Nature Notes October 2024

Nature Notes   October 2024

Cawston Heath used to be a wide expanse of grass and lichen heath, until pines were planted on the hillside and another area was taken in as arable land, sometime in the 1970s. When we first came to Reepham, Stone Curlew, also known as Norfolk Plovers, nested there, and occasionally, we would hear their plaintive calls as they flew over the house in the autumn. Some years ago, the arable part was restored to grass heath with many Broom bushes growing up, providing habitat for Green Hairstreak butterflies in spring. Bog Bush Crickets and various grasshoppers have moved out from the core area of heath along with other invertebrates, providing food for Woodlarks, which now successfully nest on the restored land. Earlier this year, we discovered the last remaining area of original lichen and grass heath on the hill top above the pines, which is still grazed by Rabbits, an essential ingredient in the maintenance of such a habitat. There was a little bit of Heather alongside one of the paths, which when we visited recently, was a swathe of warm orange-brown seed capsules held above the dark green branches. In places, lime-green moss dominated and it was here that we found bright orange and red Wax Caps, the signature fungi of species-poor grassland. There were even minute orange and grey-brown Moss Caps, but it was out in the largest open area, where we had seen Wood Larks in spring that we found a species of fungus that was new to us. There were three clusters of small white club fungi nestling in the grass. After taking a photo, I tried to gently ease one or two of the spindles out from the grass roots to take home to identify but they immediately broke into pieces. When looking at white club fungi in my book at home, it was obvious which species these fragile fragments were, as ‘ White Club’ has the Latin name of Clavaria fragilis which translates as Fragile Club. Oh that all fungi were as easy to identify!

Muriel found that her front lawn, which she had allowed to grow long in summer, had a colony of mining bees nesting beneath the grass stems which was very special. In September we added a new species to the churchyard fauna list, when we found Ivy Bees visiting the Ivy flowers growing among the branches of one of the Yew trees, and then were delighted to find they were nesting in the 3” ‘cliff’ at the back of the south facing flower border! Through pollinating the Ivy flowers, they were providing food, in the form of berries for wintering birds. Such is the complex web of the natural world.

Do let me know if you see any interesting wildlife (rachel.42rr@btinternet.com)