Category: David

An unwelcome sight for tree lovers at any time of year, not just autumn: a clump of honey fungus around the base of a trunk. Often to be seen around the stumps of trees which needed felling because of the depredations of this fungus.

Another insect which might be feeding on ivy flowers this month: the autumn generation of the comma butterfly with the scalloped trailing edge to its wings. The comma is a small white mark on the underwings.

If conditions are right, larch boletes might be found in association with larch trees (surprise). Boletes are a group of mushrooms which have pores rather than gills on the undersides of the caps, through which the spores are distributed.

Southern hawker, one of the larger dragonflies, sometimes lands and rests well away from water and can stay apparently undisturbed when closely approached. Usually still around into the autumn, so still a chance of spotting one.

Another species to look out for in the autumn peak of the fungus season: shaggy parasols, quite common some years, less so in others, are one of our largest mushrooms.

Another insect to look out for feeding on ivy flowers. Red admiral butterflies have several generations each year, the last one timed for the ivy flower season. Their numbers have been low in this year’s earlier generations.