Finally a Hare Photo

There have been hares (Lepus europaeus) in the garden for some time, but they have proved very elusive and, until today, I have been unable to get a photo.

Just before it got dark this evening I saw this little chap (chapess?) nibbling away on the lawn. I managed to sneak up on it and take this photo, although I did not really get close enough.

What a magnificent creature. It is larger and lighter coloured than a rabbit with quite distinct long ears.

I hope it will make itself at home so that I can get a better chance of a photo.

Autumn Colours

They promised heavy rain and stormy winds this weekend, so I thought I should take some photos of the autumn colours in the garden while the leaves are still there!


It has been a very pretty autumn and there are a surprising number of leaves still on the trees even though it is the first of November today. The tree in the foreground is a beech and its leaves are still remarkably green.

The high winds and rain did materialise and our driveway is now ankle deep with leaves.

An Explosion of Fungi

The rain yesterday morning has brought out a huge array of fungi - lots of differents kinds of Inkcaps (Coprinus), Hen of the Woods (Grifola frondosa) and Lepiota of some kind, probably Freckled Dapperling (Lepiota aspera), among others. The first photo is a Shaggy Inkcap which is apparently edible when young.

The second photo shows Hen of the Woods which is also apparently edible. However, my fungus identification skills are not good enough to risk eating any of these!

Hazel Catkins in October?

I found these Hazel Catkins (Corylus avellana) in the garden today. Most surprising to see them in October. Although they had not fully opened, I would not normally expect to see them until January or February. Strange things are happening with the seasons.

It was a busy day for wildlife today. There have been a least a dozen pheasants around and when I went to have a look at the pond I disturbed a heron and two mallard ducks.

Silk Button and Common Spangle Galls

Life in the garden takes many shapes and sizes but one of the strangest is galls. Galls are abnormal growths on a plant caused by a parasite.

I found these galls on a fallen oak leaf today. The doughnut shaped ones are Silk Button Galls (Neuroterus numismalis) and the green-coloured ones are Common Spangle Galls (Neuroterus quercusbaccarum). They are tiny. The diameter of the Silk Button is about 3 mm.

They are created when the tiny Cynipid wasp lays eggs on the oak leaf. The grub matures inside the gall.

The Common Spangle Galls are formed in a similar way but they are flatter and rather bristly.

The second photo shows a close-up of these amazing growths.

Roe Deer Buck

This chap was hanging around our garden all day today. I watched him eating our shrubs as I opened the curtains when I got up this morning (no camera handy).

I got my camera out when he was eating the windfall apples this evening, but it was almost dark, so the photograph is not too good.

You can see the remnants of his ginger summer coat amongst his darker winter coat.

He is also a relatively young male since his antlers are quite small. Roe deer shed their antlers each winter and regrow them.

Deer, Squirrels and Pheasants

Until this week we have not seen any deer in or around the garden for ages. I guess they are visiting at night rather than during the day. However, in the last couple of days I have spotted a couple in the field out front. I think these are the mother and the young male born this year. They are both wearing their darker winter coats.

The squirrels are hyperactive at the moment. Every time I look out of the window, I see one running across the lawn, probably with acorns to stash away.

I think there must be people locally who breed pheasants. I suspect that they have just released this year's brood, possibly because the pheasant shooting season in England started on 1st October. In the last two weeks, there have been at least a dozen pheasants in the garden - mostly males. We often hear shooting in the woods, so I hope the pheasants realise they are safe in our garden!