SNIPPETS OF WEALTH (FEBRUARY 2019)

Sunday 24th February 2019 - Dalton Crags

Found a couple of nice ferns today - the first is a very unusual shaped Scollie whilst the other one is a strange P.vulgare with several pinnae cresting - here below are the photos:

Saturday 23rd February 2019 - Dalton Crags

Also recorded Marsh Tit party and had yet another Brimstone Butterfly today. 

I found this strange phenomena today whilst traversing 

Dalton Crags. I just had to take some photos, because I certainly have  never seen anything quite like this,

It's all based from a old tree stump which in its own right had some lovely moss and lichen features, but a feature which stood out even more was the way that leaves had collected and

compressed themselves to three sides of the old stump, and I guess this had been going on for a while because mosses were growing in between some of the layers of leaves. Also some 

of the leaves were so compressed they took on the look of a "wasp nest" pattern

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Asplenium scolopendrium 'Marginatum' - Click over to enlarge

Photo: 23rd February 2019 - Dalton Crags

I was well pleased to find this special one today (shown above) - Asplenium scolopendrium 'marginatum'.  I really like the look of this and can't wait to see what comes through with the new growth later in the year. 

This specimen showed two fronds which you can see in the photo, plus there was no evidence of any sori on the underside of either. Both fronds were about 9" long and they came through at the bottom of a small 6ft escarpment (see next photo)

Asplenium scolopendrium 'Marginatum' - Click over to enlarge

Photo: 23rd February 2019 - Dalton Crags

Friday 22nd February 2019 - Slape Lane, Burton In Kendal and Lancelot Clark Storth (CWT)

Today had approx 50 grouped Linnets on Vicarage Lane, Song Thrushes noisy and beautiful mixed calls, Nuthatches noisy, heard Marsh Tits, also had a Great Spotted Woodpecker drumming also had Comma and Brimstone butterflies.

Most birds singing and happy today. Checked out a couple of ancient woodlands and the early growth of anemone and bluebells is showing massive indication of a bumper year ahead.  

Not sure whether this is fungi or a slime mound

Found today in Lancelot Clark Storth - click over to enlarge

Auricularia auricula-judge (Jelly Ear) - Click over to enlarge

Photo: 22nd February 2019 - Slape Lane, Burton In Kendal

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Thursday 21st February 2019 - Some better shots of the rare branched Polypodium and also the 'biffid' specimens

Holme Stints (below)

Also one or two more photos below taken yesterday in the Stints (below)

Tuesday 19th February 2019 - Progress of Daphne Mezereone today at

Holme Stinted Pastures

Also today Tuesday 19th February 2019 found this fabulous polypodium

on Holme Stinted Pastures

Polypodium Interjectum 

It's early days yet I know but I considered the fern to be Polypodium Interjectum and in this photo you can see the underside. What makes this particular plant so interesting is that it branches off. 

 Polypodium Interjectum 

It's early days yet I know but I considered the fern to be Polypodium Interjectum and in this photo you can see the top side (although a blurred photo). What makes this particular plant so interesting is that it branches off. 

  Polypodium Interjectum 

It's early days yet I know but I considered the fern to be Polypodium Interjectum and in this photo you see it coming from the fork of a hawthorn tree.

 Polypodium Interjectum 

It's early days yet I know but I considered the fern to be Polypodium Interjectum and in this photo you see the underside of one of the fronds.

Polypodium Interjectum 

It's early days yet I know but I considered the fern to be Polypodium Interjectum and in this photo you see one of the fronds of the same plant shows 'bifid' on two separate pinnae

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Monday 18th February 2019  " Burton News - 'February' article written on 20th Jan

I noticed the Rooks near the Memorial Hall were guarding their nest during Christmas week, which to me seemed very early.  I also had the Song Thrush singing away in late December but can’t really expect them to get into their fine virtuoso until perhaps next month. Great Tits are becoming noisier by the day.  Early Purple Orchid rosettes are showing at about 1” and Lesser Celandine leaf rosettes are appearing in the verges of Vicarage Lane.  But I guess the main player for the start of the year just has to be the beautiful “snowdrops” which are out and in their full glory. So I guess these are some of the signs we have come to expect which are giving way to a New Year.

We have a fabulous party of at least 200 plus wintering Chaffinch just like we get in most years and they are constantly on the search for food and can be seen on most days on the hedgerows or in the fields anywhere between Vicarage Lane and Slape Lane were they are seen feeding on left over spoils and I am sure this year in particular there must be many Bramblings amongst them.  It’s been a very special winter for this species and we have had unprecedented numbers coming in from the continent and showing up both locally and throughout the UK. I was seeing small parties of Tree Sparrows during the visible migration counts but so far this winter I have yet to see the large (60 plus) mixed Tree Sparrow/Yellowhammer parties which I regularly saw up to about two years ago, perhaps it’s just I am in the wrong place at the wrong time. Just occasional small parties of Waxwings have been recorded in the County but none around our neck of the woods as far as I am aware.  For me it’s been a very poor year for both Fieldfare and Redwing although after saying that I was fortunate to see a mixed party of at least 50 plus birds last week (10^th Jan) in Curwen Wood Park. The Woodpeckers are doing OK and can be seen or heard on most days throughout Dalton Crags. Nuthatches are just starting to spring into life and getting noisy. Occasional Marsh Tits have been heard whilst traversing through Lancelot or Burton Fell.

