Autumn fungus

The Ackworth School Natural History Society went on a fungus foray in the school grounds and found a range of species. Amongst them, there was an attractive fungus with a blue, slimy cap, white gills and a stem tinged with blue. I have tried to identify this and I think it is probably Stropharia caerulea (Blue Roundhead) but it could be Stropharia aeruginosa (Verdigris Roundhead).

blue roundhead (Stropharia caerulea) Fungus collection

Curlew still at Altofts Meadow

A visit to Altofts Meadow to check if the curlews were still present, as Pauline had previously reported, reaped rewards with 44 curlew, 66 lapwing, 3 common buzzards in the air together then the highlight of the morning, a pair of peregrine with the female carrying a ‘kill’, both then landed on the flood bank to the RIver Calder. Throughout the morning skylarks were calling over head moving south with numerous groups of woodpigeon moving south high up.