puffs of pollen like smoke signals in SE London untended plot ????

[peridito]

looking out of window early morning and saw small cloud of something suddenly appear and drift across the land ( a wild undeveloped development plot ) next to us .

Happened a few more times with intervals between .

Not smoke ,not dust from a dustbathing animal - too high ,too well formed .

What on earth could it be ?

Not sure. at this time of year. Probably pollen from a tree which depends on wind for pollen dispersal, and most of these flower early in the year so that pollen dispersal is not impeded by leaves - eg willow, birch.

Possibly a conifer? - they get around the leaves getting in the way by having their flowers at the ends of the branches, so maybe they don't need to flower so early?

We're in grass flowering season, of course.

Another possibility would be wind blown seeds, the sort with parachutes on. Some of the poplars get rid of these in large quantity.

I'm not really into trees, sorry I can't be of more help.

Thank you for trying !

It was so odd,very fine like smoke but no smell and v specific origin in that I could see the location it emerged from .And definite little "releases" as if blown out from a specific source .It was rising up from long grass and weeds ,didn't seem to be from a tree ,the nearest of which are sycamores .

V puzzled .

Could it be a type of fungus/ mushroom releasing spores?

ok ...I'm thinking it was a neighbour in the garden the other side ,smoking or vaping .

wanders off blaming hallucinations on lack of reality during coronavirus restrictions

Also in SE London so agree that it is most likely someone smoking a spliff. However I did see a nature doc once and there were types of mushroom that released thier spores in a similar fashion. Potentially called puff ball mushrooms..

A linden tree in flower?

ok ...I'm thinking it was a neighbour in the garden the other side ,smoking or vaping That's a good theory!

Puff balls release their spores as a result of the mechanical action of raindrops landing on them. I take it it wasn't raining?

Now that is interesting Merehint and I think you've solved the mystery .

The little clouds were like puffs and seemed to just arise from an area in the wilderness next door to us and then drift up and across .

It wasn't raining but there is a family of foxes who live in the plot . And a couple of visiting cats and either might have disturbed puff balls .

So interesting .

It was NCParanoia who made the suggestion. Is it a it early for puffballs to mature? I don't know - you'd have to google.

Yes ,sorry it was NCParonia - I was a bit distracted by the idea of a close middle class neighbour blazing away at 6.30 in the morning

I thought about a huge fungus thing releasing spores. They can be as big as footballs