Slime moulds

Patches on the lawn when I wake up recently. What dog has been getting in and weeing ???

No - it's slime moulds. The first to appear was yellow. I think some species of Mucilago. Then two days later the more common (I am told) dark Physarum(s) appear.

Apparently they spend most of the year practically invisible. These are the fruiting bodies.

Porlock

There may not have been much in the way of flowers but a very worthwhile walk. One perfect Indian Balsam flower by the stream and Black Spleenwort up the hill.

The view from above of Porlock shingle bar and the river Horner building up for its spectacular break through (maybe) later this winter made the trip worth it. Plus there were some interesting fungi and little lumps of jelly (lots of it) on the northern hillside which I can only assume is some type of alga.

Oh and Dodder on the gorse at the top.

Silent season

Silly really - I have let this lapse. The solution I am sure is to make it more regular.

A bad year botanically with many trips called off due to ... boring personal reasons. (But death to all estate agents and solicitors - and fickle buyers lower down the chain - plus never accept the advice of a hearty biology professor to wear wellingtons when you know walking boots make more sense - and getting wet feet is preferable to a strained hip - end of rant.)

But the highlight was at the end (of the season proper), thanks entirely to David Fenwick nosing around a local (to him) golf course development - simply the most botanically abundant site he or I have ever seen. See my recent images from Nettle-leaved Goosefoot back to Bugloss - and that's only a half-day's sample of the delights at this site which will be all covered over with clinical grass soon.

David thinks that the demolition waste dumped there for landscaping included the clearance of a defunct bird-garden.