apples from a local tree, originally planted by yours truly and a huge crop of Bramley types from the old tree in the garden. The spuds only required a fork to lift them but the apples took a bit of tree climbing and a small amount of tree pruning to gather the crops. In an instant the garden apples were converted into apple pies and the crab apples into apple and rowan jelly. It’s a pity you can’t lick the screen to have a virtual taste 
but the jelly is a real winner, some of which has been served up with the scones for the incoming chalet guests. Mmmmm.Species (Contacts) Flight period
Green-veined white (221) April-Sept
Scotch argus (136) Late July – Sept
Ringlet (115) Late June – Early Aug
Small pearl-b fritillary (28) Mid June - July
Dark green fritillary (20) July – Mid Aug
Green hairstreak (20) Late Ap – Late May
Orange tip (15) May – Early June
Small tortoiseshell (15) April & July
Meadow brown (12) July – early Aug
Small heath (11) June & July
Common blue (6) July
Peacock (5) April, May & Sept
Red admiral (5) July – Sept
Large heath (2) Late June – late July
Painted lady (2) July & Sept
Some of the butterflies above (like the peacock left) were also seen outside the periods given above elsewhere in the area. Other butterflies recorded in the area during the summer were: small copper (3) and speckled wood (1).
he end of August with more than a thousand bikes and their passengers involved. The drive past at the end of the road lasted for about half an hour as all the bikes made their way to Grantown for a rally. The high street in Grantown was closed to vehicles as the bikes were parked up for all the visitors to see and at about 3pm the bikes and riders started to make their way, in small groups, back to Aviemore for 
the evening dance and music. I had Finlay our grandson with me and he spent most of the afternoon waving to the passing bikes. An amazing spectacle involving quite a few “aging rockers”, lady riders and families on three-wheeled bikes, but probably not the best event when trying to save the planet!
every available day to ensure most areas were visited before the fruiting bodies started to decay and become less easy to identify. It became apparent during the first week that some species were having a good season, particularly Sarcodon glaucopus (greenfoot tooth) a species first recorded in Britain at Abernethy in 1990 by myself and the late Peter Orton. On one track I was finding groups of 10-20 fruiting bodies every few hundred metres but couldn’t find anything at the original 1990 location, now much overgrown with deep heather. The photo left shows the two Sarcodon's found during the survey with S. squamosus left and the rarer S. glaucopus right. It is still a puzzle to me why we didn’t find this fungus before 1990 when it has turned up in many locations in Abernethy since then. An efficient coloniser? The surveys up to 1990 were quite restricted so it could have been missed, but I don’t think so.A nice find was Hydnellum cumulatum at its original 2003 locatio
n (right). This is the fungus that I found in the woods near to Loch Mallachie in 2007 which turned out to be new to Britain, but when all the stored, dried material was checked, it was found that it had also been recorded in 2003 by Gordon Dickson of the Peter Orton team, in Abernethy Forest, near to Forest Lodge. Having found the probable original site, on the side of a small but steep-sided track-side quarry, there is every chance that I was with the Orton team and that it would have been me scrambling around the quarry that found the original specimen, passing it on to Gordon to check. Amazing. Despite the fungus being very plentiful in the woods by Loch Mallachie in 2007 and 2008, nothing appeared this year, showing the value of carrying out the wide ranging annual survey. The same fungus would also appear to be growing close to the shore of Loch an Eilean, where I first found it in 2007. I just need the experts to check the DNA of the single specimen collected to be certain. What else is there yet to be found in the tooth fungi world?Species 2006 2007 2008 2009
Bankera fuligineoalba 24 62 130 148
Hydnellum aurantiacum 5 22 13 27
Hydnellum caeruleum 13 22 27 26
Hydnellum cumulatum 5 2
Hydnellum ferruginium 2 6 5 9
Hydnellum peckii 34 137 153 216
Hydnellum scrobiculatum 24 86 61 111
Phellodon melaleucus 13 30 36 31
Phellodon niger 9 41 23 29
Phellodon tomentosus 25 49 41 67
Sarcodon glaucopus 16 1 25 42
Sarcodon squamosus 57 19 69 59
Unidentified 12 10 3 6
Grand Total 234 485 591 773
The table above shows the results from the four years of survey, the 773 loca
tions for all recorded species being quite a remarkable total, probably reflecting the value of re-surveying the same area over several years, and the recorder becoming more aware year by year of where species have been recorded previously.In addition a few locations were also found for the “ear-pick fungus” Auriscalpium vulgare (right), the fungus that got me hooked on the amazing group of fungi with spines and not gills under their caps. This fungus grows on Scots pine cones buried in the ground, the one in the photo being about 2” tall.
