Eastham Woods

18th October 2008

Leader:  Steve Cross

A small but select group of 6 assembled for the final field trip of the season . Before setting off the group took a few minutes to remember Keith Watson, who would have led this trip had not the tragic circumstances of last January taken place.

Under the canopy of Beech, Fagus sylvatica, Sycamore, Acer pseudoplatanus, many showing evidence of Tar Spot, Rhytisma acerinum,and Sweet Chestnut, Castanea sativa, amongst others, a nice selection of fungi were found. These included: Honey Fungus, Armillaria spp. Coral Spot, Stereum hirsutum, Earth Ball, Scleroderma citrinum, Candle Snuff , Xylaria hypoxylon, Fairies’ Bonnets, Coprinus disseminatus, Birch Polypore, Piptoporus betulinus, Bleeding Broadleaf Crust, Stereum rugosum, Southern Bracket, Ganoderma australe, Judas’ Ear, Auricularia auricula-judae, Common Puff Ball, Lycoperldon periatum and Sulpher Tuft, Hypholoma fasiculare. The Sweet Chestnut also provided grazing for several of the group!

A notice board informed us that some of the trees were in the order of five hundred years old. Not to be dictated to, we measured the girth of several. One huge Beech had a girth of 204 inches. This gives a free standing tree a possible age of over two hundred years but for a tree in woodland I am told that figure can be doubled. With an age of four hundred and eight, it started growth in the year King Charles 1 was born, was five years old when the Gunpowder Plot was discovered and entitled to a bus pass when the Plague hit London! Makes you think doesn’t it?

Several plantings in the woods showed specimens of interest, Mahonia, Mahonia japonica in flower, Norway Maple, Acer platanoides showing the start of its Autumn colours, Cherry Laurel Prunus laurocerasus complete with fruit and, perhaps the prize tree of the wood Wellingtonia, Sequoiadendron giganteum. This magnificent tree was growing near, of all things, a Victorian Bear Pit, an obscene reminder of our one time attitude to animals in captivity.

Away from the heavy tree canopy Bittersweet, Solanum dulcamara showed its colourful fruit and Traveller’s Joy, Clematis vitalba was a remarkable sight, its seedheads covering the undershrubs. Purple Loosestrife, Lythrum salicaria, Meadow Cranesbill, Geranium pratense and Tansy, Tanacetum vulgare showed us the remnants of summer planting in the Pleasure Gardens.

Jay, Garrulus glandarius, Blue Tit, Parus caeruleus, Coal Tit, Parus ater, Great Tit, Parus major and Nuthatch, Sitta europaea provided the birdlife of the day.

Many thanks to Steve Cross for leading the day. Thanks also to Michael Barrow for providing both the species list and the photographs.

Peter Tipping

Honey Fungus	Common Earth Ball	Wood-wart	Honey Fungus	Southern bracket

Traveller's Joy	Judas Ear Fungus	Candle Snuff Fungus	Blushing Bracket