Nosterfield Quarry - Part 1 - Fungi and lichens - 13 Oct 2018

Tarmac's Nosterfield Quarry Nature Reserve, north of Ripon and West Tanfield was the destination for the YNU Bryologists.

But on this Saturday I got a little side tracked onto lichens and fungi. (I will write a post on the Mosses next) 

Note the splendid patch of Peltigera rufescens at the foot of the entrance notice board.

This was pointed out to me by Mark Seaward who was delighted to find this.  He had made records on the site in July at the Bioblitz. But not noticed it then

The team

In July 2018 there had been a bioblitz with Chris Packham. - They  - Just being pipped to first place for total species recorded amongst 50 places holding bioblitzes over 24 hours that day in the UK, by another quarry site in the south of England






This species of dog lichen has red brown apothecia that are wider than long, and the upper surface is supposed to be slightly tomentose or scabrid. (woolly or rough). It grows on calcareous substrata.





Chris Pennock of Tarmac, told us about the geology. The sand was 80 percent sand - (rather than other grades of particles) because it had been laid down in a glacial lake - (rather than being deposits in river terraces). There is a display inside the visitor centre.

Peltigera rufescens

Coprinus atramentarius  was growing in the car park- 

Chris drove us to the far side of the lake, to the Magnesian Limestone area

Conical waxcap - Hygrocybe conica

In the distance (far distance, to the east, with telephoto lens) - is Sutton Bank

Here is White Spindles - Clavaria fragilis - the bottom half of each unit is translucent stem and the top half produces the spores. It was growing on the  area where magnesian limestone bedrock is being left to colonise into calcareous grassland.

The dog-lichen is Peltigera dactyla, but I wish I  knew the name of this brown grey fungus with white sinuate gills.

Are these maroon blobs along the edge or the lichen thallus the soralia to which the Peltigera keys refer?

There are actually 3 fungi growing within 2cm of each other on this bit of rotten stump. The dark purple one on the left is Ascocoryne sarcoides - Not sure about the other two.

Mike Wilcox introduced me to Brookweed - Samolus valerandi

Beside the ancient wall leading back to the center was some Ballota nigra -  Black Horehound. I had found the leaves of this with a group near Grewelthorpe the previous month.. and they definitely had the same smell. The leaves, not the group.

Now to the bryology..

Nosterfield Quarry Part 2: YNU Bryologists 13 Oct 2018