New Year Ringing

Although the weather is cold and the skies grey, still some beautiful colours are being displayed around Foxglove.

 It does not take the keenest eye to spot this Yellow Brain fungus, it has been seen in several places around the reserve.

Standing out very vividly against the muted browns and greens of the plants around it, it begins its life bright yellow then changes to a vivid orange as it matures. 

This has been seen on the Gorse bushes but may also be seen on Hazel.  

This is its mature form and colour.

The two male Sparrowhawks shown below, possibly father and son, were caught together in the same net (very unusual) and photographed by Michaela.  The adult on the left had been caught last July, but the youngster was a new bird hatched in 2010, trapped with several Redwings.  It was a successful result for the first ringing day of 2011.