Chicken of the Woods.

Chicken of the Woods. Photo. John Elliott. Click to enlarge.

 The Chicken of the Woods fungus has again appeared on an old tree stump on the Church Green. There was a considerable demand in the 1990s when it fetched good prices at market. Resembling a chicken breast, a kind of vegetarian pastry. It can be eaten without ill effects - by some people, but there are reports  of dinner party guests falling out of their chairs, retching and gasping for breath, while the host dialed 999. Some people can eat it without ill effects while others suffer mild reactions such as swollen lips and giddiness. Best to try a small bit first.

Another bright yellow fungus, which is highly edible, has recently appeared in the UK, the Golden Oyster.  This very invasive mushroom which has recently been found near the norther cities of Liverpool and  Barnsley has been placed on the high-risk, invasive species list by the UK Government, alongside Japanese knotweed and Grey Squirrels. Escaping from cultivation in the USA, it has now covered some 2 million square kilometres there, damaging much of the native fungi, and could well do much the same here. 

Village Clouded Yellow Butterfly.

 

Clouded Yellow butterflies are having an exceptionally good year, with over 1,000 counted so far in Dorset .  Good years occur roughly one year in ten so it is likely that this will be my last. It was a pleasure therefore to see one in the old cricket field on Thursday. As far as I remember this was the nearest to the village that I have seen one. Usually they have been recorded near the new cricket field at Ashton, together with Common Blues and the brilliantly coloured Adonis Blue.

The Clouded Yellows at Ashton occur in a limited area, and I have wondered if it is a permanent breeding colony rather than passing immigrants.  The only known permanent colony of Clouded Yellows in the country is in Bournemouth which is warm enough for them to overwinter. There is a limited supply of one of its food plants, Birds Foot Trefoil, but I have yet to find any of its bright white, turning to pink/orange, eggs.

No photo, it flew off too fast. Pictures may be seen on the Dorset butterfly Conservation Website, www.dorsetbutterflies.com.

Hummingbird hawk moth.

Hummingbird hawk moth. Photo.John Elliott. Click to enlarge.

 Hummingbird hawk moths are plentiful this year, but difficult to photograph as they move so rapidly.

This one was on the buddleia  behind the village hall. The wigs are a blur, but the long proboscis gathering nectar is clear.

Cuckoo update.

 

 

 

The latest news on my Cuckoo from the BTO.

Arthur moves east

Arthur, having spent some time lingering in south-west Mali, has made headway in recent days. He headed east, crossing the country into Burkina Faso. After a couple of days, he moved on again and is now in southern Burkina Faso, close to the Bagré Dam on the White Volta River. 

Jersey Tiger Moth.

 Visiting  my Buddleja this morning was the uncommon Jersey Tiger Moth, the black with creamy-white lines on the upper wings easily distinguish this moth from the other Tigers which have spots or more complicated patterns on their upper wings. The bright orange underwings give an overall orange impression in flight.

Jersey Tiger Moth. Photo. John Elliott. click to enlarge.

 Also seen in the garden today; Silver Y moth, and Brimstone, Red Admiral and Green Veined White butterflies, as well as Beautiful Demoiselle damselflies. Very few bees though, they are badly needed as pollinators.

My Cuckkoo crosses the Sahara

 Here is the latest news of my Cuckoo, Arthur.

 

Arthur is back in action Shortly after we sent the last update telling you that we'd had no updates from Suffolk Cuckoo Arthur since 3rd July, his tag pinged back to life, revealing that he had left Suffolk and reached northern Spain. Since then he has made steady progress south, firstly to Morocco then across the Sahara via the western route through Western Sahara and Mauritania to Senegal. Since leaving Spain he has covered over 2,000 miles to reach his current location and is following almost exatcly the same timetable as last year.

My Cuckko is on its way south.

 The latest bulletin on my Cuckoo, Arthur

Arthur heads south

10 Jul 2026

Just days ago, Arthur had the distinction of being the last remaining tagged Cuckoo still in the UK. Well, he hasn’t lingered any longer, and he has since made quite a move, leaving Suffolk and flying determinedly south through France, and down to the Spanish border to the west of the Pyrenees. 

This time last year Arthur had already reached Morocco. Let’s hope that the heatwave currently impacting areas of southern Europe does not hinder his progress.