Gardening Companion

I've been working hard at reducing the volume of hedge trimmings from our garden side of the footpath, and am delighted to have this little companion supervise my progress each time I return to tackle the problem. So trusting.

Cain River Bridges

 A fellow volunteer pointed out where dippers had nested under this bridge where a stone was missing towards the far right hand end of the stonework.

So peaceful and accessible

This bridge was a little on the rickety side, and we found some invasive Himalayan balsam growing here, so now I know how to identify it.

A gorgeous display of moss and mushroom!

Candlesnuff

We discovered some new mushrooms on our footpath last week - they're called candlesnuff or stag's horn fungi (Xylaria hypoxylon)

It has bioluminescent properties, the precise purpose of which is unknown! Wikipedia claims that 'All known luminescent species are white rot fungi capable of breaking down lignin, found in abundance in wood.' 

We ventured out during the darkness one evening to see if there was a way to experience the bioluminescence, but we didn't have any luck.

Signal Crayfish

The invasive American signal crayfish (Pacifastacus leniusculus) is known to inhabit the waters of the river Cain in Wales. On our recent field trip, we came across a few as we sampled different sites.

It's an aggressive species that also carries crayfish plague, to which the endangered native species has no immunity.