bees are collecting pollen and await the arrival of their host - not just any old bee but (it
is thought) certain species of Andrena. Having identified the right species it hooks onto
the undercarriage and is carried back to the bee's nest where it develops into a maggot-
like grub and spends the rest of the summer gorging itself on the pollen collected by the
bee for its own larvae, emerging as an adult beetle the following spring. A'int nature
wonderful!
A winter wonder in Essex
Tony Boniface 40 Pentland Avenue, Chelmsford CM1 4AZ
February does not seem to be a mycologist's favourite time of year, but sharp eyed
Stephen Wilkinson spotted about twenty winter stalk puffballs Tulostoma brumale ona
sand bar covered in short, mossy turf at Colne Point Nature Reserve TM 096130 on 20"1
February, 2003. He sent me the fruiting bodies to confirm, which I did by measuring the
spores, which were mostly 3.5 micrometres in diameter.
On searching through the records for this fungus in Essex it appeared that the only
record was on Pearson's 1938 list for Epping Forest. I consulted Brian Spooner at Kew,
who located a very early record for this species at Whipp's Cross in c. 1849 on old walls
presumably with mortar instead of cement. This must surely be the record that Pearson
was referring to. The fungus has been recorded in Suffolk, Kent, Surrey and East and
West Sussex.
So once again the value of searching in unusual places at unfavourable times of year is
demonstrated. No doubt searching other sandy, calcareous habitats in Essex would
provide some more records.
Adders at Hadleigh Castle Country Park
David Scott Court Hill, Church Lane, Little Leighs Chelmsford, Essex, CM3 1PG
email david.scott76@btopenworld.com Telephone 01245 361475.
Is this a "first"? our earliest reptile record this year was of an Adder seen on 24th February
at Hadleigh Castle Country Park by the warden Andrew Woodhouse. Since then I have
other records of Adders seen in March and would welcome any records of Amphibians
and Reptiles seen in Essex during this spring and summer. Frog and Toad records may
seem unimportant but please send them to me, they are all needed to update our records
and prepare to publish a new atlas of these animals for Essex. Records and questions
can be sent to me, details above.
10
Essex Field Club Newsletter No. 41, May 2003