Once all the tooth fungi records had been listed on a spreadsheet, the map references were copied over into a new spreadsheet enabling the data to be used to create a distribution map of all the species found. To me, this is one of the most amazing distribution maps I have seen for anything yet recorded at Abernethy, showing how important Abernethy is for this rare group of fungi.
And one final fungus for the diary. On 1st October Oliver, an apprentice Bryologist (Mosses & Liverworts) arrived at Abernethy to spend three months surveying and recording, to increase his knowledge and ID skills. See http://blogs.btcv.org.uk/natural_talent/2009/02/ Baffling Bryophytes. On his first outing he found a tiny green moss capsule on
an ants nest (sound familiar?) which could be the 100th new location for Buxbaumia viridis – the green shield-moss, in Abernethy during the 2008/09 growing season. We just need the capsules to mature a bit more to be certain which of the shield-mosses we are dealing with. I went to photograph the find and noticed three rabbit-dropping sized fungi (right) popping out of the ground next to the ant nest. These turned out to be Cordyceps ophioglossoides, a fungus that grows on a truffle fungus growing under the ground. Two for the price of one!
Walking along the Speyside Way a few weeks ago I felt a faint buzzing coming from under my boot! I stepped back and was quite amazed to see a large horsefly, still alive, on the track. Having had my size 10 boot on it the fly looked a bit dazed and didn’t seem to want to fly away so I quickly got out the camera and took its photo. The fly is 20-25mm long and thankfully doesn’t take blood from humans! Murdo at HBRG http://www.hbrg.org.uk/ looked at the photo and supplied the name Tabanus sudeticus the biggest of our horseflies
On 27 August I had a lone whimbrel passing overhead and on 30 September the first group of whooper swans went trumpeting over the forest. Winter is a-coming. Shining guest ants were found on another 2 wood ant nests putting Abernethy at the top of the league for this rare ant in Highland Region with 5 of the known 9 sites. The pine marten was back vis
iting the squirrel peanut box in the evening gloom as John and Betty were sitting outside the chalet enjoying a glass of wine. The rate of loss of peanuts from the box would hint at the marten being a more regular visitor than we think. A few hours were spent putting together a talk for a “Friends of Abernethy” evening where 60 “Friends” were present following a brilliant day out on the reserve (http://www.rspb.org.uk/supporting/campaigns/abernethy/index.asp ). It was great to meet so many enthusiastic supporters of the reserve.
Sarah’s (a friend's daughter) wedding day went brilliantly – I just need the time to sort the many photos taken at the church. The sun appeared right on cue just as bride and groom exited the church.
The lichen training day also was very enlightening though I am not sure I will ever get my head round sorting out 4 similar looking species on just six inches of a Scots pine branch. I will give it a go though with a bit more training planned in November.
Janet has also been busy with a new venture – beautifully made Harris Tweed cards. So impressed was a local lady that she asked if Janet would be willing to make some of her cards exclusively for Leukaemia Research. This she has done in the three designs as shown: the flowers are based on the Leukaemia Research logo and the wee dog is based on 'Robbie the Westie', mascot of the Badenoch and Strathspey branch. The cards measure 5" square and are blank inside for your own message. They cost £2.95 each. £1.50 from the sale of each card will be donated to Leukaemia Research. If you would like to support the charity please contact Janet at janet.taylor1@tiscali.co.uk.
Enjoy the read
Best wishes from Stewart & Janet
It's been a long season - resting by wood ant nest
All photos © Stewart Taylor
