Decades ago, part of the Lye Brook was deepened and widened, with peat piled on the banks. One side effect was to block the flow of spring water here. We've made a start on reprofiling this part of the fen, with a view to rewetting this currently dry area. 🌍 #OxfordshireFens #FenRestoration

A most spectacular growth of the common Candle snuff fungus Xylaria polymorpha, on a log uncovered by scything at Rivermead Nature Park in Oxford #fungi #fungifriends

The Holy Grail for all fascinated by fungi. How I would love to find a Pepperpot Earthstar!

Delighted to spot this Little Egret (Egretta garzetta) in the Valley this morning. An occasional visitor here, they love fishing in our ponds. 😍 #birds #UKWildlife #OX3 #OxfordshireFens 📷 @everyheron.bsky.social @judywebb.bsky.social @tverc1.bsky.social

Finally caught up with the Kingfisher that has been visiting the Lye Valley top ponds. Also a Blackcap and a couple of Chiffchaffs are still hanging on into November in the Lye Valley woods. @friendlyevalley.bsky.social #ukbirding #OxonBirding

New #GBRedList for vascular plants is out now as a special issue of #BritishandIrishBotany, the @bsbibotany.bsky.social's Open Access scientific journal: britishandirishbotany.org/index.php/bi... Also available (cost £10) as an eBook: bsbi.org/publications... Press release: bsbi.org/wp-content/u...

Great talks about flies and you can join and watch remotely,- Saturday 15th Nov in Cambridge Museum for more detail - go to dipterists.org.uk/events/dipte...

Chilterns beechwoods, stunning just now, before the beautiful autumn colour leaves all are blown to the ground. Then they are are nice to kick through as you walk through the woods & great for #fungi of course Aston Rowant NNR @chilternsnl.bsky.social @rowantnnr.bsky.social

🎃 Meet the Caterpillar Club Fungus! 🍄  This creepy fungus feasts on caterpillars from the inside out, including ghost moths. Yes, really. 🧟‍♂️ 💀 A perfect pick for #Halloween, don’t you think? 👀 Spot any spooky wildlife this season? Let us know what you find! 📷Judy Webb

We in @friendlyevalley.bsky.social would like to thank all at @oxconservation.bsky.social vols for a great work session last weekend, raking cuttings up & lots of scrub work at the #LyeVally #SSSI south #fen section. This maintains this tiny site in private ownership's stunningly rich biodiversity.👏

This should be really interesting for all who love Lye Valley.

Going through last year's photos 2024 (I'm very behind in records). Dipterists, any ideas on this robberfly that landed on me last July at Aston Rowant NNR in quality chalk grassland? @uk-soldierflies.bsky.social for a start

The living biosphere is our life support system. They are not ‘just bats’ or ‘just spiders’ Rachel Reeves they are crucial parts of a living whole we barely understand but depend on for our survival

Large numbers of caps of the Fiery Milkcap Lactarius pyrogalus up under hazel in #Cothillfen #NNR woodlands on sandy soil. They look so innocent but taste (and spit) the milk with care, it will blow your head off with heat!

This is a fascinating read. Look out for the invasive Golden Oyster coming to a deadwood pile near you?

Fabulous crop of large Fly Agaric (Amanita muscaria) at the @bbowt.bsky.social managed Snelsmore Common in Berkshire this Autumn. #WildFungiHour #FungiFriends 🍄

Another day, another #IDRequest. 😀 Does anybody know what this tiny orange weevil is? Found on our boardwalk a couple of days ago. #insects #invertebrates #OxfordshireFens

We unearthed this Silphid (?) beetle this week. We understand they eat snails? Anyway, can anybody give an ID from this photo? #IDRequest #insects #beetles #invertebrates @judywebb.bsky.social

With four scythers on site this morning, we're making great progress with clearing the fen. We cut a block on the east side of the Valley, and a larger area on the west side (pictured below). Lots more work for our rakers though... 😀 #OxfordshireFens #Conservation #FenRestoration #OX3 #SSSI 🌍

Wildlife needs site-specific protections it has now, not removal of all this and just compensation for destruction..

So many fungi to see at the moment & many challenging Russulas to try & identify. At a recent group survey we found this very weird Russula (which species?) with an inverted cap growing out of the top of its normal cap! #fungifriends

I agree...

Scything Marsh Arrowgrass (Triglochin palustris). Near Threatened in England, it flourishes here. Once cut it will be used as "green hay" in areas of the fen we're restoring to reinforce its local population. #FenRestoration #OxfordshireFens #RedList 🌍 @bsbibotany.bsky.social @tverc1.bsky.social

Boletes are such spectacular fungi and to me look so comical..

I love a totally weird fly !

Delighted to welcome two new volunteers to the Valley this week! They were quickly put to work raking the west fen and carrying the cut material to build up the eroded banks of the Lye Brook. #OxfordshireFens #FenRestoration #OX3 #SSSI #LocalWildlifeSite @judywebb.bsky.social 🌰🌍

It's mushroom season in the Northern Hemisphere 🍄 Here's a look at the chemistry of arguably the most iconic mushroom, fly agaric, and what makes them so brightly coloured and hallucinogenic: www.compoundchem.com/2024/11/11/f... #ChemSky 🧪

Oxford Brookes Uni students had a great time recently in #LyeValley #fen learning various coring techniques, studying peat & tufa sediments. They learnt what hard work it was! but some very interesting layers discovered, now for some lab study... @friendlyevalley.bsky.social @palaeolou.bsky.social

Found a troop of 'Inocybe' under hazel near beeches on chalk. Turned over a couple that had this surprising pink colour of gills, others buff going brown Might this be a form of Inocybe erubescens or might this pink be a bacterial infection? Any ideas #fungifriends ? @lukaslarge.bsky.social

Slime moulds are so weird, they fascinate me..

