Sylvia Davidson

@sylviad

Wanderer through the Sussex countryside by foot, bus and train. Bit of an obsession with lichens

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Sylvia Davidson@sylviad· 11d

Due to a neighbour disturbing Ivy on our wall and trellis this grumpy baby Robin is now bouncing around our tiny back yard being fed by its parents. It's nowhere near flying but it is completely fearless and can bounce very fast, including into our kitchen - door now barricaded.

Sylvia Davidson@sylviad· 12d

Wild Carrot and Wild Parsnip are incredibly drought tolerant - Stanmer Park, Brighton #WildflowerHour

The photo shows numerous Wild Carrot and Wild Parsnip flowers in shades of cream and yellow.

Sylvia Davidson@sylviad· Jul 7

Early evening on the South Downs, Sussex

A view through grass and seed heads on the South Downs

Sylvia Davidson@sylviad· Jul 5

Never cease to be impressed by how Sea Lavender survives growing out of sun-baked, wind-blasted, and salt-burnt chalk cliffs - Saltdean, Sussex

Sylvia Davidson@sylviad· Jul 5

This Little Egret had quite a fight with its breakfast this morning, but it went down eventually - Ovingdean beach, Sussex

A Little Egret (white plumage, black legs, yellow feet and the size of a Heron) wrestles with a large fish in its bill. The bird stands on smooth white rocks next to a rock pool.

A Little Egret (white plumage, black legs, yellow feet and the size of a Heron) wrestles with a large fish in its bill. The bird stands on green and brown seaweed.

Sylvia Davidson@sylviad· May 30

Very exotic-looking pavement plant - a Tradescantia I think

A white flower with purple centre and yellow anthers. Possibly a tradescantia growing between wall and pavement.

Sylvia Davidson@sylviad· Apr 7

Lichens growing on flint #lichens

The lichen Diplotomma alboatrum, showing the fungal hyphae at the outside edge and black fruit (apothecia) in the centre

The lichen Dirina massiliensis with what look like growth rings around a centre that is producing soredia.

The lichen Ingaderia vandenboomii showing the fungal hyphae growing out around the edge and the middle dominated by fluffy soredia.

Sylvia Davidson@sylviad· Apr 7

Small lovelies met whilst looking at lichen in a churchyard today

A species of mining bee, with a very orange furry thorax, sitting on a lichen-covered gravestone

Sylvia Davidson@sylviad· Mar 14

Patterns of lichen in a churchyard - Verrucaria viridula and Lepra amara #lichens

The crustose lichen Verrucaria viridula which consists of black fruiting bodies that look like volcanoes set within a beige cracked thallus

The crustose lichen Lepra amara which produces white fluffy soredia, that have formed circles within circles

Sylvia Davidson@sylviad· Mar 8

Two highlights from a churchyard survey today - fertile Physcia clementei on Cherry tree branches (2 photos) and fertile Caloplaca chlorina on granite #lichens

The grey foliose lichen Physcia clementei showing the lobes and the dense, rounded isidia forming.

The lichen Physcia clementei with round apothecia with brown discs and white margins. The apothecia are on a grey thallus with rounded isidia.

The round apothecia of Caloplaca chlorina with yellow discs and grey/cream margins. The discs sit on a grey granular thallus.

Sylvia Davidson@sylviad· Feb 28

A good day to check on the Goldeneyes lichen - Teloschistes chrysophthalmos - on Devils Dyke on the South Downs above Brighton - lots found - from a tiny one with a single 'eye', ones with no 'eyes' to lots of 'eyes'. #lichen #lichenGBI @friendssouthdowns.bsky.social @nationaltrust.org.uk

A tiny example of the Goldeneyes lichen or Teloschistes chrysophthalmus, about 5mm across with only one fruit or apothecia. The fruit is circular, golden orange and surrounded by cilia that look like eyelashes, which is where it gets its common name. The lichen was found on Hawthorn on Devils Dyke, part of the South Downs, in Sussex.

An example of the Goldeneyes lichen or Teloschistes chrysophthalmus, about 1cm across with no fruit (apothecia.) The lichen was found on Hawthorn on Devils Dyke, part of the South Downs, in Sussex.

A larger example of the Goldeneyes lichen or Teloschistes chrysophthalmus, about 2cm across with lots of fruit or apothecia. The fruit is circular, golden orange and surrounded by cilia that look like eyelashes, which is where it gets its common name. The lichen was found on Hawthorn on Devils Dyke, part of the South Downs, in Sussex.

Sylvia Davidson@sylviad· Feb 26

The lichenologists among us know what's going on

Sylvia Davidson@sylviad· Feb 26

Just one more - which is of course absolutely true as I heard it from a guy in a pub

Sylvia Davidson@sylviad· Feb 26

And finally - perhaps the best

Sylvia Davidson@sylviad· Feb 26

And another one - which is also very true

Sylvia Davidson@sylviad· Feb 26

The Allister Heath headline generator is great fun and it’s got it so right stirring-fox-7e1fab.netlify.app

Sylvia Davidson@sylviad· Feb 12

I've seen a lot of Parmotrema perlatum lichen, but today was the first time I've seen it fertile - lovely chocolate brown apothecia #lichens

The light green-coloured foliose lichen, Parmotrema perlatum, with fruit or apothecia that are like cups containing chocolate

Sylvia Davidson@sylviad· Dec 29

The lichen Placynthium nigrum, the best I've ever seen. Found on limestone, both worked and natural. The blue colour is where the fungal hyphae have grown out without alga, making this an easy ID #lichen #lichenGBI

A crust of the black lichen Placynthium nigrum upon which are many black fruits or apothecia. It is surrounded by a blue edge, where the fungi has grown out without the alga present in the rest of the lichen. A lichen of limestone, both worked and natural.

