Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

James Emerson

@norwichbirder.bsky.social

1.4K followers 740 following 1K posts

Naturalist living in Norfolk (UK) - particularly interested in birds, fungi, psyllids and shieldbugs (also real ale, Forteana etc) Local patch = Whitlingham C.P. and the wider Norwich area. Sporadically updated blog: http://jamesbirdsandbeer.blogspot.com/

jamesbirdsandbeer.blogspot.com

Posts Media Videos Starter Packs

Pinned

James Emerson @norwichbirder.bsky.social · Jan 16

I've just finished putting together my local patch bird report, covering species seen at Whitlingham & Thorpe Marshes (Norwich) during 2024. It can be downloaded here: drive.google.com/file/d/13pLp... A big thank you to everyone who has reported sightings and allowed photos to be used in the report.

This is the front cover of a local bird report. The backgrouns is a pale purple, and in the centre is a landscape photo showing a flooded path with a bench on the foreground and a bare tree at the back. The text reads "The Birds of Whitlingham & Thorpe 2024" at the top and "Compiled by James Emerson" below the photo.

2 9 47

James Emerson @norwichbirder.bsky.social · 3h

Not particularly marshy, I’d say uncut meadow with lots of knapweed between a stately home garden and wood. There was J. erucifolia about 100m away.

Reposted by James Emerson

Sarah Lambert @sarahlambert7.bsky.social · 10h

Autumn mist, golden Bracken and graceful Silver Birch at Holme Fen NNR, the largest birch woodland in lowland England and one of the more surprising jewels of the fens. Amazing fungi too including Fly Agaric, Yellow Swamp Brittlegill and Crimped Gill.

🍄📷 #mushroommonday @greatfen.org.uk

A misty scene of graceful Silver Birch trees with golden-hued Bracken in the foreground

A Fly Agaric Amanita muscaria fungus growing in a mossy birch woodland

Yellow Swamp Brittlegill Russula claroflava

A fallen birch log with a huddle of Crimped Gill Plicaturopsis crispa, and moss and leaves in the foreground

6 49

James Emerson @norwichbirder.bsky.social · 19h

Late for #WildFlowerHour, but I'd appreciate thoughts on this Ragwort sp. from Norfolk today. Some of the leaves were undivided, which threw me a bit. #WildFlowerID

Two composite flowers with bright yellow centres and paler yellow petals. There are also lots of brown 'gone over' flowerheads and some out of focus green foliage.

A picture of a section of stem showing various green leaves, some with smooth edges and some slightly oak-like.

A picture of the ground showing various divided green leaves. A walking boot and part of a leg is visible in the top right of the picture.

1 5

James Emerson @norwichbirder.bsky.social · 19h

More checking of willow trees today, this time at Tacolneston in south Norfolk. No aphids this time, but two species of sawfly larva found. The leaf-mining one is Heterarthrus microcephalus. I think the one that is yellow both ends is Euura salicis, but need to get a second opinion on that.

A long willow leaf with a large brownish leaf mine in the centre. The leaf has been held up to the light and a larva is visible near the bottom.

A close up of the section of leaf mine containing the larva, allowing the small dark mark behind the head to be seen.

A caterpillar-like sawfly larva on a green willow leaf. The larva has a black head and yellow areas at both ends, with the middle section green. It has several rows of black spots running the length of the body.

James Emerson @norwichbirder.bsky.social · 21h

It didn't take long on todays fungus foray to realise that we were being watched...

A countryside scene with rushes in the foreground and trees to the right and in the background. In the centre, four cows have lined up staring straight ahead.

1 1 10

Reposted by James Emerson

John Fielding Aerial Images @john-fielding.bsky.social · 1d

Date for your diary. Please come up and say hello. It would be lovely to meet people I know from BlueSky.
Earlham Library, Colman Road, Norwich, NR4 7HG. (It’s free!)

