I CAUGHT THE VANDAL (27/09/11)

It’s been a day of mixed weather so far. First light this morning the sky was clear, it was chilly but no frost. I took the dogs out and lost the wee devils. Well I Knew where they were, they were squirreling. I could here the little darlings yipping away. Get near enough! No chance! Fifty yards of bramble betwixt they and me! I am still suffering from yesterdays tumble but kept my cool………….If I lose it and start F…ing and Blinding at them…. I've learnt. It’s counter productive! Saying I’m going this way and wandering off works better.  I wander fifty yards and wait……ten minutes later they arrive… A fraught ten minutes!…..what obedience!

     I shifted the van because the birds weren’t getting a look in at the feeder. First to arrive after the move was this little charmer. I thought it was eating meal worms, thought of buying a gun…….No, a sunflower seed. It was worth moving I’m down to two of these now. Before, six to ten of them at a time.

Back to today.

I then ran out of gas………..(cooking gas) so waited till nine to replenish it. Then we were off out with a bag full of gear to look inside the church.

    I got inside but there was organ music playing. It stopped and a sepulchres voice started reciting some liturgy I’ve long forgotten. I did consider tapping the lady on the shoulder and enquiring…….in a whisper. ‘ Are you going to be long?’ ………..Even I have some standards so retreated and went mushrooming. Wish I had waited I love her in this light.

I rounded a corner in the path and caught my Fly Agaric vandal………..A crow……..ripping bits out of them and chucking the pieces left, right and centre. Little black demon.

   They are doing fine despite the Crows attention.

   A real beauty is this one.

It was by now misty and cold so seeking further amusement I headed for Ash Wood. The person that christened it must have been a man after my own heart………….or thick! There isn’t an Ash tree in it! What there is………..

Alder Catkins and Cones…………….I’ve seen one or the other but never both together before.

  The leaves are falling fast this morning……..what a snapper I am………………….No! If you look carefully this leave is suspended from a bit of spider silk.

     Not a clue………….it is fun rummaging about in the leaf litter…….amazing what I find.

    I can’t even hazard a guess……………Help, please?

  Common White Fibre Cap…………..Not very white it could be the Charcoal Burner. I should have eaten one. If I had and die tomorrow then it’s the former.

  I even switched to live view for a close up……………Whatever it is it’s gorgeous. Whilst I was taking this a ‘Please Miss’ turned up with half dozen children in tow. ‘Look children, what’s this?…’ ‘ Please Miss, It’s an old man lying down Miss.’….’Is he all right Miss?’…………..’Please Miss. It’s a tree stump Miss.’…………..’Please Miss It’s dead leaves Miss.’….’ Please Miss. Can I stroke the dogs Miss, pleeese can  I Miss?’  I looked up from my labour and thought ………….wouldn’t mind ten minutes on the forest floor with this Please Miss. Why do ‘Please Misses’ always have loads of children as chaperones?

  This I’m going to call a Milk Cap or Russule………It’s perfect whatever it is. So much entertainment to be had from fungi……..Taking their picture, editing, pouring through the fungi book and then guessing. Passes a day on wonderfully. 

Now tomorrow I must get some food and fags in……….I have food but no cigarettes, not had a beer since Saturday………..life can be grim on the road. I may also call in the opticians…….on the way back I spotted a Tree Creeper.   The three of us sat down whilst it did it’s vertical spiral up the tree. I shot plenty of tree but no creeper then I caught a blur as it flew away and stopped…………..Gotcha!

Unfortunately not…………..the Gotcha I got was a Nuthatch……………Specsavers for me!

A good day……..I hope yours has been, will be or is.