on the grassland near the lake.

Photo © Brian Ecott

 Ubiquitous dandelions - Food for wildlife, Weeds for gardeners

Dandelions flower early in the year and provide early insects with pollen and nectar. They are a thing of beauty. Unfortunately after a couple of days the flower closes and reopens as the familiar clock we all know as children. Kids like to pick and blow the clock which disintegrates into a mass of seed each with its own parachute of pappus. These fly away long distances to fall into garden lawns, flower beds and paving where a new plant grows. Meanwhile the original plant continues to grow, flower, seed many times during the rest of the year. Ad infinitum. Very successful!

Photos and scans © Brian Ecott

Hoverfly Sphaerophoria sp. on dandelion 14th April 2017.

Photo  ©  Raymond Small

Plant galls

Insects, butterflies, snails and millipedes

Common earwig Forficula auricularia on nettle 10th April 2017.

Photo © Brian Ecott

Orange tip pair Anthocharis cardamines 19th April 2017.

Photo © Michael Rumble

Green veined white butterfly Pieris napi 18th April 2017.

Photo © Michael Rumble.

Flat grey millipede Polydesmus angustus 24th April 2017. under log.

Photo © Raymond Small.

Brown lipped snails. Cepaea nemoralis under log 24th April 2017.

Photo © Raymond Small

Food plants for caterpillar of Orange tip butterfly

Birds

and finally, Courtney's Octopus

First signs of Spring

Flavoparmelia caperata on twig near Oak path. Photo © Raymond Small.

8th March 2017.

Birds

Mandarin drake first appearance this year 14th March 2017.

Photo © Brian Ecott.

Male Pochard, a diving duck, on the lake.15th March 2017.

 Photo © Raymond Small.

Sharing. Robin and Grey squirrel at Sheepwater. 7th March 2017.

Photo © Raymond Small

Tiny liverworts under the lens

Tiny liverwort Metzgeria furcata on hawthorn (above). The lobe ends divide into two. Shows quite well in top right of this picture.

Photo © Brian Ecott. 2nd March 2017.

The light green liverwort growing at the water's edge of  the lake inflow stream  (above left) is shown in close up (above right). In the middle of some of the lobes is a half moon shape called a gemmae cup which is moon shape giving the liverwort the name Crescent cup Lunularia cruciata.

14th March 2017  Photos © Brian Ecott and Raymond Small.

Insects

Early Red admiral basking in the sun on oak tree along Headland path near Romford Road. 6th March 2017. Photo © Brian Ecott.

Brimstone (male), Peacock and Comma were all seen on the 16th March 2017.

Bumblebee Bombus terrestris Queen 10th March 2017.

Photo © Raymond Small

Bumblebee  Bombus lapidarius Queen collecting pollen from Ground Ivy

 25th March 2017   Photo © Raymond Small

Slug Arion sp. under log with two Common shiny woodlice.

Photo © Brian Ecott on D

og Kennel Hill

 Woodland. 13th March 2017

Simon Taylor further reports, "Since the publication of the FSC Aidgap guide and the work that led up to it, the position with the British Arionids has become rather more complicated. The slugs you photographed (above) are certainly Arionids but beyond that it is impossible to say just from a photograph. Even with the specimens in hand it is far from easy these days!"

Nature Detective

Conker on a table in The Nature Reserve eaten by a grey squirrel. There was a good crop this year to last throughout the winter months. 9th March 2017. Photo © Brian Ecott.

Grey squirrels often strip bark from small branches to supplement their food requirements and for use to line their dreys. 

Photo © Brian Ecott.9th March 2017 on The Nature Reserve.

Fungi

Above: A line of eyelash fungi Scutellinia scutellata growing on a rotting hornbeam log. It is reported as present in the forest although this is a first for me. Found Lambourne wood, near Spurgate.

28th March 2017. Photo © Brian Ecott

Left: Lovely close up of the Eyelash fungus showing the brown hairs or lashes. 28th March 2017. Photo © Raymond Small.

Glistening inkcap Coprinellus micaceus at Roes Well on rotting stump.

11th March 2017. Photo © Brian Ecott

Early Spring Flowers

Two above: Lesser celandine Ranunculus ficaria by streams and damp areas. The close up shows that the flower is related to the Buttercups family.       

25th March 2017. Photo © Brian Ecott.

Moss Brachythecium rutabulum forms large patches in the grassland on Hoghill, especially near the top. Photo © Brian Ecott  10th March 2017

And finally..........

This happy pair of ghosts are two of many kites flown over Hainault by Courtney which are a popular talking point bringing much pleasure to visitors. 

 Photo © Raymond Small

Looking for a sunny day 

Jewels on a Spiders web

Fungi

Raymond Small has captured the hairy surface of this fungus known as the Hairy Curtain Crust Stereum hirsutum on an old log.

1st February 2017. Photo © Raymond Small.

Left: Beech Barkspot Diatrype disciformis. on beech twig, roughly normal size. The enlargement above show the fungus bursting through the thin bark leaving flaps of tissue. 13th February 2017. Woodland on  the  golf course, Hoghill. Photo © Brian Ecott.

Beech tarcrust Biscogniauxia nummularia on dead beech. Dog kennel hill,

13th February 2017. Photo © Brian Ecott.

