Nature Notes - November 2023
Sickleholme Nature Notes
A recent magazine survey suggested that November was our least favourite month. I might have disagreed had we enjoyed fine weather and late autumn tints, but this year certainly produced conditions that were unfavourable for golfers and for wildlife.
One by-product of the damp, however, has been an exceptional showing of fungi. A number of members mentioned the “fairy ring” (the largest that I have ever seen) which encircled the copse near the 13th tee, and I am grateful to both Ian Whitehouse and Anne Riddick who sent me photos. One of Anne’s becomes this month’s website image. The species carries the very appropriate vernacular name of Fairy Ring Champignon.
Elsewhere, Fly Agaric (the pixie house in children’s books) were easy to find, there was a patch of the sticky looking Clustered Brittlestems, one member was happily foraging Horse Mushrooms, and Anne found another new species which I believe to be Common Funnel. So, a little progress in our fungi surveying but many more still went unnamed.
The bird of the month was arguably Matt’s Barn Owl sighting at the beginning of the month, there was regular sighting of a Long-tailed Tit flock, and reports of Jays, Mistle Thrushes, Siskins and Lesser Redpolls. Beyond the course, Waxwings are being reported after several lean winters, and with 20+ feeding in Trevor & Sue Hoyland’s garden in nearby Bamford then we need to look out for those.
Amongst the rest, Matt also reported Roe Deer again, Rabbits were seen in small numbers, and I was shown a nice example of Nipplewort that was still in flower. Perhaps not such a bad month after all!
Bryan Barnacle
