Wed 7th November 2012 - Devils Spittleful/Rifle Range NR

This morning I did a walk around Devil's Spittleful/Rifle Range reserve with a none birding mate, Sparky the Goff.  Spark had come over the evening before and as we had consumed copious amounts of ale it seemed a good idea to go for a walk to blow away the cobwebs.

We parked up at Blackstone car park (where there is a rather useful snack van that does cracking crusty doorstop cooked sandwiches...ideal for the morning after the night before!

The walk between Blackstone and The Spittleful was absolutely chuffing with birds.  Large numbers of Meadow Pipits were present, as were smaller numbers of Skylark.  In one of the fields there was a flock of c.100 Chaffinch feeding and with them was a rather stunning looking ♂ Brambling.  Along the hedgerow between two of the fields there were 30+ Scandinavian Blackbirds present and alongside them were a handful of Fieldfares and Redwings.

I was hoping that there would be a few fungi about on the reserve itself but most of the fungi had seemed to have gone over.  The only fungi of note were Birch Polypore, Deciever, Hairy Curtain Crust and Meadow Waxcap.  

Bird species noted on the reserve were Green Woodpecker, Jay and Long-tailed Tit. 

Not the most productive of walks but it still blew the cobwebs away and helped me on the road to recovery.

Hairy Curtain Crust (Stereum hirsutu)

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