I wonder how long it will be before we see or hear our first Skylarks singing, last year was really early with birds back on territory (Dalton Crags) from the first week in February, it’s been the same bird (or let’s say a bird from the same territory) for the past 5 years. I often wonder if “Sky” is actually spending the latter part of the year somewhere close by because he is always the first on the scene!! followed by others further over on the Common.  I hope to spend lots of time walking up to the Trig in February specifically listening out for the passing overhead of Skylarks making their “thrup thrup” contact calls whilst passing over on their way to their upland breeding grounds.  A fabulous bird with a fabulous song which helps so much to bring in the spring feeling atmosphere.

It’s always quiet at this time of year, but it gives me chance to catch up with the ferns and the mysterious fungi amongst lots of other interesting gems that can be found.  Some of the stunning fungi this last month have included Turkey Tail, Candlesnuff, Lumpy Bracket, Phellinus and more rarer sorts like the Mycoacia fuscoatra plus lots of which I have not got a clue what they might be called but they look so interesting. Also I am busy checking out the mind boggling Cladonia lichens which I gather can also be yet another minefield.

One of my early season favourites has to be the Daphne Mezereone, that beautiful fragranced plant. I checked out the Hutton Roof population a couple of weeks ago (early January) and noticed yet another has now gone down and died off, but the majority are doing OK averaging around the 20-60 buds each. Yet that new found beauty in Holme Stinted Pastures is romping on with some 3/400 buds and surprising but had 6 flowers showing in early January, so I am looking forward to checking it out over the coming days.

I stumbled on a fabulous matured Holly Tree in Pickles Wood, probably stands at about 25ft high and has branches leading off in several directions together with lots of uncanny features. Already I have been able to find within its make-up Roe Deer, Seal or Otter, Cattle, Pig, Horse.  It’s one of those beauties, the longer you stare at it the more you find.  

Bryan Yorke (20^th Jan 2019)

  

Saturday February 16th 2019 -  Aphanes arvensis Parsley Piert on anthill in Dalton Crags today

Aphanes arvensis (Parsley Piert)

(Click over to enlarge)

Photo: yesterday February 16th 2019 Dalton Crags

Polystitchum aculeatum still doing well in Dalton Crags today 16th Feb 20 2019

(Click over to enlarge)

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Friday February 15th 2019 - Cuckoos have started their return journey

 there are reports that some of them have already left the deepest South (Africa) and crossed hundreds of miles North to their secondary staging in Central Africa.  All on target for arrival on or about the 1st May 2019.

During the night of February 14th 2019 - The Old Vicarage on Glebe Close, Burton In Kendal

Several periods of the evening I was awoke to the fabulous sound of the Tawny Owl, making its witty witty woo compound call (not the kewick call). I have listened to what I have thought could be the same bird for almost 10 years and I think it may breed in the grounds of the old nearby vicarage. 

On February 13th 2019 - Off Vicarage Lane, Burton In Kendal

I noticed the first frog had succumb to being squashed whilst on its way to the local pond for breeding. No doubt we are going to get these casualties over the forthcoming 4 weeks -

***PLEASE BEWARE OF FROGS AND TOADS CROSSING - THANKS***

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Here are some nice Cambricam from 2013,2014 and 2017 - Hutton Roof Cumbria. Lovely "delta" shapes - One photo shows down gryke and the other on top of boulder - my 2 prized "cambricum" areas 

Monday 4th February 2019 - Vicarage Lane, Burton In Kendal - "Western Polypody" or Polypodium Interjectum 'biffid'

I discovered this plant about six months ago and almost immediately noted its striking differences in particular towards the pinnae ends which on the majority (but not all) of the fronds took on this biffid (or forked end appearance). Even more striking was later in the year to find that some of the pinnae actually had developed into a 'tri' situation and this was found in at least a further three separate fronds.  I am told that we cannot call this situation a 'triffid' or maybe a 'trifolate' that just will not do and because the plant holds a majority of 'biffid' pinnae, that's what we still need to call it.  Yet if the "tri" situation was repeated in total throughout the plant it would then take on a different title.

These interesting photos were taken this morning - Polypodium Interjectum 'Biffid'  at "Low Gables"

All the photos show specific unusual pinnae growth, from the biffid to tri and branches further down the pinnae at various points.  The tri-pinnae is seen on at least 3 separate fronds.

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Saturday 2nd February 2019 - Holme Stinted Pastures and Lower Burton Fell

The most beautiful "Daphne Mezereone" is about three weeks away from its best, if you look at the bottom right photo gives you some idea to the quantity of buds this year which is looking good!

also today

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Short walk up Slape Lane, Burton In Kendal on Friday February 2nd 2019 1600hrs

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COLD WEATHER THRUSH MOVEMENTS REPORTED IN SOUTH OF UK

Yesterday (February 1st) there were several reports coming through of a large cold weather movement of both Redwing and Fieldfare.

First reports from SEATON BEACH (Cornwall) of large numbers, also reports of at least 10000 Redwing and 2000 Fieldfare plus several other species all heading over PORTLAND BILL from a South West direction towards a NW direction. The movement was steady all day long. Also thrushes reported heading NW along Chesil Beach FERRYBRIDGE.

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