Helen Baker

This is a parasitic fungus, Gomphidius roseus, the Rosy Spike, a gilled boletale, which targets the Bovine Bolete, Suillus bovinus, an ectomycorhizal species with pines. #FungiFriday

A rotter, this is Bulgaria inquinans, the Black Bulgar or Black Jelly, which is common in broadleaf woodland but most often on fallen oak. It can produce a turquoise dye if processed carefully, but more often a lovely green. #FungiFriday

It's waxcap season - fungi of nutrient poor grasslands that tend to peak in late autumn. This is the Date Waxcap, Hygrocybe spadicea, from grassland within the Balmoral estate. It is a rare species and an indicator of high quality fungi (CHEGD) grassland. #FungiFriday

It's #FungiFriday and yesterday was world fungus day so here are a few recent finds. These are dinner-plate sized Scaly Tooth, Sarcodon squamosus, from the ancient Caledonian pinewoods of Ballochbuie in the Balmoral estate.

Many congratulations Julian - very well deserved 🎉

Photo from Kew Gardens of a wooden bridge among trees and plants in autumn colours. With the BMS logo and the words: Autumn Open Meeting 2025. Saturday 29th November, Lady Sainsbury Lecture Theatre, Royal Botanic Gardens Kew.

Join us on 29th November at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, for the BMS Autumn Open Meeting. Hosted by Prof Martin Bidartondo and Dr Carrie Andrew, the meeting features expert speakers covering a variety of mycological topics. Find out more here: www.britmycolsoc.org.uk/aom_2025.html

NEW JOB in #ornithology with @RSPBScience to oversee research in #Wales with #seabirds and #waders: buff.ly/qkTVU6m

EARLY VIEW in IBIS

Breeding and foraging habitat are important in determining foraging ranges of sympatric generalist species | onlinelibrary.wiley....

Chris B. Thaxter et al | #ornithology 🪶

Another massive movement of migratory birds underway tonight — nearly 1 Billion Birds! With the full moon, you might be able to see some silhouettes zipping by. You can make your own flow maps here (just hit record): aeroecolab.com/uslights

An Atlantic puffin at the colony.

New paper alert: Behavioral response of Atlantic Puffins Fratercula arctica to marine heatwaves in the Gulf of Maine, USA: A webcam study. By Julie Wallace et al.
#seabirds #OpenAccess #HeatWaves

www.marineornithology.org/PDF/53_2/53_...

Different migration strategies under warming ocean anomalies in penguins: a study of spatial, oceanographic, and isotopic niche segregation Journal of Ornithology - Many seabirds adjust migratory movements to interannual oceanic variability, tracking food resources, and potentially avoiding competition. This study examines the at-sea...

Different migration strategies under warming ocean anomalies in penguins: a study of spatial, oceanographic, and isotopic niche segregation | link.springer.com/ar... | Journal of Ornithology | #ornithology 🪶

Photo of Pooja Padmakumar, PhD student at Bangor University, with the text " BMS Talk - 15 October 2025, 19:30-21:00. What's lurking in Wales's waters?" www.britmycolsoc.co.uk

Fungi in our water?💧Next week, #PhD researcher Pooja Padmakumar explores how metagenomic sequencing reveals fungal pathogens in North Wales wastewater and what this means for outbreak detection. Register now: www.britmycolsoc.org.uk/bms-talks.html
#Mycology #Research #PublicHealth

Image of a deceased Puffin lying on the ground. White wording on an orange background reads: Please report sightings of dead birds.

⚠️ Please report sightings of dead birds for possible testing for Avian Influenza. ⬇️

📌 In England, Wales & Scotland: www.gov.uk/guidance/...
📌 In Northern Ireland: www.daera-ni.gov.uk/...
📌 In Republic of Ireland: aviancheck.apps.serv...