Beech woodwart Hypoxylon fragiforme on dead beech. Dog Kennel hill.    

13th February 2017. Photo © Brian Ecott

This amazing photo shows Boot lace aka Honey fungus Armillaria mellea (inset). The fungus spreads by long black cords, resembling boot-laces. These spread under bark, in roots and underground large distances to infect other trees. The width of the larger "laces" is 1 cm. and with the interconnecting laces gives the appearance of a major communications centre. Honey fungus is the scourge of foresters. 13th February 2017. Photo © Brian Ecott

Trees

Grey poplars Populus x canescens. A hybrid of White poplar and Aspen, by the café has a rough bark at the base but changes to a smooth silver bark with diamond shaped fissures.

21st February 2017. Photo © Brian Ecott

Douglas Fir Pseudotsuga menziesii Cones 20th February 2017.

Photo © Brian Ecott. The three pronged bracts on the cone distinguish

 this tree from all other conifers.

Only one tree amongst a stand of Black pines Pinus nigra

on the old reservoir site

Black pine Pinus nigra cones on the old reservoir site.. The cones appear to have a flat side and a rounded side. 27th February 2017. Scan © Brian Ecott

Small branch tip of Douglas fir above. Lower are two needles 1.5 cms long, slightly silvery underneath. When removed from the branch the needle shows only a small  point of attachment - right.

Scans © Brian Ecott 27th February 2017

Lichens

Soredia are common  reproductive structures of lichens. Lichens reproduce asexually by employing simple fragmentation and production of soredia and isidia. Soredia are powdery propagules composed of fungal hyphae wrapped around cyanobacteria or green algae. Fungal hyphae make up the basic body structure of lichen. - Wikipedia.

Many of the lichen photos shown below have soredia.

Physcia adscendens on hawthorn twig. (2 cms width) Tips of lobes are hooded then split to reveal soredia. Scan © Brian Ecott 25th February 2017.   

Physcia tenella and Physcia adscendens cover much of the hawthorn bushes and are easily visible before the leaves appear.

Ramalina farinacea on hawthorn twig (4 cms in width) Oval structures along the edges of the branches contain soredia. Photo © Brian Ecott.

25th February 2017.

 February flowers

Snowdrops Galanthus nivalis.  Old Reservoir site woodland, Hoghill.

17th February 2017. Photos © Michael Rumble

Nature detective

Above: Cherry stones under a log and opened by a Woodmouse.

1st February 2017. Photo © Raymond Small.

Right: Slot of Right hind leg of Muntjac deer. 13th February 2017 

Photo © Brian Ecott

Holly miner

Holly miner grubs are a food sought after in the winter months by the Goldcrest (right), blue and long-tailed tits.  A substantial amount of holly is being removed from the woodland in Chigwell Row. A similar interference by the Woodland Trust who leased the site  in 1999 saw the disappearance of the Nightingale. Does anyone know what species of plant and birdlife is present in the woodland. Does anyone from the Woodland Trust care?

And finally

Mute swan pen still in her first year plumage.  25th February 2017.

 Photo © Brian Ecott

 “Once-in-a-lifetime” lottery grant to preserve

Hainault Forest Country Park.

Hainault Forest Country Park has been awarded £4.5million by the Heritage Lottery Fund. A further £1.25m will be invested by Redbridge Council, with a further £250,000 from Vision Redbridge Culture and Leisure. The funding will improve the overall condition of the much-loved woodland, protecting threatened species and habitats and creating a range of new activities, including conservation management, animal husbandry and fruit-harvesting. This is great news - a glance at the following pictures will show what a great place this is, and it's rich biodiversity.

Last sunshine of the old year........

January Moods............

Full Moon over Romford Road, from New North Road towards Chigwell Row. Photographed from Foxburrow Road. 0625am GMT. 13th January 2017.

Photo © Raymond Small

On a cold crisp night the crescent Moon and the planet Venus were close together at 5.29pm GMT 2nd January 2017 in the SW sky. 

Photo © Brian Ecott.

Lengthening days...........

Catkins (male flowers) of Hazel - 12 cm in length, and female flowers - 6 mm. Right are the female flowers enlarged, nd on which the pollen from the catkins will alight. The pollen is dispersed by the wind, and will develop  into Hazelnuts in the autumn. 25th January 2017 in the Hazel copse. Scan © Brian Ecott.

Fungi......

Flat oysterling Crepidotus applanatus on rotting elder log. 1-2cms across. Underside reveals split gills and a rudimentary stem. 3rd January 2017

 Photos © Brian Ecott

Bleeding oak crust fungus Stereum gausapatum on oak log. The lower picture shows "blood" exuding from the fungus when cut with a penknife.

Photos © Raymond Small  7th January 2017..

Mosses..............

Lichens.........

The story of Laetisaria unfolds................

The story is in Academia  under Powell M (2016) British Wildlife.

Nature Detective..........

This is a Song thrushes anvil. The thrush brings the snails and smashes the shells on an old green bottle releasing a tasty morsel. This thrush has been collecting Brown-lipped Banded snails. Cepaea nemoralis. The two shells centre and top centre are showing the brown lip. 30th January 2017.             

Photo © Brian Ecott

Water fowl................

Trevor has his own web page now.

What's going on here?

To follow Trevor's adventures  

click here

And finally...............