The new European Butterfly Red List is published today, with worrying findings. Over 1/4 (28%) of Europe’s 442 species are threatened with extinction or are close to being so. The situation is far worse for our 148 endemic species, 40% are now threatened or nearly so www.bc-europe.eu/webpage.php?...

Earlier this year, Dr. Jane Goodall sat down for an interview for Brad Falchuk’s new Netflix series, Famous Last Words. The premise of the series is to interview people on the condition that the interview not air until the subject has passed away.

🔟 Most commonly-encountered fungi in UK & Ireland - Number 10: Brown Roll-Rim (Paxillus involutus). Fascinating Fact: Once considered edible, this fungus has caused fatal haemolytic anaemia in humans, so is now classified as toxic 😱 #UKFungusDay www.ukfungusday.co.uk/10brownrollrim

Countdown to #UKFungusDay 🍄Most commonly-encountered fungi in UK & Ireland: 8️⃣ Jelly Ear (Auricularia auricularia-judae). Contains polysaccharides with anticoagulant properties, making it a potential aid in preventing blood clots. www.ukfungusday.co.uk/8woodear

Countdown to #UKFungusDay 🍄Most commonly-encountered fungi in UK & Ireland: 2️⃣ Hairy Curtain Crust (Stereum hirsutum). This species shows potential for degrading industrial pollutants, such as industrial dyes and heavy metals. www.ukfungusday.co.uk/2hairycurtai...

Countdown to #UKFungusDay 🍄Most commonly-encountered fungi in UK & Ireland: 3️⃣ Candle Snuff or Stag's Horn fungus (Xylaria hypoxylon). With long exposures, a weak bioluminescence can be detected from the fruitbodies of this fungus! www.ukfungusday.co.uk/3candlesnuff

Countdown to #UKFungusDay 🍄Most commonly-encountered fungi in UK & Ireland: 5️⃣ Amethyst Deceiver (Laccaria amethystina). The vivid purple of colour fades with age & weather, often leading to misidentification, hence the common name 'Deceiver'. www.ukfungusday.co.uk/5amethystdec...

Countdown to #UKFungusDay 🍄Most commonly-encountered fungi in UK & Ireland: 6️⃣ Birch Polypore (Fomitopsis betulina). Was found with Ötzi the Iceman, a 5300-year-old mummy, suggesting its ancient use as a natural antibiotic & antiparasitic agent. www.ukfungusday.co.uk/6birchpolypore

Countdown to #UKFungusDay (it's tomorrow - 4th October!)🍄Most commonly-encountered fungi in UK & Ireland: 1️⃣ Turkey Tails(Trametes versicolor) This fungus is rich in antioxidants, which help protect its cells from damage. www.ukfungusday.co.uk/1turkeytails

We welcomed again entomologist Steve Gregory to #LyeValley #fen to complete his grant-funded invertebrate survey. A bit cool for flying insects but Steve did find spiders & snails & actually found a Glow-worm larva feeding on a dead snail! @friendlyevalley.bsky.social @colsocbi.bsky.social

Look at how important warm sunny logs are to wildlife at this time of year in #LyeValley. A basking Common Darter and a very young Viviparous Lizard just absorbing as much warmth as possible. @friendlyevalley.bsky.social

Accidentally scythed off in #LyeValley #fen, this small delicate inkcap toadstool made my day with its fragile beauty. Maybe a small Hare's foot inkcap, Coprinopsis lagopus? #fungifriends @friendlyevalley.bsky.social

Nice to see Milham Ford Ponds looking so good!

Some last #LyeValley flowers & a smart hoverfly that enjoys them: Fleabane, Hoary Ragwort and Marjoram. The batman hoverfly Myathropa florea is a favourite wasp mimic on the wing still, here sunning on our seed collecting bags @friendlyevalley.bsky.social @bsbibotany.bsky.social

In #LyeValley scrub work time. Cutting back non-native invasive Russian Vine (mile a minute climber) ramping in from a neighbour first. This generates lots of material made into useful faggots for our Brook bank #restoration, combined with poles cut from hazel nearby @friendlyevalley.bsky.social

#LyeValley is slowly turning brown with all the seed heads from many flowers. Here rather attractive fluffy heads of Hemp Agrimony alongside the boardwalk caught my eye. @friendlyevalley.bsky.social @bsbibotany.bsky.social

Devil's bolete Rubroboletus satanas up in root zone of beeches at Aston Rowant NNR on the Chilterns. Nearby also Rooting Bolete Caloboletus radicans (yellow pores) and Lurid Bolete Suillellus luridus with Rockrose slow blueing with the first, faster with others #fungifriends @rowantnnr.bsky.social

Expanding any airport? Big Climate failure. See my recent articles questioning this, and also suggesting alternative uses for selected airport/airfield sites: westenglandbylines.co.uk/news/transpo... westenglandbylines.co.uk/news/transpo...

#Fungi do not usually feature much in #fens because they are too wet. But in #LyeValley, drier short turf areas near seepage zones are sprouting red-orange jewels in the shape of little Blackening Waxcaps, Hygrocybe conica. @friendlyevalley.bsky.social

This cause is close to my heart - please sign: you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/sa...