Fungi, birds and wasps of Meijendel

This is a photo of a rose bedeguar gall on a dog rose leaf in the Kikkervalleien area of Meijendel nature reserve, on 6 September 2014.

Gall on plants: here.

This blog has already reported about amphibians there on that day. Now, about fungi, birds and the small wasps, only three millimetre for males, four for females, Diplolepis rosae, which cause these galls.

Soon after our arrival at Meijendel, great spotted woodpecker sound.

Along the cycle track, Lactarius controversus fungi.

Next, Inocybe serotina mushrooms.

Then, brown roll-rim.

And stinking dapperling.

Two common pochard ducks swimming in a lake.

In another lake, tufted ducks, mallards and coots.

Lepiota alba fungi.

Nine gray lag geese flying overhead.

We arrived at the Kikkervalleien area of Meijendel, usually closed to the public.

Then, we saw the dog rose plant of the first photo of this blog post.

That plant had more galls than the one on the first photo; like the one on this photo, usually smaller ones. If a small Diplolepis rosae wasp lays an egg on a leaf, then the plant reacts by building a gall around the egg, protecting it. This wasp species was named originally by Linnaeus.

Winter stalkball fungi on the footpath.

A great cormorant flying overhead.

Scotch bonnet mushrooms.

Many rabbit droppings.

A beautiful red mushroom: a witch’s hat.

Two carrion crows.

Then, five greenshanks on migration, flying overhead.

At the next lake, two mute swans. First on the bank, then swimming.

Another beautiful red mushroom. A witch’s hat? Or a vermilion waxcap? This genus, Hygrocybe, is not easy.

We find another gall: a Pontania collactanea wasp caused this one.

Three great egrets flying.

More beautiful Hygrocybe fungi. Still difficult to say which species.

As we leave the Kikkervalleien for other parts of Meijendel, other mushrooms: death caps.

Stay tuned for the Kikkervalleien plants on this blog!

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