Nature Notes October

The weather was mild, wet and windy throughout the month, with winds reaching gale force at times. Very quiet on the Reserve due to the inclement weather conditions.

SIGHTINGS
Birds:   Carrion Crows, Jackdaws, Jays, Magpies, Stock Doves, Wood Pigeons, Heron, Sparrowhawk, Buzzards, Green/Great Spotted Woodpeckers, Chaffinches, Greenfinches, Goldfinches, Robins, Wrens, Blackbirds, Dunnocks, Siskins, Nuthatch, Coal/Blue/Great/Long-tailed Tits.
Butterflies:   Large White, Peacock.
Mammals:   Grey Squirrels, Mole, Fox, Wood Mice.
Insects:  Pond Skaters, Crane Flies.
Plants in Flower:   Low growing Gorse.

No more sightings of Bats during October.
Many species of Fungi appeared due to the mild wet conditions.
A Sparrowhawk has been observed seeking prey along the fenceline of Hazelwood.

Nature Fact

All habitats support Fungi of various kinds. In general, different kinds of Fungi occur in different habitats, each species being adapted to fill a particular niche. Woodland provide the richest habitat for larger Fungi; both deciduous and coniferous woods are ideal places to look for a wide rage of species. Many of the woodland toadstools form mycorrhizal associations and grow only with certain kinds of tree. Similarly, other Fungi are parasitic or saprophytic on the wood of certain kinds of tree.