End of the Rainbow

Had to get out today, if only to clear my head of micro-algae and stuff. I headed up to the cemetery and was treated to this damn fine sight

Seems to terminate at the beach, would I hit gold at the end of this rainbow?

Whilst up there, I had a quick peer at a gravelly track that leads to a storage barn, plenty of New Zealand Willowherb everywhere, leaves looking like leafy chains sprawling across the ground. I noticed some tiny, glaucous-looking rosettes growing in the mossy turf, looked rather like a small Polytrichum to me. Here's a pic of it in situ

Pogonatum urnigerum - one I've seemingly and repeatedly ignored many, many times!

I keyed this through using all three of my bryophyte books (something I plan to do for all mosses and liverworts from now onwards) and even managed to take a cross-section of the leaf! Being a Pogonatum (previously Polytrichum) the leaf is multi-layered, as opposed to most mosses which have leaves only a single cell deep. According to the books, the uppermost cells are papillose, which is to say they are covered in tiny bobbles. Here's the worst pic you will ever see of a cross-sectioned Pogonatum urnigerum leaf

Awful innit!

Anyway, the dark matter is the leaf, the grey is just background. Note that the rounded lumps at the top of the leaf are covered in numerous circular bobbles. These are the papillose cells the keys mention. In all honesty, if you can make sense of this image then you're a star, because it's shockingly poor! But I tried, I'm really attempting to properly nail my bryophyte IDs now, some of my previous records will be mis-identifications, I know this. But I'm trying to be as thorough as I can now that I have the literature and compound microscope. Anyway...back to that rainbow...

I headed down to the shore, trusting that the glorious multicolored arc made by light striking water droplets would indeed reveal my metaphorical pot of gold. And by buggery it did too! First scan and BOOM! - Iceland Gull in the bins!!!

Massively cropped 1w Iceland Gull, patch gold!!!

I've been scanning the gull flock for just over a year now, obviously comprising innumerable short scans rather than one hugely long one, and finally something decent! The dark eye and largely dark bill age this as a bird born this summer, from all the way over in Greenland. That's quite impressive, I'm pretty sure I couldn't have managed that sort of a journey when I was just six months old. Technically it's pretty much still in juvenile plumage, Iceland Gulls barely moult into their next age plumage. However, in this day and age saying "juvenile" will just get you a condescending look even if, as in this case, it's pretty accurate. 1cy Iceland Gull is a safe bet though, so let's stick with that!

Ridiculously cropped and enlarged image of the 1cy Iceland Gull

Not entirely unexpected, to be fair. Local birder Martin Lumb has had Iceland and Glaucous Gulls on the beach in previous years. He also found this Ivory Gull that took up short-term residency here a few years back, jammy bugger! But this is my first 'white-winger' for the patch and my 95th species of bird for NG3963. Maybe the 100th will be something mega, Willet would be kinda pleasing (!)

I wandered through the woods, hoping to flush a Woodcock or two. I managed one, always better than none. Upturning a few large stones in the woodland floor I came up trumps with the rather striking flatworm Kontikia andersoni, this being the 3rd or 4th I've had in these woods this year. 

At well over 1.5cm long, quite a large individual - if rather pale and insipid

And finally, this mystery fungus found growing on a moss-covered fallen log. Largest cap was approximately 3"x4" growing on the sheltered side of the log in overlapping tiers. Very slimy cap, smelled very strongly of mushroom (no surprise there...) and should be obvious. But I can't match it. Suggestions/answers welcomed, folks!

I shall be returning to the microscopic algae blogging soon, seeing as I have a few more pics and IDs sorted. You lucky, lucky peeps.