#UKBirding #BirdingWales #BirdingScotland

The cover of British Birds, November 2024, with a Glossy Ibis illustration

Our most recent report, Rare Breeding Birds in the UK in 2022, is now available open access on our website at tinyurl.com/2xf23keu
All reports dating back to 1973 can be found at rbbp.org.uk/annual-repor....
Our next report, for 2023, will be published in @britishbirds.bsky.social in November

A Harbour Porpoise breaches the water, its fin on show. In the background, another can just be seen in the blue water. Image credit to Sarah Canning

🌊New advice on the revised Effective Deterrence Ranges (EDRs) for noise management in Harbour Porpoise Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) published bit.ly/4nzwCia

A group of orange mushrooms growing in grass next to a dry-stone wall.

🍄🌱 Gardens can be fungal hotspots — if we let them! In this blog for #UKFungusDay, Jassy Drakulic @jassydrak.bsky.social at The RHS explores how garden practices can encourage (or suppress) fungi & why that matters for #SoilHealth & #Biodiversity. www.ukfungusday.co.uk/fungiingardens
#Gardening

New data products from SEAPOP SEAPOP has recently published new data products that provide information and overviews of three important parameters related to seabirds along the Norwegian coast and the adjacent marine areas: their…

SEAPOP launches new data products that show #seabird distribution, environmental value and vulnerability to offshore wind farms. Data can be downloaded free of charge in form of maps (raster or vector format) seapop.no/en/2025/08/n...

Poster for the BMS Talk: Using environmental DNA (eDNA) for fungal metabarcoding in soils by Ben Gregson, Anglia Ruskin University.

Next week: hear how environmental DNA (eDNA) can be used to detect & compare complex fungal communities in soils. BMS Talk by Ben Gregson, Anglia Ruskin University. Wednesday 17 September, 7:30pm online. Free to attend & open to all. Find out more & book: www.britmycolsoc.org.uk/bms-talks.html

Tristan skua (Stercorarius antarcticus hamiltoni). Photo by Noah Strycker.

Highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 reaches Gough Island, where it is associated with mortality in three Tristan skuas. This is worrying because Gough Island is an important breeding site for seabirds, including several species of global conservation concern.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

An unusual bolete that has pink pores and spores, the Bitter bolete, Tylopilus felleus

A commoner species, the Jellied bolete, Suillus flavidus

Pine bolete, Boletus pinophilus

A large, bearded milkcap, Lactarius repraesentaneus

A few northern birch and pinewood fungi from the Strathspey last week for #FungiFriday
Blue Tooth, Hydnellum caeruleum

Adding a stain is a good idea so will try that 😊 I centrifuge my samples for a minute at moderate speed to concentrate organics for pipetting.

This month, WaderTales will be ten years old.
I'm going to create a thread that highlights some of the research findings that have surprised me.
Plenty of "Wow!" & "I didn't know that!" moments.
Here's a link to the catalogue of 150 blogs
wadertales.wordpress.com/about/
#ornithology

Poster for the BMS Talk: Using environmental DNA (eDNA) for fungal metabarcoding in soils by Ben Gregson, Anglia Ruskin University.

BMS Talk: Using environmental DNA (eDNA) for fungal metabarcoding in soils. Ben Gregson highlights how eDNA allows researchers to detect & compare complex fungal communities soils from a wide range of climates & land uses. Find out more & book: www.britmycolsoc.org.uk/bms-talks.html

10 - Brown Roll-Rim | UK Fungus Day Home

🔟 Most commonly-encountered fungi in UK & Ireland - Number 10: Brown Roll-Rim (Paxillus involutus). Fascinating Fact: Once considered edible, this fungus has caused fatal haemolytic anaemia in humans, so is now classified as toxic 😱 #UKFungusDay www.ukfungusday.co.uk/10brownrollrim

A Guillemot has its bill wide open, as wording alongside reads: We're Hiring. Seabird monitoring programme organiser. www.bto.org/jobs

Last chance to apply! 📢 We're looking for a Seabird Monitoring Programme Organiser. For the full job role and to apply visit www.bto.org/jobs

Deadline for applications is Monday 8 September.

#Ornithology @jncc.bsky.social @rspbscience.bsky.social