April Sun

Another small mystery resolved. Some Barbula sp. mosses are very difficult to tell apart unless you have setae to look at, and these can appear irregularly or not at all. This one has yellow setae, and is hence Barbula convoluta. The confusion species (which I also have locally) is Barbula unguiculata, which has red setae. The tumbled specimen at the rear is Bryum capillare. Again.


Things are moving along quite quickly, now. Viola riviniana is out. You can just see the notched, pale, spur at the rear.


The 'Yellow Brain Fungus' - Tremella mesenterica is associated with Gorse. Or rather, it isn't. It is parasitic on another crusting fungus that grows on Gorse - Peniophora incarnata.



Leaf miners will soon be in evidence: this is one from last year. It belongs to the micromoth Stigmella aurella, and is always found on Bramble. I like to look at the path of the mine and try to work out the strategy the larvae use to decide how to turn at leaf edges and veins.


I could happily have made a mystery out of this one: the leaves of Greater Stitchwort.


Just for the record, first Swallow of the summer was 4th April, and first Bombus terrestris queen was 12th April.