Little October Showers

Hmm, what to do? With no juicy rarities in range, I reckoned a little exercise and maybe some Ring Ouzels were the order of the day on Friday, so I toddled over to the Avon valley to see. [Something about a flock of 20+ flying about drew the attention...!]

The forecast was sunshine and big showers with a brisk SW wind, so it seemed likely that there'd be a few sheltered spots with Rowans* which would be good when the sun came out. I took rations and plenty of waterproofs and figured to find a good spot to stay put and wait.


Plans and reality, eh?

Ring Ouzel

Yes, that's the top of the slope... Yes, the frickin' thing is facing the wrong way.

This is the only one of three I saw that posed. In the rain. At long range.

Oh well. This is still, I think, my best R Ouzel shot...


Anyways, water featured heavily, both falling from the sky and travelling downhill at a rate of knots, for the Avon was in frisky mood;

Avon: "Try kayaking this.."

Ooh, speaking of.. You may recall on an earlier visit this year - looking for and failing to find dragonflies - I did find and photo a colour-ringed Dipper. Which wasn't on the CR Birding site. Well, I sent said details off to the BTO and they have got back to me; it's a '1cy+' female ringed by the dam on 9/5/18 [though apparently it had a light green over metal; looks very Dark to me...]. So yay. :)

Right, back to the fun;

Mistle Thrush

Bullfinch

Ok, enough awful bird photos.

"Heeeere Ouzy-Ouzy Ouzels...."

Hmm, think that one's full..!

Autumn colour

What was present and visible?

These;

Munched Grey-spotted Amanita

Yup, fungi.

Cue mostly in focus sometimes identified fungal bodies.

Gorgeous Velvet Shank

Very pale Turkeytail

Jelly Rot

Ivory Bonnet

Milkcap sp.

Slimy Waxcap

Butter Waxcap

H. reidii

Blackening Waxcap

H. persistens?

[pale one]

Snowy Waxcap

Rather worse for wear,

possibly Parrot Waxcap 

I got rained on a lot, and vexed by the Ouzels, but hey what's new. The fungi were fun. Groan.


Be Seeing You...







[[* The birds will strip the Rowans before they touch the Hawthorns, then strip them before touching Holly, and after that resort to Cotoneaster etc. It is the way of things]]