There were plenty of Common Periwinkles Littorina littorea and a few White Piddock Shells Barnea candida – despite its fragile appearance this bivalve burrows into soft rocks on the lower shore. A dead female Shore Crab was lying on her back in the sand.

I counted around 45 Sea Gooseberries Pleurobrachia pileus washed up on the shoreline – these Comb-jellies or Ctenophores are roughly spherical gelatinous masses, around 2cm in diameter and have eight rows of comb-like plates with tiny cilia along their sides.

There were a number of Sand Mason Worms Lanice conchilega. These burrowing marine polychaete worms build a tube out of sand grains and shell fragments which projects out of the sand.

Lush fronds of Sea Lettuce Ulva lactuca was floating in the sandstone rock pools. Like its name suggests it is edible and contains a variety of vitamins and minerals, especially iron.

And here’s a pic of the wonderful flowering Quince Chaenomeles speciosa in Vale Park

It was a lovely day for the ride on the ferry, and they even have a new commentary!

Right by the Seacombe Ferry building I was surprised to see Feral Pigeons pecking about on the beach (they do it a lot, apparently). I had them pegged as diehard “townies”. Skulking quietly under the pier, near the water’s edge, were three Turnstones. One seemed to be well on the way to its summer plumage and should have flown north weeks ago. Perhaps it was a young one which won’t breed this year. Another surprise was a Ringed Plover. That shouldn’t be here any more either!  Herring Gulls and Lesser Black-backed Gulls were scattered all over the beach, and there were a couple of Shelduck. Opposite Vale Park we spotted some Common Terns diving over a buoy.

It was sunny and warm, although there was a lively breeze. Some of the first Hawthorn trees were in flower in the seafront gardens and near Magazine Lane a tree was shedding lots of fluffy white male flowers. We tried to see which tree they came from, without success. Anyone know what they are? Elm? Ash? Some kind of Poplar?

Quince was flowering in Vale Park, Swallows flew over and we saw a Large White butterfly. Opposite Manor Lane there is a bit of rocky / sandy breakwater which rarely gets covered by the tide, so it has some beach-loving plant life, including big clumps of Sea Kale and a good showing of Red Valerian.

There are House Martins near New Brighton, and fossil oysters in the sea-defence rocks near the Lifeboat Station. At the Marine Lake people were lining the railings and catching crabs with a simple line and any old bait.

As for man-made attractions, we looked at the artwork embedded in the seafront roadway all along from Seacombe to New Brighton, and particlarly liked the ring of dancers, commemorating the Tower Ballroom, whose dresses were picked out in various polished granites.

Here is the plan for the next few Sundays:
20th May, Thornton. Meet 10 am Sir Thomas Street.
27th May, MNA coach trip, no Sunday walk.
3rd June, Chester. Meet 10am at Lime Street Station lower level
10th June, MNA coach trip, no Sunday walk.
17th June, to be arranged
24th June, Childwall Wood and Fields. Meet 10am Liverpool ONE Bus Station

Anyone is welcome to join the Sunday Group. It is not part of the MNA, although it has several overlapping members. We go out by public transport to local parks, woods and nature reserves all over Merseyside, and occasionally further afield.  We are mostly pensioners, so the day is free on our bus passes, and we enjoy fresh air, a laugh and a joke, a slow amble in pleasant surroundings and sometimes we even look at the wildlife!
If you want to come out on a Sunday Group walk, pack lunch, a flask, waterproofs, binoculars if you have them, a waterproof pad to sit on if we have to have lunch on the grass, and wear stout shoes or walking boots. We are usually back in Liverpool City Centre by 4pm at the latest.

We started by walking along the canal with Swallows and Swifts flying overhead and Mallards on the water. We soon had a good view of a Whitethroat singing at the top of a tree. At Bridge 40 we walked down from the canal to the bridge over the River Douglas in the hope of a Kingfisher, but not today. While we ate our lunches we saw Orange Tip butterflies.After lunch we crossed Bridge 40 into a small wood, then out onto farmland. Jackdaws and Pheasants were about, along with Peacock butterflies. In the Fairy Glen the ground was carpeted with English Bluebells, the white flowers of Ramsons (Wild Garlic) and Pink Purslane.

