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Sheffields Flora and Fauna


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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.

Or just on their own.

Nothing wrong with that Dave. I'm with you.

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Steve HB

There's a Fungi display/information center (don't know what you'd call it really) at Clumber Park.

I think they have an organised walk when the season is right.

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Or just on their own.

Nothing wrong with that Dave. I'm with you.

================

Steve HB

There's a Fungi display/information center (don't know what you'd call it really) at Clumber Park.

I think they have an organised walk when the season is right.

If you go on a trip around a brewery there is usually a "tasting seesion" (i.e. a booze up) after the tour.

Do they do a similar sort of thing at the fungi centre, a "mushroom tasting" of different types :rolleyes:

SteveHB may well correct me on this but I understand that most varieties of local wild mushrooms, while not exactly poisonous taste very unpleasant and are likely to make you feel sick or ill if consumed in sufficient quantity.

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Saturday was a glorious sunny day, and the garden was full of visitors!

The Red Admiral refused to open its wings, despite me hanging around for ages!

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Saturday was a glorious sunny day, and the garden was full of visitors!

The Red Admiral refused to open its wings, despite me hanging around for ages!

Another set of magnificent photos Bayleaf, - even if one of the butterflies wouldn't "pose" for you.

Who would have thought that you could pictures of butterflies in the wild in Sheffield at the end of September?

It must be very mild for early Autumn this year.

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Sorby Natural History Society

Founded 1918; apologies if posted before.

http://www.sorby.org.uk/

I once had a mention in one of their publications a long time ago,

will have have to dig the letter out they sent me.

My discovery was so unusual it also made front page on The Star, I have the cutting if I can find that.

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Steve HB

There's a Fungi display/information center (don't know what you'd call it really) at Clumber Park.

I think they have an organised walk when the season is right.

Thanks vox but Clumber is a bit out of my way,

there's a more local walk-about on Sunday 11th October at 12.30pm in

SHEFFIELD GENERAL CEMETERY,

a link to ... events list

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Thanks vox but Clumber is a bit out of my way,

there's a more local walk-about on Sunday 11th October at 12.30pm in

SHEFFIELD GENERAL CEMETERY,

a link to ... events list

There's also a walk "Finding Fungi in Trippet Wood", meet at the Rustlings Road entrance to Bingham Park Saturday 3rd October 10.30am. organised by Friends of the Porter Valley

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Another set of magnificent photos Bayleaf, - even if one of the butterflies wouldn't "pose" for you.

Who would have thought that you could pictures of butterflies in the wild in Sheffield at the end of September?

It must be very mild for early Autumn this year.

Yes its nice to see them this late in the season.

This one was in my mates garden by the river sheaf.

(Think its called a peacock)

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Is it mushroom/funghi season at the moment?

Yes it usually is the time for them about now but around our way they have already been and gone for this year having come out in late August.

Must be something to do with the weather.

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I once had a mention in one of their publications a long time ago,

will have have to dig the letter out they sent me.

My discovery was so unusual it also made front page on The Star, I have the cutting if I can find that.

Not found the the cutting or letter yet but came across this ..

THE 'AMAZONIAN FRESHWATER JELLYFISH'

(Craspedacusta sowerbii Lankester 1880)

On 14th August 1992, five specimens were noted in the Sheffield Canal Basin (SK/361877) by Stephen B******

and were identified by staff at Sheffield Museum,

Jellyfish were again seen during the

summer of 2001 in the canal basin at Victoria Quays.

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Not found the the cutting or letter yet but came across this ..

THE 'AMAZONIAN FRESHWATER JELLYFISH'

(Craspedacusta sowerbii Lankester 1880)

On 14th August 1992, five specimens were noted in the Sheffield Canal Basin (SK/361877) by Stephen B******

and were identified by staff at Sheffield Museum,

Jellyfish were again seen during the

summer of 2001 in the canal basin at Victoria Quays.

Those jellyfish have come a long way from the Amazon to the canal basin in Sheffield. Obviously they came here for a holiday.

By the way Steve, -your surname appears to be a very rude word as someone has "censored" it out. lol

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With an estimated total of over two million trees, Sheffield has more trees per person than any other city in Europe. It has over 170 woodlands (covering 10.91 sq mi/28.3 km2), 78 public parks (covering 7.07 sq mi/18.3 km2) and 10 public gardens. Added to the 52.0 square miles (134.7 km2) of national park and 4.20 square miles (10.9 km2) of water this means that 61% of the city is greenspace.

Roughly a third of Sheffield lies in the Peak District National Park (no other English city includes parts of a national park within its boundary), and Sheffield often boasts of being Europe's greenest city, a claim that was reinforced when it won the 2005 Entente Florale competition. This was helped by the fact that Sheffield contains over 150 woodland spaces and 50 public parks

SHEFFIELD is one of only four areas to receive national praise for its efforts to keep the air clean. (2007)

I have noticed there is still a lot of Japanese Knotweed on our riverbanks , does anyone know if anything is being done about it ?. Will it damage our own natural plants ?.

