During the half-term holiday, a large clump of
honey fungus appeared at the foot of a tree on the edge of the green. The tree is an old
grafted specimen and it was not surprising to find that the centre of the trunk is
rotten as honey fungus is well known as being responsible for decay in trees. This fungus
has a bad reputation because it can cause the death of mature specimens. However,
another fungus, Early this morning, a small group of fieldfares flew over the school making their distinctive 'chacking' calls. These are the first fieldfares seen in the grounds this winter. The fieldfares which use the grounds tend to remain in the tops of tall trees, and so can be difficult to get a good sighting of, but their calls are easy to identify and should be heard regularly during the next few months. Numbers of these birds using the grounds can be variable and there is often a decline in numbers after the intial influx as birds continue their migration.
|