On the bridge over the lower waterfall we spotted a pair of Grey Wagtails feeding in the fast-flowing stream. Up the steps on the other side of the bridge we came upon a patch of Marsh Marigolds in full flower. There was another pair of Grey Wagtails at the larger, upper waterfall, and a Chiffchaff was in full song.

On leaving the Fairy Glen we had to cross the main road to get to more farmland, where we saw Lapwings and Wood Pigeons. In the woodland on the side of the fields we saw Chaffinch and Willow Warbler singing away, and there was also a Jay. In the open fields beyond a Skylard was singing high in the sky with Buzzards flying over. Around a small pool there were St Mark’s Flies.

We returned to Parbold and ended the day with a group of Swifts flying over. A good walk enjoyed by all on a very fine day.

A total of 33 bird species were seen: House Sparrow, Blackbird, Robin, Goldfinch, Song Thrush, Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Whitethroat, Chaffinch, Blue Tit, Dunnock, Wren, Starling, Grey Wagtail, Pied Wagtail, Linnet, Skylark, Moorhen, Mallard, Jackdaw, Carrion Crow, Magpie, Jay, Swallow, Swift, House Martin, Wood Pigeon, Collared Dove, Buzzard, Kestrel, Black-headed Gull, Pheasant, Lapwing.

Four species of Butterfly: Peacock, Orange Tip, Small White and Green-veined White.

How to get there: Train from Liverpool to Ormskirk. From Ormskirk Bus Station take bus 3A (hourly Monday to Saturday) or bus 337 (2-hourly Monday to Saturday) to Parbold shops. No Sunday bus service. Alternately, take the train from Southport or Wigan to Parbold Station.

On the previous two occasions we had been to Taylor Park, it had rained hard, so we were surprised to finally see it as it ought to be. It was bright, sunny and warm nearly all day.

Several unidentified white butterflies were on the wing and a pair of Speckled Woods were dancing together next to some shrubbery. In the parkland we saw Robin, Wood Pigeon, Blue Tits, a Wren, a Nuthatch, two Treecreepers and we heard a Chiffchaff. A Great Spotted Woodpecker flew over the trees in the distance. On the main lake (”Big Dam”) were Canada Geese, a motley-looking Greylag, Mallards, Coots (two on nests), Herring and Lesser Black-backed gulls, a Swallow, a pair of Common Terns, one of whom often sat squatly on an orange buoy, the other taking an interest in a possible nesting platform. A Grey Wagtail flew out from under the Ranger Station. A Mute Swan was nesting in the bushes on the far side and there was also a Great Crested Grebe on a nest. The swan and duck food came out of my pocket (I’m still trying to get rid of it.) The geese turned their beaks up once again, but the Mallards seemed to like it. The squirrels were not impressed.

We planned to lunch beside Big Dam, but some enthusiasts were running their noisy model boats, so we headed for the Quarry Garden.

Above the Quarry Garden is a viewpoint looking over to Billinge Hill.

The leaves on the Whitebeam trees were just coming out, standing up like Magnolia blossom against the blue sky.

In the wooded area around Eccleston Bottom Dam there was Yellow Archangel, Marsh Marigold, white and blue Bluebells (of mixed English / Spanish ancestry) and something we thought was Pink Purslane.

On Eccleston Bottom Dam we stopped to watch a pair of Great Crested Grebes with two well-grown youngsters, nearly fledged. Dad approached with a large fish (perhaps five or six inches long) and one of the chicks steamed towards him and gobbled it down. A few minutes later Daddy Grebe came up with a similar fish and again one chick hurried over to him and was fed. There was no squabbling over the food, the chicks seemed to know whose turn it was. We asked a fisherman, and he thought the male Grebe was catching young Roach for his family. That same fisherman was just about to return a very nice fish to the water, a large Bream.

