Bredon Hill

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Some beautiful hoar frost on the trees at Bredon Hill, where thanks to fog on the higher areas the snow still persists. Wildlife was a bit on the sparse side, but a small flock of finches in one of the game strips on the top of the hill included at least one brambling - my first this winter. We’re lucky to have some great walks close to home.

Fungi on Bredon Hill

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Walking up Bredon Hill at the weekend, there was a fine array of fungi on view in the sheep-grazed meadows at the top of the Hill. They mostly appeared to be Waxcaps of different kinds, including Snowy Waxcap (Cuphophyllus virgineus), Meadow Puffballs (Lycoperdon pratense) and some dark-coloured leathery looking toadstools I took to be Melanoleuca species (probably based on habitat, M. melaleuca). Puffballs are edible, but I didn’t pick them; so are Snowy Waxcaps, but with these I’m just not confident enough in my identification skills to be sure I’m not eating something poisonous.

Bredon Hill & Cleeve Hill

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Thanks to some really lovely weather this weekend, I had a couple of beautiful walks up the local hills enjoying the butterflies and wild flowers. I was very happy to find Bee Orchids on Cleeve Hill and many Pyramidal Orchids on Bredon Hill. No photos, but a calling Quail at the top of Bredon Hill was also a good find.

Counting skylarks on Bredon Hill

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Undertook a site survey on the Overbury Estate for the local FWAG (Farming & Wildlife Advisory Group).  Happy to report there were plenty of skylarks and other farmland birds on the hill, where the fields are managed very sensitively: low grazing levels, wide field margins, minimum spraying. Lots of butterflies and wild flowers too, including white campion, grass vetchling and common rockrose.