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I have noticed there is still a lot of Japanese Knotweed on our riverbanks , does anyone know if anything is being done about it ?. Will it damage our own natural plants ?.

Japanese knotweed is a very invasive plant and requires constant cutting back and pulling out to prevent it growing very large and completely taking over. it will stiffle other plants as due to its rapid growth and achievable height it will starve other plants of both water and sunlight.

As I understand it the plant was originally brought back from the far east (Japan) in Victorian times as an exotic house plant which, like the ubiquitous Victorian aspidestra was hardy enough to flourish in dimly lit Victorian homes.

However, once in the wild it grows rampantly, quickly taking over large areas. In its native Japan and far east it is kept in check to some extent by insect larva which feed on its leaves but these insects are not native to Europe so the plant has nothing that feeds on it and it grows rapidly.

I am sure I have seen a film about some areas, a church yard in South Wales comes to mind, where this pernicious weed has already taken over.

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I have noticed there is still a lot of Japanese Knotweed on our riverbanks , does anyone know if anything is being done about it ?. Will it damage our own natural plants ?.

It would appear to be a very difficult weed to eradicate.

Use of "the right herbicide" currently seems to be the best solution

Japanese Knotweed

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Another imposter that is taking over the banks of the Don,

and other rivers in our region

is the Himalayan Balsam

There used to be loads of it down by the canal, but they keep having a regular clearout these days.

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Yes it usually is the time for them about now but around our way they have already been and gone for this year having come out in late August.

Must be something to do with the weather.

Having made this comment previously about fungi appearing early this year (August) and that none was apparent around our garden in the usual season (September / October) over the rather wet weekend we have just had (its now late october) these fungi have just "appeared" in one of our garden planters.

Not seen these in previous years, they are only in 1 of 5 planters, don't know what they are or if they are edible but I know a man who does

(Over to you SteveHB, our resident fungi (fun guy lol ) expert)

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Having made this comment previously about fungi appearing early this year (August) and that none was apparent around our garden in the usual season (September / October) over the rather wet weekend we have just had (its now late october) these fungi have just "appeared" in one of our garden planters.

Not seen these in previous years, they are only in 1 of 5 planters, don't know what they are or if they are edible but I know a man who does

(Over to you SteveHB, our resident fungi (fun guy lol ) expert)

Down the garden in one of the borders are these different variety of fungi which look more like cultivated mushrooms but smaller and some appear to have "split" across the top of the caps.

Again I'm not sure what these are either.

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I was wondering why the birds around our way seem to have deserted our well stocked bird table and dissapeared on their migration early this year.

I have just found out why.

Woken up by a thud against the bedroom window and a lot of fluttering.

Garden and drive covered in feathers, on more than one occasion recently

Out walking with the dog I found 2 dead collared doves which used to perch in the tree outside our house

Today I saw a hawk flying off with a dead bird it had killed.

Looks like we have got a hawk in the area and it is killing or frightening off all the other birds which we used to see in the garden and on the bird feeders.

Don't really know what I can do about it, - any ideas?

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I was wondering why the birds around our way seem to have deserted our well stocked bird table and dissapeared on their migration early this year.

I have just found out why.

Woken up by a thud against the bedroom window and a lot of fluttering.

Garden and drive covered in feathers, on more than one occasion recently

Out walking with the dog I found 2 dead collared doves which used to perch in the tree outside our house

Today I saw a hawk flying off with a dead bird it had killed.

Looks like we have got a hawk in the area and it is killing or frightening off all the other birds which we used to see in the garden and on the bird feeders.

Don't really know what I can do about it, - any ideas?

Shame to have to say it but all you can do is be glad that you're seeing the return of these predators, many of which have been on the decline for a long time now. The Balance of nature would indicate that, if they are returning, there must be enough of a prey population to be supporting them. Small compensation I know.

Personally I'd rather see them predated upon by hawks than *** cats.

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Shame to have to say it but all you can do is be glad that you're seeing the return of these predators, many of which have been on the decline for a long time now. The Balance of nature would indicate that, if they are returning, there must be enough of a prey population to be supporting them. Small compensation I know.

Personally I'd rather see them predated upon by hawks than *** cats.

Come to think of it vox, even the cats around here seem to have made themselves scarce recently. :unsure:

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Come to think of it vox, even the cats around here seem to have made themselves scarce recently. :unsure:

Well there's a bonus.

======

Are cats tasty? - I've just thought of a possible way of reducing the number that use my garden as a s***house.

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Come to think of it vox, even the cats around here seem to have made themselves scarce recently. :unsure:

You haven't accidently moved into an extinct volcano ... ?

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