Only small thankfully, less than an inch!
1 Like
Thanks for the alert! But I see now that even copyn bach can look nasty in a picture… due to being made to look like copyn mawr!!
Dani wedi clywed am “Gorillas in the mist”.
wnes i dechrau efo Gwartheg yn y niwl heddiw - i started with cattle in the fog today.
Gwartheg - Cattle.
Buchod - Cows.
The fog persisted but that does not mean my ramble was not interesting.
Cloch ddanheddog - mottle gill. hopefully this photo shows better the tooth shaped veil remnants around the cap rim of this fungus.
Cap cwyr parrot - parrot wax cap. Notice the green colour up the stem and this fungi is every bit as slimy as it looks in the photo.
Ffwng ar Ffwng - fungus on fungus (The mist probably highlighted this small fungus with the water droplets on it catching my eye, i don’t see this too often but fungus do get attacked by fungus).
(no awards for this photo, it needed a tripod for camera and longer exposure for depth of field).
Cheers J.P.
5 Likes
That picture of a fungus growing on a fungus may not get any awards, as you say, but it deserves one. It is a really interesting picture.
2 Likes
Thanks Ray, i just find so many things interesting that most days produce an eye catcher for me.
Pincas robin a Marblen goed - Robins pincushion and Marble gall.
Picas Robin yn tyfu ar rhosyn gwyllt - Robins pincushion grow on wild rose.
Marblen goed yn tyfu ar Derwen - Marble gall grow on Oak.
going on from some photo’s i took in the summer i have been looking to collect some galls in the Autumn and keep till spring and maybe see some interesting things that emerge.
The marble galls have large exit holes so it looks like the insects which grew in them have successfully matured and left (i know now to collect some next July).
The what i suppose is a robins pincushion gall seems to be complete and the internet advises me that a spring emergence is normal for these insects.
Cheers J.P.
3 Likes
Wow Jon! You came to Cardiff and didn’t let me know! You are a very naughty boy!!
In return, I might be in Newbury in the next few months so will let you know and perhaps we can meet up then.
Sorry Ali, i was with my mum (registered blind) on a bus holiday and never know how far we will get or how soon she will tire, plus i didn’t know till the actual morning what time we would get there (and leave).
I have remembered our meetings with great joy and have often sat here trying to work out how i could get to Cardiff for one of your meetings or a day out but i’m afraid from Newbury the train fare for a day trip is excessive. i really really look forward to meeting you again sometime and if you are around Newbury, well maybe show off some of my wildlife places. Anyway, great to hear from you.
Cheers J.P.
Dryw (pl. -od): Wren
This is a very small bird. It is perched on a chain link fence which gives some reference.
Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus)
6 Likes
Skink
It doesn’t look like Cymraeg has a specific word for this critter. It probably uses some form of madfall (lizard). I didn’t find any references to skink species in Cymru.
These guys are links between snakes and lizards. They look like snakes with legs. There is no visible transition from body to tail like a snake. This is an immature skink. This species has a blue colored tail when young. It is a defense mechanism.
Lizards and skinks can detach their tail in order to escape from predators. The blue tail helps attract predators to the tail so they can detach it and Rhedeg Bant! (run away).
Southeastern Five-lined Skink (Plestiodon inexpectatus)
5 Likes
What a lovely creature:) Are they common where you live?
I don’t see them a lot like I do the Anole lizards which are everywhere. They are more shy and run away quickly. But I do see them a few times a year. He will lose the blue tail when he reaches maturity.
At one stage, when I lived on Gower, the shop was bought by a chap who wanted to good place to keep his collection of animals…well, reptiles and… spiders!! His wife ran the shop in the old part of the building and the “Reptile House” was in the newer section. I think they must have charged visitors to see it, but I don’t think I ever paid… I was in and out like a yoyo… especially to see my favourite dragon!! (Water, I think??) Luckily for me they kept the arachnids separate. They had at least one blue tongued skink… in fact I seem to recall eggs and babies, so I guess they had two!! I only remember the tongue being pretty… i have forgotten how they looked. I know Monitors looked prehistoric and vicious!! Do you have blue tongued as well as blue tailed? Oh, he had gorgeous snakes and I found out how tightly even a little baby constrictor can cling to a wrist!!!
1 Like
Sorry for answering in Craig’s place (I hope you forgive me knowing that reptiles and amphibians are my weakness), but could it be Tiliqua scincoides (blue-tongued skink)? There are several types and they live in Australia and islands in that area. I love skinks. They resemble tiny crocodiles.
Oh, that must have been very nice:) I’m always surprised at how pleasant snakes feel to the touch.
It was wonderful!! I have always loved snakes since I was in the front row at the circus at the age of about six and got to stroke a python!!
The little baby in the shop had wrapped round my wrist, but his/her other hand was held by the owner. Someone called to say a lizard was escaping, so he ran and I was literally dragged as if handcuffed!! (Poor little snake!!!)
Oh yes, you are right about the skink. That is the only kind I’ve ever heard being kept in Britain! But I did prefer the dragon!! And the snakes!!
1 Like
Oh, poor thing, was it ok after all?
The water-dragon looks really handsome:) We’re thinking at the moment of buying a pet bearded-dragon. I’ve always wanted a toad or a frog, but they don’t appreciate being handled - toad are poisonous and frogs just generally too fragile. Bearded dragon seems to be a very friendly and smart pet:)
Tell him to watch out for eagles! 
I haven’t noticed any. They don’t flick their tongues they way snakes do, so I haven’t seen its tongue.
No problem. 
I had a 2.5m alligator in my driveway once. 
1 Like
I’m partial to turtles.
They seem to be good at hiding. I have a hawk that comes around from time to time as well. I should have a pic somewhere of him.
One day the hawk was sitting on the fence and this mockingbird was trying to scare him off (they’re very territorial). The mocking bird would fly through the hawk’s tail feathers or fly over him. He was very careful to stay away from the from of the hawk. LOL It was quite funny to watch. The hawk seemed unperturbed.
1 Like