Sylvia Davidson@sylviad· Dec 6

The apothecia of Flavoparmelia caperata releasing its spores, but if you look closely there are tiny lichens of another species that have 'germinated' in the apothecia and begun to grow. First time I've ever seen this #lichen

Sylvia Davidson@sylviad· Nov 14

A mosaic of lichen on a Sussex fencepost #lichens #lichenGBI

The photo shows a wooden fencepost covered by several different species of lichen all growing in a mosaic formation. The different coloured dots are the lichen's fruit. The one with black dots is Lecidella elaeochroma, the one with creamy/brown dots is Lecanora hybocarpa. In between is a green one with no dots called Lecanora compallens. At the top is a ridged green lichen called Diplocia canescens and off to the right and near the bottom are shrubby young Ramalina lichen.

Sylvia Davidson@sylviad· Nov 3

They are very well preserved and lovely, but was there a cool Virgin Mary on a skateboard. Seen recently in Coombes church, Sussex

Sylvia Davidson@sylviad· Oct 12

In a small Sussex woodland next to an industrial estate grows Phlyctis agelaea on Ash. It's an unassuming lichen with fruit lurking under a layer of white pruina, but just look at those spores - the loveliest I've ever seen. Also a rare sight for Sussex, but probably over-looked #lichenGBI #lichens

The spores of the lichen of Phlyctis agelaea at x400 magnification in KOH. They are muriform, with numerous lateral and vertical septa, and are around 80 micrometers long, with a distinctive point at each end. They have been described as 'pea-pod' shaped.

A spores of the lichen of Phlyctis agelaea at x1000 magnification in KOH. They are muriform, with numerous lateral and vertical septa, and are around 80 micrometers long, with a distinctive point at each end. They have been described as 'pea-pod' shaped.

The lichen Phlyctis agelaea with round fruit or apothecia hidden under a thick layer of pruina or white crystalline powder. The apothecia are set on a light green thallus, the main body of the lichen.

Sylvia Davidson@sylviad· Sep 26

Couple of highlights from a churchyard survey of lichens today - Dermatocarpon miniatum forming rosettes on a limestone tomb and the form of Lecidella elaeochroma with soredia, which show as very bright yellow under UV #lichenGBI #lichens

Sylvia Davidson@sylviad· Sep 21

Today's Sussex sky was full of hundreds of House Martins feeding up for the journey ahead #birds

Sylvia Davidson@sylviad· Sep 21

A few lovelies from Friston Forest, Sussex, today - Tan Ear, Crested Coral, Porcelain fungus, and last, but definitely not least, the beautiful Saffrondrop Bonnet #FungiFriends #fungi

The Tan Ear fungus that looks like a scroll of brown paper. The outside is cream and the inside is much darker brown. The fungi is set among twigs and brown leaves

Crested Coral fungus that consists of numerous white/cream stems rising from dead leaves of the wood floor. The ends of the fungus are split giving them a feathery look.

Porcelain fungus sprouting from a rotten log. Four white shiny fungi have cream stems. The tops of the fungi look almost wet due to mucus on them.

Saffrondrop Bonnet with a delicate narrow orange stem and a yellow/orange cap. The fungus is growing from the wood floor of twigs and dead leaves.

Sylvia Davidson@sylviad· Sep 21

A huddle of gossiping Bonnet fungi in the forest - Friston Forest, Sussex #FungiFriends #fungi

A photo looking upwards underneath Bonnet fungi with grey stems and cream tops. The stems are attached to the wood with numerous hyphae that look like cream fluff.

Sylvia Davidson@sylviad· Sep 6

Three cheeky chickens were amusing company on the survey of churchyard lichen yesterday- they’re not very good at ID, but did try to eat my copy of Dobson’s Lichens of Britain & Ireland. Also you just can’t help but chat to chickens. #lichens

Three chickens pecking around a gravestone surrounded by grass

Chicken pecking at a copy of Dobson’s Lichens of Britain and Ireland

Chicken standing on the book Dobson’s Lichens of Britain and Ireland

Sylvia Davidson@sylviad· Sep 1

Nice find this weekend, the lichen Pertusaria coccodes not in its usual position on a tree but on siliceous stone in a churchyard. It has distinctive thick-finger projections or isidia with brown tips and it turns yellow to red (eventually - have patience) when tested with KOH #lichenGBI #lichen

A white circle of thallus on a siliceous gravestone of the lichen Pertusaria coccodes with patches of darker grey where the isidia (finger-like projections) are.

Close-up of the isidia (finger-like projections) on the lichen Pertusaria coccodes. They are numerous and white with brown tips.

Sylvia Davidson@sylviad· Aug 29

Colour in the Sussex woods today - lots of these Beefsteak fungi (Fistulina hepatica) on dead Oak - such an odd spongy and bouncy texture to them - and a bolete living under the Oak #FungiFriday #fungi #FungiFriends

A bright red wet semi-circular fungus growing out of wood, pictured with green leaves behind.

A fungi with a white stalk and an orange cap sitting in dead leaves

Sylvia Davidson@sylviad· Aug 29

Looking very liquorice-like - a massive swarm of the fungi Black Bulgar (Bulgaria inquinans) on fallen logs today - Sussex #FungiFriday #fungifriends #fungi