The Serpentine Walk in Winter.

The trees are bare and with all the rain the footpath is as muddy as I have ever seen it, but yesterday afternoon there was a rare glimpse of the winter sun to brighten things up.

First Bulbs of the Year in Flower

Aconite in flower at the back of the Temple car park in Lower Largo.
Although very windy the temperature has gone up and the snow on Largo Law has almost disappeared. Bulbs are beginning to flower.

Behind the aconite the green shoots of snowdrops.

In the Serpentine Walk there are several clumps of snowdrops along the path that are almost out.

Snowdrops tucked into the base of a tree.

A patch of snowdrops catches the afternoon sun.

An Eye-Catching Tree Stump

Although the tree has been cut down the stump on the old railway track in Lower Largo is providing a habitat for for several different fungi and probably lichen as well. Over the last few weeks, have been fascinated as the fungi continue to spread over the stump.

I didn't notice this attractive fungi at first as it was growing at the back of the stump - a many-zoned polypore (Coriolus versicolor) I think.

Not sure about the identity of this one. At first I thought it might be a lichen but it's possibly the fungus hairy curtain crust (Stereum hirsutum).

At first I thought that this was the black fungus known as King Alfred's cakes but now because it feels jelly-like I think it that it's more likely to be black witches butter (Exidia glandulosa).

This jelly-like fungus was growing on the side at the front of the  stump. It seemed to have the the same consistency as the yellow brain fungus below, so might be another Tremella species or more likely another Exidia species, possibly Exidia thuretiana.

Yellow Brain Fungus (Tremella mesenterica). 

It was growing on a thin fallen branch close to the steps at the back of the Temple car park in Lower Largo.

Big Garden Birdwatch 2013

For over 30 years now the RSPB has been conducting a garden birdwatch at this time of year. The public are invited to take part by watching and recording the birds they see in one hour in their garden or a park and sending in their results by post or on-line. My results for this year were:

Blackbird: 2
Dunnock: 1
Blue tit: 3
Coal tit: 1
Great tit: 1
Long-tailed tit: 2
House sparrow: 1
Robin: 2
Starlings: 2
Wood pigeon: 1

The count was fairly representative of what we see most days (perhaps because of the frosty weather). Chaffinches usually feature but were absent. This month we have also seen goldfinches and bullfinches on occasions.

More Soft Coral - Dead Man's Fingers

Had never seen dead man's fingers (Alcyonium digitatum) until I picked up an example at Shell Bay near Elie on Christmas Day. However, early in the New Year found the three examples above on the beach at Lundin Links. Some of them looked spookily like small hands.

Today walking along the shore at Lower Largo, I found more examples every few yards along the beach. Most were attached to a stone or shell, which presumably had been dislodged during the winter storms.

This example was attached to a queen scallop shell. (The scalop shell measured 3 inches at the widest part.)

Also found some that were brick-red in colour. Not sure whether this is a different species (possibly red sea fingers - Alcyonium glomeratum) or just a colour variation.

Can see that the surface looks a bit like the skin of an orange. There are tiny holes in tthe surface which house the polyps that make up the colony.

Bullfinches Arrive with the Snow Showers

Don't often have bullfinches in the garden but they always seem to arrive when it's snowing. The pictures aren't sharp as they were taken from the kitchen window through the double glazing and a snow shower. 

Bullfinches seem to like the seeds of the St John's Wort.

There was a second bullfinch lower down on the same bush. They were both males.

Frequent Snow Showers

Upper Largo Church with Largo Law in the background.

Compared to other parts of the UK, we seem to have escaped the worst of the weather and although there were frequent snow showers today, the temperature was above freezing, so between the showers the snow melted quickly. However, up on Largo Law a dusting of snow remained.

Sheep peacefully grazing in front of Largo House against the backdrop of Largo Law.

Largo Law seen through the trees.