Tuft hunting

Tall Fescue (Festuca arundinacea). Swindon, March 14th 2018

Tall Fescue (Festuca arundinacea). Only two British grass species form large tufts or tussocks. This is one of them. The other is Tufted Hair-grass (see below).

Tall Fescue (Festuca arundinacea). Swindon, March 14th 2018

Meadow Fescue (Festuca pratensis). Swindon, March 14th 2018

Meadow Fescue (Festuca pratensis) is the baby brother of Tall Fescue. It is a medium-height grass and only loosely tufted. Above, a single tuft. Below, a group of tufts.

Meadow Fescue (Festuca pratensis). Swindon, March 14th 2018

Tufted Hair-grass (Deschampsia cespitosa), with fox poo. Swindon, March 13th 2018.

Tufted Hair-grass (Deschampsia cespitosa). Compared to Tall Fescue, the blades are a darker green and quite narrow.

Typical behaviour of a fox during the mating season. The poo is dropped on a natural plinth, in this case a tuft of grass, in order to maximize the spread of its strong smell, which is used for marking territory.