Wildlife Circus

  This is a short update to a previous post on  the fungi of Kingston Cemetery 16.11.19.  There was a post on the CHEG species (the acronym has changed because of changes to the genus of some of the wax caps). Although Entolomas featured in 2019 there were not as abundant as they are at the moment.  These are particularly prevalent in Surbiton Cemetery under/close to the boundary pines. Not much to look - but they do tell us (along with other members of the 'CHEG' species) something about the quality of the grassland - that it is unimproved. Unimproved grassland is a priority habitat.

   Tolworth court farm in today's lovely sunshine. But  areas of interest to wildlife are shrinking and the most productive site for many species is very close to the A240. This means that with ever increasing motorbikes, dogs off leads etc. deer may flee into the road. Tolworth court farm needs a ranger to push back on the harmful effects of:  the removal of trees for the road widening, which allows all the litter to blow straight into the woodland;  new impenetrable fencing preventing movement of animals; new core business activities on the privately owned fields; litter, flytipping and anti-social behaviour; increase in casual shooting  with dead birds often found and increased footfall when the Lidl's HQ becomes operational.

    The screenshots of the late season bat activity at the Cambridge road estate are self explanatory: they indicate the popular foraging areas. The blue transect shows the surveyor route and where the foraging hot spots were. This activity is indicative of a winter roost nearby.