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Sheffields Flora and Fauna


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Thanks Stuart, looks like it's round about here then.

I will have to take a wander down one morning

That's it Steve, the scrubby looking litter trap opposite Summerfield Street! My Gran used to live there (when it was houses that is!)

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It has just been on Look North, did not really show where it was, just the frogs being caught

Lets hope they catch them all before the frog exterminator moves in

That's it Steve, the scrubby looking litter trap opposite Summerfield Street! My Gran used to live there (when it was houses that is!)

Thanks Bayleaf,

that makes up a good walk with the General Cemetery being near on

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Went down to Sunny Bank this morning,

and members of The Wildelife Trust along with some volunteers

were doing a good job with the frog catch.

A great bunch of very friendly people

and it was nice to meet and speak with others young and old and join in with good community spirit.

Things like this are not just about catching frogs,

they bring people together,

and at the end of the day that's what I like to see most of all :)

By the way it's hard to tell, but the bunch of green stuff is the very overgrown pond

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PARWOOD SPRINGS

GRAVES PARK

HANDSWORTH CHURCH

TINSLEY LOCKS

TINSLEY LOCKS

TINSLEY LOCKS

TINSLEY LOCKS

TINSLEY LOCKS

PARKWOOD SPRINGS

BAGLEY DIKE WOOD

BAGLEY DIKE WOOD

BAGLEY DIKE WOOD

BAGLEY DIKE WOOD

HANOVER WAY

RIVELIN

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Some really nice pictures in the last 2 posts, - well done you two.

A couple of Jimbo's pictures remind me that at this time of year, just for a couple of weeks, we seem to get a lot of wild fungus growth, - tree fungi, mushroom circles in the grass, odd looking toadstools and puffballs, that sort of thing.

If I see any this year I will try and get some pictures, however having said that, due to the weather we have had this summer I think our usual run of tree fungus has already been and gone, - over a month before it usually appears.

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Oughtibridge...................................................oughtibridge

crookes valley park.........................................graves park

graves park......................................................sheffield canal

wardsend.......................................................hollinsend

weston park......................................................weston park

rivelin.............................................................river sheaf

river sheaf.....................................................loxley

river sheaf........................................................rivelin

sheffield canal

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Some great pictures on here. Obviously a few talented people.

On the other hand - :o - I managed to get a quick snap of this today.

I know it's only a sparrow but it has a white tail. (or at least partially white)

It's been around my garden for years and this is the first time I've been able to get a picture of it standing still and facing in the right direction.

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Some great pictures on here. Obviously a few talented people.

On the other hand - :o - I managed to get a quick snap of this today.

I know it's only a sparrow but it has a white tail. (or at least partially white)

It's been around my garden for years and this is the first time I've been able to get a picture of it standing still and facing in the right direction.

Nice hole in your wall, does any wildlife live in there? Looks ideal

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Some great pictures on here. Obviously a few talented people.

On the other hand - :o - I managed to get a quick snap of this today.

I know it's only a sparrow but it has a white tail. (or at least partially white)

It's been around my garden for years and this is the first time I've been able to get a picture of it standing still and facing in the right direction.

When I was a kid my Mum used to feed the birds on left-over bread. A regular visitor was a male blackbird with a couple of white feathers on its wing and tail which looked odd. There was something in the paper at the time to the effect that similar things had been noticed in places all over the country, and the experts put it down to additives in the white bread.

Maybe that's why I've gone grey? :unsure:

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Bayleaf said - "When I was a kid my Mum used to feed the birds on left-over bread. A regular visitor was a male blackbird with a couple of white feathers on its wing and tail which looked odd. There was something in the paper at the time to the effect that similar things had been noticed in places all over the country, and the experts put it down to additives in the white bread."

That's interesting Bayleaf.

Nice hole in your wall, does any wildlife live in there? Looks ideal

Not that particular one but there are loads more holes.

Here's one of the occupants.

There's a picture of one of his mates further up the page, sitting under a toadstool.

That wall is what's left of a farm boundary wall which is very old indeed. I have in mind to find out more one of these days.

Before the neighbors put the fence up, there was a lovely, and very old, fence post and gatepost on their side. All that was left of a fence which must have run across the whole length of the surrounding houses. Sadly no photo before they were removed.

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Some great pictures on here. Obviously a few talented people.

On the other hand - :o - I managed to get a quick snap of this today.

I know it's only a sparrow but it has a white tail. (or at least partially white)

It's been around my garden for years and this is the first time I've been able to get a picture of it standing still and facing in the right direction.

OK it's only a sparrow.

Here's another one taken in May 2008.

This baby, newly fledged sparrow was making its first attempt to fly and didn't quite make it, falling out of its nest and landing on the roof of my wifes car.