4 7

Reposted by James Emerson

Lukas Large @lukaslarge.bsky.social · 2d

Nice to spot these Slate Boletes - Leccinum duriusculum on a foray at Park Lime Pits, Walsall with @froglife.bsky.social

3 30

James Emerson @norwichbirder.bsky.social · 1d

I've only seen it once before, at Train Wood roughly level with Wensum Park about five years ago. Even today, I checked a lot of willows, but only found it on one tree (Tuberolachnus salignus was on at least six).

1 2

James Emerson @norwichbirder.bsky.social · 1d

Something else found on willows at Whitlingham today was this Marbled Orb-weaver, Araneus marmoreus var. pyramidatus (srs.britishspiders.org.uk/portal.php/p...). Very noticeable against green leaves, but you can see how it might blend in once the leaves start to yellow in autumn.

A spider with a round yellow abdomen with a brown area near the back. The legs are banded dark brown and white. It is resting on the underside of some willow leaves, with a yellowed willow leaf to the left of the picture.

2 10 62

Reposted by James Emerson

Rob Yaxley @robyaxley.bsky.social · 1d

From Marsham Heath yesterday, this looks to be Absconditella delutula, a tiny lichen that was found on a piece of dead wood. The spores are divided (1-septate) and the disc is pale and waxy-looking. First county record!

1 4 38

James Emerson @norwichbirder.bsky.social · 1d

The other willow stem aphid that I found at Whitlingham today was Large Waxy Willow Aphid Plocamaphis flocculosa (influentialpoints.com/Gallery/Ploc...). When packed together in a group they are tricky to see, particularly the young ones that don't have strong spotting. Single adults stand out more.

A Willow stem covered in waxy aphids, appearing as a single waxy mass.

A close up of a section of the stem from the first photo showing a mass of waxy aphids.

A green willow stem with a waxy aphid climbing up. Two rows of black spots are visible on its back.

1 3 17

James Emerson @norwichbirder.bsky.social · 1d

Whilst carrying out my WeBS count at Whitlingham today, I spot-checked lots of willows, hoping to find one of the Chaitophorus aphids that I've not seen yet. The most numerous aphid found were these ones, Giant Willow Aphid, Tuberolachnus salignus influentialpoints.com/Gallery/Tube...

A large winged aphid resting on a thin green willow stem. The aphidis pale grey, spotted with black.

Aphids on a green willow stem. In the centre is a large grey aphid with black spotting. To the rightare lots of small reddish-brown nymphs.

A cluster of black-spotted, grey aphids along a yellowy-green stem.

1 2 23

Reposted by James Emerson

Norfolk & Norwich Naturalists' Society @norfolknats.bsky.social · 2d

A reminder that Norfolk county gall recorder Anne Hickley is leading an NNNS walk looking at plant galls at Thompson Common tomorrow (Sunday 25th October 2025). Free, all welcome. For meeting details see norfolknaturalists.org.uk/wp/events-pa...

Two oak galls, made up of pale green twisted rods emendation from a central base. Darker green Oak leaves are behind them.

7 13

Reposted by James Emerson

BSBI Botany @bsbibotany.bsky.social · 3d

Are you, like @nicolaann85.bsky.social, looking at Mulleins & wishing you had some #WildflowerID help?
Ideally a great webinar from somebody like @anaturalistabroad.bsky.social, who really knows his Mulleins? With an intro by @sjthomasbotany.bsky.social?
Here you go:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=zjaG...

2 21

Reposted by James Emerson

BSBI Botany @bsbibotany.bsky.social · 3d

Want to up your #WildFlowerID game this winter?
We just launched our Winter Webinar programme!
7-8pm, every Tuesday from 4 Nov - 10 Feb.
Thanks to funding from @daera-ni.gov.uk, these 10 great plant ID webinars are FREE for all of you to attend!
Programme & booking links: bsbi.org/botanical-sk...

26 78

Reposted by James Emerson

Fortean Times @forteantimes.bsky.social · 3d

Saturday 18 Oct, 6.30pm: The Woodwoses and Wildmen of Suffolk. FT regular Matt Salusbury investigates Suffolk's wildmen in an online event. Please email [email protected] and get your free ticket at on our Eventbrite page!
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-woodwo...