It was the perfect time of year to visit Calderstones Park. The cherries, azaleas and rhododendrons were in flower, and the trees with ornamental coloured foliage were at their freshest and best.

Sadly, it rained hard all day, coming down like the proverbial stair-rods, so our appreciation of the wonderful colours of the spring flowers and trees was spoilt by the weather. There was hardly any shelter, either. The greenhouses have been taken out, there was no exhibition in the Coach House, which was locked up, so we had to take refuge in the tiny shelter in the Japanese Garden.

But there were some birds about.  The sodden lawns were paradise for Blackbirds and a Mistle Thrush. Magpies were everywhere and we saw a Jay, a Bullfinch and a Nuthatch. But the weather was too much for us, and we were on our way home before 1pm.

Note that I was away for the previous two Sunday walks, Lydiate on 15th April and Wirral Way on 22nd. John Clegg has written them up and I posted his accounts yesterday. However, I tinkered with the posting dates, so you will have to scroll down for them, where they appear in chronological sequence.

On Sunday 22nd April, I led a foray to Freshfield Heath and Ainsdale Sand Dunes NNR on behalf of the North West Fungus Group. Some of you will remember that Ken Jordan used to lead this foray in conjunction with members of MNA. The NWFG continue to honour this annual foray and it has been named by them as The Ken Jordan Memorial Foray. The foray was attended by David Bryant and Peter Gahan, the manager at Ainsdale. Despite the rain, the reserves were very dry. Peter told us that the water level was now at its lowest point ever. Because of this lack of rain, fungi were few and far between on Freshfield Heath, mainly micro fungi on twigs and the odd grassland species such as Panaeolus fimicola (Turf Mottlegill).

Ainsdale was little better. Melanoleuca cognata (Spring Cavalier) appeared on the fixed dunes.

We did find a dozen Morcella elata (Black Morels) on the dry slacks (no attached photo of them). We also found  Clitocybe vermicularis. Although not unique to Ainsdale, there is only one other confirmed site for this species - in South Devon.

Another find was the very tiny (3mm) Monilina johnsonii (Haw Goblet). This grows on old hawthorn berries. It is said to be uncommon but I suspect this is because of its small size and that you have to search for it.

Despite the freezing cold winter and very dry spring, 2011 turned out to be an excellent year for fungi, helped by the extended period of warm weather into the New Year.

A thaw in the treacherous conditions of January allowed me to take a stroll around some of my local parks in Liverpool. In a small copse of mixed pine at Allerton Tower that was clear of snow, I came across a group of Striate Earthstars -  Geastrum striatum. This is an uncommon species in this area. Samples were requested by Kew Herbarium and were duly dried and dispatched.

In April, I went with a group of friends to Ainsdale to search for spring fungi. The weather had been so hot and dry that we found very little until we reached one of the now dried-up slacks. There we counted twenty seven Black Morels – Morchella elata.  I have not seen so many since the trees were removed to encourage the return of the dune system.

At the end of last year the flowerbeds and shrubberies in Calderstones Park were heavily mulched. This proved to be a boon for the fungi. It was there, in June, that I spotted the Warty Cavalier - Melanoleuca verrucipes. Although fairly common in southern Britain, I know of only one other record for North West England, at Manchester. It is probably moving north with the warmer climate. Another specimen requested by Kew.

In August, I was asked by a colleague to find some Sand Stinkhorns so that he could photograph them for a book he was preparing. Having taken advice from the wardens we searched an area just south of Pontins Holiday Camp at Birkdale. We failed to find any but I did stumble across a Stropharia halophila in the dunes. This species is on the Red Data List (Vulnerable).  There are only three previous records on the British Database, the nearest to our area being from Westmoreland. Another specimen for Kew Herbarium.

