Graham Workman column: fungi season

All the paths in the wood are now starting to be carpeted with fallen leaves and the trees are just starting to get a hint of colour. Marcus and I were off on a days birding and at this time of year you never know what will turn up! We got out early after a relaxed breakfast while the sky was still a little blue – rain had been forecasted for later in the day – just for a change!!! The Whooper Swans had just started arriving at Martin Mere, so it was there we were heading for. The Pink Footed Geese numbers were building up steadily and over 8000 were now calling Martin Mere home for the winter. We couldn’t find the Whooper Swans anywhere around the reserve so decided we’d settle for watching the comings and goings of the Pink foots.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw a flash of grey and knew immediately what it was – a male Hen Harrier!!! It has been years since I saw my last male and I was just as excited as Marcus – for who it was a new species completely. I think all the Harriers are stunning birds but the Hen Harrier is def my favourite. It reminds me of days spent in the uplands of the Pennines looking for them. The white-rumped female Hen Harrier known as a Ring Tail but it’s the beautiful, ghostly grey male slowly quartering the moorlands that we were wanting to see before they headed for the coastal marshes for the winter. During the winter months Hen Harriers form roosts at traditional sites, often close to favoured feeding areas, coming into roost from late afternoon through to dusk and leaving at first light. They are occasional winter visitors at Martin Mere and could be seen late afternoon coming to roost.

As a breeding bird the Hen Harrier is affected by both persecution from keepers and land use decisions. Harriers feed mainly on voles and Meadow Pipits – which are found in grassland – and upland management for heather or forestry can exclude both the harrier and its prey.

It looks like it’s going to be a good year for fungi, we found some super specimens – One that’s not rare but you have to get’ your eye in’ to find them. Earth Stars are as their name suggests are star shaped. Anyway we saw a couple staring at the floor and me being nosey asked what they’d found – Collared Earth Stars – so we had a good look and I got some pretty decent shots of them – the earth stars not the kind couple that is !!

We also found some really pretty small cup fungi called Birds Nest fungi. As the name suggests they look like small nests containing tiny eggs. Because the role of bird's nest fungi is to break down rotting wood, they are common in disturbed areas with plant debris and mulch, such as trails and backyard gardens. These fungi tend to grow in large clusters, so it is common to see ten to a hundred of these "nests" at once. Bird's nest fungi are not considered dangerous to plants, animals, or humans.