It stayed there for ages with its parents still up in the tree squwking at it to encourage it to try to fly. It didn't fly away but just sat there patiently even when we approached it, much to the annoyance of its parents. It did allow us to pick it up and move it to a safer position where its parents could get to it easily and help it on its way.

It may have been "only a sparrow" but we helped it out a bit just like the RSPB would have done.

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OK it's only a sparrow.

Here's another one taken in May 2008.

This baby, newly fledged sparrow was making its first attempt to fly and didn't quite make it, falling out of its nest and landing on the roof of my wifes car.

It stayed there for ages with its parents still up in the tree squwking at it to encourage it to try to fly. It didn't fly away but just sat there patiently even when we approached it, much to the annoyance of its parents. It did allow us to pick it up and move it to a safer position where its parents could get to it easily and help it on its way.

It may have been "only a sparrow" but we helped it out a bit just like the RSPB would have done.

We had another incident at about the same time that the RSPB would have been proud of us for.

While we were walking back to our car from town I found a female blackbird (female blackbirds are not black) in some bushes between St. Mary's Road and Margaret Road, - it had drawn my attention because it had fallen to the floor and was lying gasping with its beak open.

I picked it up and realised it was alive but in a bad way.

I carried it back to the car and held it while my wife drove home.

At home we keep parrots and lovebirds so I put the blackbird in one of our spare cages that we use as an "isolation cage" if one of our own birds is ill, injured or just being attacked by others too much in a communal cage (they may be called "lovebirds" but they don't half fight, especially the hens at breeding time).

It had the symptoms of exhaustion and with its beak open it was easy to give it small amounts of water from a pipette which brought it round a bit so we put some water for it in its cage and mixed it some "egg food" (a partially digested mush used to feed newly hatched chicks, - hence its name, - its made from grain NOT EGGS!).

Within 2 hours it was on its feet, eating, drinking, trying to spread its wings and generally full of life, - quite amazing for a bird that was gasping and almost dead when I found it.

After a couple of hours I took the cage outside and opened its door, within minutes the bird had found its way out and flown out into our apple tree where it paused to get its bearings. It was clearly now strong enough to fly. After a brief rest it went on its way.

Another good deed done.

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OK it's only a sparrow.

It may have been "only a sparrow" but we helped it out a bit just like the RSPB would have done.

Oh dear, I hope you didn't think I was in any way demeaning it's existence. We love our sparrows!

I merely meant that as a sparrow it wasn't remarkable, but as one with a white tail it was more interesting. (well to me anyway)

I do my bit to encourage all types of wildlife into my garden. I even avoid breaking spider's webs if I can, and I built a protective cover for a bumble bee's nest which was in danger of being flooded by the heavy rains earlier in the year.

=========

I even put up with the pesky Grey Squirrels. lol

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Oh dear, I hope you didn't think I was in any way demeaning it's existence. We love our sparrows!

I merely meant that as a sparrow it wasn't remarkable, but as one with a white tail it was more interesting. (well to me anyway)

I do my bit to encourage all types of wildlife into my garden. I even avoid breaking spider's webs if I can, and I built a protective cover for a bumble bee's nest which was in danger of being flooded by the heavy rains earlier in the year.

=========

I even put up with the pesky Grey Squirrels. lol

Didn't find it a bit demeaning at all vox, I knew exactly what you meant and I agree, the sparrow is a very common bird but just as much a part of our wildlife as any other animal.

Likewise we try to do our bit in the garden and down the allotment for the natural wildlife.

I'm glad that you are taking care of the bees nest. Most people would want rid of it straight away but as I understand it bees are having a rough time with aphid infestations and are in danger of becoming extinct in some areas. Cetainly the number of swarms and hives has dropped drastically, not only affecting commercial honey production but also their loss as plant pollenators is also becoming noticable.

Must admit me and the wife like bees but my son (who thinks he's big and hard) is terrified of them.

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Must admit me and the wife like bees but my son (who thinks he's big and hard) is terrified of them.

Does he know that bumble bees are very placid.

When they get trapped in our porch we just gently pick them up and put them outside.

I've never been stung in all the decades I've been handling them.

Honey bees however, can be a different prospect. You have to know which are the drones, workers etc..

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Does he know that bumble bees are very placid.

When they get trapped in our porch we just gently pick them up and put them outside.

I've never been stung in all the decades I've been handling them.

Honey bees however, can be a different prospect. You have to know which are the drones, workers etc..

Don't think that would make a difference to him, 20 years old and scared of wasps, bees, flies, dragonflies, in fact any sort of flying insect.

