Checking out some of last years finds

Looking at Morecambe Bay from Hutton Roof - Note the Line of "White Cloud"
(Click over photo to enlarge)

The main purpose of my trip up to the Common today was to check out my little spiny "Hedgehogs", but seriously they are "Lycoperdon echinatum" or more commonly called "The Spiny Puffball". They are very rare in Cumbria. When I found them only last year the Cumbria Biodiversity at Tullie House informed me that they had only had this species previously recorded in the County way back in 1997 and no records since that date, so I consider this one on Hutton Roof very special.

Last year I found seven of them over a area of perhaps one metre diameter which included a clump of three (see photo).  This year I went and checked the same spot (one day later than last year) and sadly only one specimen could be found,  after spending lots of time searching the surrounding area.  Also this year the single puffball had a slightly different shape than last years specimens, in fact if anything I saw a small resemblance to a baby hedgehog! check the snout.. (see photo).

Spiny Puffball (Lycoperdon Echinatum) found last year (2014) Click over to enlarge

And here below are a couple of photos I took of the single specimen which I found to-day.  You will notice that its grown slightly deformed this year and takes on a snout!

Click over to enlarge

Click over to enlarge

Also today I checked out last years find of Asplenium scolopendrium "Ramosum" or a variant of the Hart's Tongue Fern. It had come up well which you can see from this photo below.

Harts Tongue Fern - variant "Ramosum"  (Click over photo to enlarge) 

A couple of days ago I had a Wall Butterfly and also a Large Skipper feeding on Hawkweed in lower Dalton, also yesterday I had a Wall Butterfly in Lancelot Clark Storth.  There were also Peacocks and a Comma noted in Lancelot.

A few late flowering Broad Leaved Helliborines have been seen but only one which you could count as a "Purpurea" variant and of course it just had to be Specimen 17 in Lancelot Clark Storth.  All under canopy specimens (other than 17) where the standard Helliborine colouring whereby last year the "under canopy specimens" were in the main purpurea. (see image below taken by phone)

Some really late Southern Polypody (not showing at all during July) has come through in the grykes on Lancelot Clarke Storth. Really late this year!

This year has been an exceptional year for Common Rock Rose and also Betany which lots of additional populations have been found throughout.

Birdwise not much about other than:

Lots of Swallows hawking over the Common, a party of Meadow Pipits (15) today going over Dalton Crags heading SSE at 1430hrs. Green Woodpecker yaffling, odd calls could be heard from passing Willow Warblers (hou-whit very weakened, feebly calls)

Think of anything else will come back - for now please enjoy..