Last weekend, we went for a long walk on Hocombe Mead.
Hocombe Mead is a local nature reserve owned and managed by Eastleigh Borough Council with the support of the Friends of Hocombe Mead.
We spotted some pretty red fungi but couldn’t identify what they were.
Hocombe Mead also holds regular events. For examples:
Sunday 16th March: Guided Walk Woodland Flora and General Interest, 10.00 – 12.30 in conjunction with Southampton Natural History Society. Meet at the Ashdown Road entrance.
Saturday 26th April: Guided Walk Bird Song followed by Easter Trail for Children.
Hocombe’s two meadows are species rich. The North Meadow has a strong colony of Ringlet butterfly (Aphantopus hyperantus) and an abundance of purple loosestrife.
Parts of the woodland are over 400 years old, featuring on old maps as far back as 1588, when it was known as Eagle’s Copse.
From the website of Hocombe Mead.
Good to know that it is accessible again without snorkel and flippers. Nice to have the raised walkways there. I had no idea it was so old.
The pretty red fungi is Elf Cap fungi.
You are so knowledgeable! I suppose the red fungus is a bit poisonous?
Not that clever – last month there was information about it on the Hocombe Mead notice board where you go into the woods!!
I’ve found the reference in the i-Spy chart on Hocombe Mead website.
“Scarlet Elf Cap (Sarcoscypha coccinea)
The fungus grows on decaying sticks and branches in damp spots on woodland floors, generally buried under leaf litter or in the soil. The cup – shaped fruiting bodies are usually produced during the cooler months of winter and early spring. The brilliant red interior of the cups is due to five types of carotenoid pigment (colouring matter).”
You can click to download the February 2014 I-spy chart (a pdf) created by Hocombe Mead. This document is fascinating.