Later that month, I was crossing over a central reservation in Allerton, Liverpool where, to my great surprise, I collected a Crimson Bolete - Rubinoboltus rubinus. This is another species on the Red Data List (Vulnerable) and was duly sent to Kew. Not a normal find on a central reservation but many of the roads in South Liverpool cut through the former estates of 19th century Liverpool merchants and still retain the trees planted in that era.

The extended warm weather in December found me in Calderstones Park again. On a mound of rotted-down garden waste I came across a group of Freckled Dapperling - Echinoderma asperum, another species moving north from warmer climes.

But more exciting, on the same mound were a couple of Golden Bootleg – Phaeolepiota aurea. Although in poor condition, the telltale sheath on the stem was obvious. They are regarded as Rare on the Red Data List but unfortunately too far past their best to send to Kew.

The most exciting discovery of the year was on an allotment in Liverpool. In 2009, I had collected an unusual specimen growing amongst the vegetables. The striking feature was the very large inflated root or sclerotia that extended deep into the soil.  I could not identify it and eventually sent specimens to Kew to see if they had any idea. In 2010, it grew again but it was only in August of 2011 that the experts at Kew were able to name it. It is Hypholoma tuberosum.  This fungus had previously been recorded in South Australia and Vancouver. This was the first time it had ever been recorded in the United Kingdom. It seems that the key is an association with peat, which many gardeners used until recent exhortations to try alternative compost resources in order to protect the dwindling peat environment. How did it find its way to Liverpool?

The fascination of collecting and studying fungi is that they can be found at any time of year in just about every habitat. They do not run or fly away. There is no need to travel far afield or search out ancient woodlands.  It is possible to find rare species, even new to the UK, in your local park or your garden.  All you need is a good sense of observation.

We had lunch at the restored Hadlow Road station, then continued all the way to Neston. Willow Warbler and Chiffchaff were singing all along the Wirral Way, Forget-me-Nots were in flower and we had a good close sighting of a pair of Treecreepers, flying from tree to tree.

When the sun came out in the afternoon we saw lots of butterflies: Orange Tip, Speckled Wood, Peacock and Large White.  We got the bus home from Neston. A total of 24 bird species were seen

Using a key and a suspension bridge we gained access to Area 3 which is encircled by the Mersey. From the hides the nearby expanses of reedbed and shallow waters were the setting for numerous noisy Black-headed Gulls, Gadwall, Shoveler, Cormorants and the bird which many had come primarily to see, the Black-necked Grebe. There were a dozen, paired off, busy diving for food and closer in than usual so that a telescope was not really necessary to appreciate their fawny-yellow  feathers behind the red eye and chestnut flanks. Members had lunch and made the most of a rare opportunity. Great-crested and Little Grebes provided a suitable contrast while Greenfinches and a Great-spotted Woodpecker hogged the feeders. Walking the grassy trails we were amazed at the large number of White-lipped Banded Snails Cepea hortensis, bright yellow and undamaged - obviously the result of some predator. Returning to the bridge the last hide offered a lone Ruddy Duck, one of the few remaining after the national cull.

We then walked along the banks of the MSC so as to walk around Area 4 to the west which is open to the public. The flora gave Bugle, Common Field Speedwell, Wood Forgetmenot, Thale Cress, Common Puffball and Winter Heliotrope. Out of the wind a solitary Speckled Wood, Red-tailed and Buff-tailed Bumble Bees and a Tawny Mining Bee added interest. Amongst the scrub coming into leaf were several Willow Warblers in song and another Garden Warbler with its prolonged warble. A first for me was a very small variety of Cramp Ball, Daldinia vernicosa, which is often found on burnt gorse and which proved to be so!

After lunch we walked along the canal towpath to Jackson’s Bridge then returned to Hall Lane. At the farm shop on the other side of the road we saw a mother Mallard with 10 one-day-old ducklings, and six Peacocks were displaying on the field.

From the bus stop outside the church we saw a Raven fly over, and the churchyard had good numbers of both blue and white English Bluebells together with the yellow flowers of Lesser Celandine.  A total of 26 bird species seen.