Spring in Dorset: other stuff

My week in Dorset, now a while ago, was dominated by flowers and trees.  But there was a lot else to see in the woods as well:  I didn't get any of the butterflies and bees on camera, but here's a selection of other stuff which might be of interest.

First, a small snail which had climbed high on a tree, at least six feet up.  I think it's a white lipped snail, but in any event, it's very beautiful.

And this is one of several lichens on a venerable oak; an old oak is a real conservation paradise, for insects, lichens and other organisms.  This one was festooned with at least five species of lichen, a strong indicator of clean air.

And here are two of a round, hard fungus which only (or almost always) grows on ash.  It's called King Alfred's Cakes, as it looks like a burnt and shapeless bun.  But if you break it open, it's very beautifully marked - and it's latin name is Daldinia concentrica, for obvious reasons.

This peculiar looking thing is not another fungus, but a flowering plant, toothwort (Lathraea squamaria) which is parasitic on roots, especially those of hazel.  The white scales are the leaves, sheltering lilac flowers - an odd three or our inch spike emerging from the spring grass, along with Ramsoms and bluebells!

And this little monster is a small, glistening beetle, scurrying away in the grass.  It's an oil beetle, probably Meloe proscarabeus, and it's iridescence is quite something to see.

Finally, this is another fungus - an unidentified bracket fungus, which I liked for its shape and pattern, and the dappled evening sunshine in the ancient wood at the time.

Comments

[glo]

Nothing but wonders! First time I see such things. The lichen especially impresses me much.

[mu Cephei]

King Alfred's Cakes are also known as cramp balls and are very useful for lighting fires. They can smoulder and hold a flame and just require blowing with some dry tinder to start a fire. Did you get any bushcraft training?

Sounds like you had fun down in Dorset!

[Carolyn Carpenter]

Beautiful photos!

[Cornflower]

You're being charmingly imprecise - taxonomically speaking - calling this "other stuff", but very lovely they are (excepting the toothwort as shown) however they may be classified.