Haywards Heath u3a Eco-friendly Living Group meeting 8 April 2024

The meeting was open to ten persons including six guests, primarily to visit the garden to view the plants and insects. The garden is on a contour line from which natural springs emerge elsewhere around the village. Although no springs occur in the garden, marsh thistles and Southern Marsh orchids are thriving, confirming damp conditions. Other orchid species rosettes were seen; Common Twayblades, Common-spotted orchids and a solitary Fragrant orchid.

During the tour a Green-veined White butterfly was seen which can be found in gardens favouring damp areas. A range of wild crucifers are eaten by the caterpillars including, Garlic Mustard (Alliaria petiolata) and Cuckooflower (Cardamine pratensis), both well established in this garden. A leading article was presented to the meeting from a veterinary journal highlighting the ecological damage from flea “treatments”, i.e. poisons.

This is also addressed by a Buglife report on flea poisons. And it was a concern in the Parliamentary Westminster Hall committee meeting at https://parliamentlive.tv/event/index/4abdd3b2-2ebc-4059-b498-798f00f4a1f1 when for the fourth year an emergency derogation allows the use of neonicotinoid treated sugar beet seeds contrary to all expert advice. If you are pressed for time start viewing from 15 minutes into the discussion.

Haywards Heath u3a Eco-friendly group meeting

 

Hairy-footed flower bee male

Haywards Heath eco-friendly living meeting

Notes for Monday 8^th April 2024; Wildlife gardening

At our u3a eco-friendly living meeting prior study ensures a more productive meeting of minds on the day. 

At https://www.rhs.org.uk/wildlife is a wonderful analysis, which does not need repeating at our meeting.  The meeting agenda will be an introduction of eleven minutes (please ensure I set a timer!); twelve minutes of open discussion and then the garden tour after which you can decide how the garden matches an ideal wildlife garden.  If you would like to take away some plants, e.g. ox-eye daisies please bring some bags and we can dig some up.  Some “weeds” will be left for you in my vegetable beds.

The tour will start with early flowering plants, Daphne bholua which is fabulous for hibernating bumblebee queens, butterflies and other insects e.g. Hairy-footed flower bee. For your information (and for my check list) we will hopefully see many of the species below and some that benefit from them.  The links give detailed info’, and many photos from my garden like this one.

Wildlife	Creatures supported
Winter jasmine
Ramsons	Tawney mining bee
Mint	Mint moth
Thyme
Forget me not	Bee fly  Check this link!
Primula	,,
Amelanchia Canadensis	Food for numerous birds
Osmanthus burkwoodii	Planted for the scent.
Vibernum	,,
Styrax japonicus	Bumblebees and jumping spider
Azelia	A Rhododendron.
Lavender	Goldfinches and bees
Red campion
Shamrock
Devil’s bit scabious	All bees
Snakes head Fritillary	Bumblebees
Lady’ smock, Cuckoo flower	Orange tip butterfly Pls see link
Garlic mustard	https://sussexrambler.blogspot.com/search?q=orange+tip
Ground ivy	Please see this link
Ivy	Holly Blue butterfly and lots more
Wild strawberry	Pigeon, mammals, slugs etc.
Barren strawberry	insects
Foxgloves	Bumblebees
Violets	Insects and Bullfinches
Rosemary	All bees
Buddleia	Butterflies, bees
Cuckoo and other bees	Please see https://sussexrambler.blogspot.com/search?q=bees+my+garden
Brambles
Fox cubs and mum Cute cubs in the link	https://sussexrambler.blogspot.com/search?q=fox  Check this link
Badger
Native orchids	Common-spotted; Common twayblade; Southern marsh; Fragrant.
Cornflowers	Bees and Goldfinches
Yellow rattle	Bees
Scabious
Ragwort
Honeysuckle
Enchanters nightshade & Willowherb	Elephant Hawk moth
Spiders	Numerous species

Finally, a few more pictures at http://www.peterlovetttalks.co.uk/page19.html

Guests are usually welcomed at our meetings. This one is fully subscribed though.

Many more u3a special interest group details can be seen at https://www.haywardsheathu3a.org.uk/

u3a Fungus stroll 14 October 2023

It is amazing just how many specimens one misses if alone.  However, with ten pairs of eyes many more species are found.  And this was the case on Saturday 14^th October with Haywards Heath u3a Nature walks group.  Especially observant was Deborah for finding fungi that I had missed.  Hilary’s knowledge and enthusiasm was also a great asset.  She differentiated a desiccated cow pat from a dried bracket fungus by the sniff test:  it was a bracket!  Many links are included in this report should you wish to discover more about these vital organisms.

All fungi can be eaten once.  Do NOT assume that any of my suggested identifications are correct!

The churchyard was disappointing.  The Russula fungi we found last year under the solitary pine were not evident.  However, we did marvel at the lichen growing on the gravestones and on a wooden bench.  See also https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/blog/2019/04/what-is-lichen-seven-types-of-lichen-found-on-trees/

A very old oak had an Artist’s Bracket fungus in the medieval meadows.  A peculiarity of this fungus is its use as a drawing medium for artists.  When the fresh white pore surface is scratched, dark brown tissue under the pores is revealed.  The shading becomes permanent once the fungus is dried. This is what gives Ganoderma applanatum its common name.  With a marlin spike, I engraved a letter G in it to prove the point.

The wax caps we hoped to find were elusive.

The woodland was more rewarding with Amethys deceiver  among the leaf litter, which is similar in appearance to the poisonous Lilac fibre cap.

A beautiful Porcelain fungus was found on a fallen dead beech branch.  This fungus led to the creation of a safe and effective group of agricultural fungicides called 'the strobilurins', which have improved yields of wheat and fruit crops by protecting them from powdery mildew attacks.  Ref. https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/fungi-and-lichens/porcelain-fungus/

Fungi are often host specific.  A birch grove sported Fly agaric and round or hoof-shaped Birch polypore mushrooms.

Panther cap fungi are uncommon.  These were the first I had seen in this wood.  Ref: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/48418-Amanita-pantherina

The turkey tail fungi grow throughout the year on trees and dead wood.

We saw a solitary Bolete, which was surprising and intriguing crust fungi.

Deborah spotted a puff ball as we left the wood.

My thanks to Ruth, Hilary, Gloria, Geraldine, Anne, Penny, Stella, Deborah and Sue for making this walk such a joy.  I’m  sorry to those who were turned away.  It is however impractical to have more than ten on such walks.

Is it a fungus or a dried out cow pat?  Only one way to find out!  Sniff, sniff... A fungus declares Hilary!