Then on top of that theres woodlice, cocroaches, beetles, centipedes and especially spiders, in fact anything crawly with legs.

Wife doesn't particularly like some of these things but she does have a bad reaction to certain insect bites and stings which frequently swell up and require treatment with Piriton tablets and antihistamine cream. Then again she doesn't panic when they are around and they don't stop her enjoying her gardening down on the allotment.

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Walked along Ringinglow Road a couple of times this week, and saw this lonely little group opposite the gate to Castle Dyke

But what a difference a day makes! This was on Wednesday,

And this was exactly a day later

I think they're Shaggy Inkcaps, anyone know?

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Walked along Ringinglow Road a couple of times this week, and saw this lonely little group opposite the gate to Castle Dyke

But what a difference a day makes! This was on Wednesday,

And this was exactly a day later

I think they're Shaggy Ink Caps, anyone know?

Yes they are Shaggy Ink Caps Bayleaf,

a common name is 'lawyer's wig'

not to be confused with the poisonous 'Common Ink Cap'.

And like the name says,

as they start to decay into a black mush

they can and once were used as an ink for writing

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Yes they are Shaggy Ink Caps Bayleaf,

a common name is 'lawyer's wig'

not to be confused with the poisonous 'Common Ink Cap'.

And like the name says,

as they start to decay into a black mush

they can and once were used as an ink for writing

Get the frying pan out

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I use to do a lot of foraging for fungi's

that was until the police caught up with me :(

Is that the Pope Stuart?

;-)

Since when has "foraging for wild mushrooms" been a crime?

..and what sort of a sentence can you expect for it if found guilty?

You're more at risk from poisoning yourself than being arrested for possesion of mushrooms.

Hang on a minute, - they weren't "funny mushrooms" were they Steve?

You know, "magic mushrooms" or fly agarics or something like that? :o

I think it's the wrong sort of hat for the pope.

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Walked along Ringinglow Road a couple of times this week, and saw this lonely little group opposite the gate to Castle Dyke

But what a difference a day makes! This was on Wednesday,

And this was exactly a day later

I think they're Shaggy Inkcaps, anyone know?

Great photographs Bayleaf.

Isn't it amazing how fast they appear (and disappear again) at this time of year.

The ones in your picture are in good condition, - what my dad would have called "a fag card specimen"

(a reference to the days when cigarettes contained collectable cards of butterflies, flowers, fungi,insects, birds, wildlife etc. showing them all at their very best)

In fact those in the last picture only seem to be missing a grumpy looking little garden gnome sat on top of them holding a fishing rod. lol

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Since when has "foraging for wild mushrooms" been a crime?

..and what sort of a sentence can you expect for it if found guilty?

You're more at risk from poisoning yourself than being arrested for possesion of mushrooms.

Hang on a minute, - they weren't "funny mushrooms" were they Steve?

You know, "magic mushrooms" or fly agarics or something like that? :o

I think it's the wrong sort of hat for the pope.

I was only a joke dave lol

I got my interest in mycology from an elderly Polish friend

who came over to this country before the war,

he has since passed over and his wife

very kindly gave me his books to add to my collection.

Inside one of his books I came across this old newspaper cutting that he

had saved,

seems a coincidence that it's about what you have mentioned.

My books on the subject.

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I was only a joke dave lol

I got my interest in mycology from an elderly Polish friend

who came over to this country before the war,

he has since passed over and his wife

very kindly gave me his books to add to my collection.

Inside one of his books I came across this old newspaper cutting that he

had saved,

seems a coincidence that it's about what you have mentioned.

My books on the subject.

Sheffield History now has a Mushroom Expert, another 1st for a history website :)

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I was only a joke dave lol

I got my interest in mycology from an elderly Polish friend

who came over to this country before the war,

he has since passed over and his wife

very kindly gave me his books to add to my collection.

Inside one of his books I came across this old newspaper cutting that he

had saved,

seems a coincidence that it's about what you have mentioned.

My books on the subject.

You certainly know your mushrooms then Steve.

One of the problems of working with easily influenced and led astray teenagers is the constant vigilance for signs of drug abuse, so I was well aware of "magic mushrooms" and the problems associated with them. Unfortunately they seem to be a very common and prolific mushroom around this region so armed with just a little bit of potentially dangerous knowledge they are easy to find, aquire and abuse, which of course makes them all the more dangerous.

Must admit that we do like cultivated mushrooms, occasionally the odd exotic one like an oyster or shitake in an oriental meal but even common mushrooms we eat in fair quantities. I think they are actually quite a healthy thing to eat, although I have been given funny looks and comments when I sometimes eat mushrooms (washed and peeled of course) RAW, with a salad or in a sandwich.

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