Shaggy Ink Cap

For once I found a Shaggy Ink Cap in perfect condition for eating. It needs to be eaten while the gills are white and firm. We had it on toast for lunch. The picture shows the ring on the stem that confirms that it is a Shaggy Ink Cap rather than a non-edible Ink Cap although the look is fairly distinctive anyway.

Butterflies - 16 species in one day

I finally got around to examining the photographs that I took on 30 July in detail. In particular I wanted to nail down whther I had seen both Large and Small Whites and make sure that I hadn't missed any species when logging them on the day. I can now confirm that I saw 16 species of butterfly on the meadow in one day - which seems amazing to me. Nothing unusual or rare it is true, but still quite a sight. For the record they were Comma, Meadow Brown, Gatekeeper, Red Admiral, Brown Argus, Common Blue, Holly Blue, Tortoiseshell, Peacock, Ringlet, Small Copper, Large White, Small White, Green-Veined White, Small Skipper and Speckled Wood. The photograph is of the underside of a Holly Blue.

Ladybird update

I saw a 14-spot ladybird today which got brought into the kitchen with some elderberries I had picked. It reminded me that I had seen very few different species of ladybird this year but on the other hand the quantity of 7-spot ladybird has been huge. There were hundreds on the low bush just outside our back door (pictured above). There have also been a reasonable number of 2-spot ladybirds and a few of the damn harlequin ladybirds early on in the season but I am not sure I have seen anything else.

New Species - Large Skipper

I have just been sorting through the butterfly photos I have taken over the last week or so and I realised that a couple of my pictures of skippers were in fact Large Skippers rather than Small Skippers. The chequered pattern visible through the underside of the wing is the giveaway. It's been a very good year for butterflies albeit I have only seen one Red Admiral and no Painted Ladies so far.