The Woodwoses and Wildmen of Suffolk

An online talk by Matt Salusbury onSuffolk's strange woodwose figures.

www.eventbrite.co.uk

7 14

Reposted by James Emerson

@s4r4h-l @s4r4h-l.bsky.social · 3d

#FungiFriday from yesterday, black bulgar, young honey fungus, a corker of a redlead roundhead, turkey tail, dead mens fingers, gorgeous grey milk cap, the Sickener, shaggy inkcaps,wood ear and snowy waxcaps. #mushrooms #fungi #Lancashire #vitaminN

Top row; black bulgar, young honey fungus, 2nd row; a corker of a redlead roundhead, turkey tail, dead mens fingers,
3rd row gorgeous grey milk cap showing the milk drops on the gills,
Bottom row ; the Sickener, shaggy inkcaps,wood ear and snowy waxcaps.

3 3 58

Reposted by James Emerson

Jeremy Bartlett @jeremybartlett.bsky.social · 3d

Penny Bun, Boletus edulis.

In woods near Reepham, Norfolk, today, visited on today's bike ride.

Boletus edulis, Cep, Penny Bun Bolete mushroom share.google/Anbg2ckhpJbf...

1 5 49

Reposted by James Emerson

Lizzie Harper Illustrator @lizzie-harper.bsky.social · 4d

Had a excellent weekend painting a #botanicalillustration of a penny bun #boletus edulis #Fungi & a Rosy button one, and chatting to Fungitown visitors in Hay. My mate filmed me at work in a borrowed (appropriately themed) shirt. #sciart

1 5 40

Reposted by James Emerson

Jeremy Bartlett @jeremybartlett.bsky.social · 4d

The beautifully shaggy Echinoderma calcicola.

Found in a damp woodland on rich calcareous soil in West Norfolk.

First Norfolk record since 1920.

Had a slightly fruity smell. White spores.

I'm drying a fruitbody for verification by our group's DNA team.

#Fungi #FungiFriends

Echinoderma calcicola - cheilocystidia stained in Congo red, x1000.

Echinoderma calcicola. Spores, stained with Meltzer's reagent, x1000.

3 1 19

Reposted by James Emerson

Sarah Lambert @sarahlambert7.bsky.social · 4d

Midweek grassland #fungi treat at @wildlifebcn.org Old Sulehay NR - Limestone Waxcap, Mousepee Pinkgill, Persistent Waxcap and Blackening Waxcap. So many in Stonepit Close (a former limestone quarry) this year, especially Persistent Waxcap...

#fungifriends

Three red Limestone Waxcaps snuggled on a mossy bed

The charismatic Mousepee Pinkgill (with a Persistent Waxcap in the background)

Young Blackening Waxcap emerging from a carpet of Bendy Ditrichum Flexitrichum flexicaule

2 4 57

James Emerson @norwichbirder.bsky.social · 4d

Treated here as synonyms - Index Fungorum lists Pluteus chrysophaeus as the ‘current’ name www.speciesfungorum.org/GSD/GSDspeci... but see also the discussion here www.inaturalist.org/posts/87000-...

Species Fungorum - GSD Species

www.speciesfungorum.org

1 1

Reposted by James Emerson

Ken T @velociraptor500.bsky.social · 4d

A few more fungi found at Felbrigg NT at the weekend.

5 63

Reposted by James Emerson

Rebecca Wheeler @botanybeck.bsky.social · 4d

Not seen this one before #FungiFriends, think it’s Green Brittlegill, Russula aeruginia, found beneath Silver Birch. Caps of the mature specimens were very green, younger ones were paler. Stipe chalk white & tapering at base, gills white & crowded. Such a pretty mushroom 💚
#FungiFriday

Photos of green-capped mushrooms beneath Silver Birch trees. I’ve not seen a Brittlegill with a green cap before! The young specimens were pale minty green deepening to a darker moss/olive green in the more mature examples.

2 4 54