John Burton’s note about the unusual death of a grass snake reminded me that in July 1999 I took a photograph of a similar occurrence in Brockley churchyard, grid reference 827556.
The unfortunate creature had threaded its way in and out of two holes in a flower holder on a gravestone and become trapped. The weather was very hot at the time and the site fully exposed to the sun.
Eileen Coe, Lambs Lane, Lawshall, Bury St Edmunds
(Click Here to revisit John Burton's original note in WA 58
use the back button to return to this page ~ Ed)
I was most interested in your editorial about grey squirrels. My daughter, son-in-law and I share a very large overgrown garden. We have two squirrel feeders, numerous oak trees, horse and sweet chestnut trees and a number of large hazels, so as you might imagine we have no shortage of squirrels! We also have a great number of birds nesting in the garden, and I have noticed that their reaction to the squirrels is completely different from their reaction to magpies, sparrow hawks and neighbouring cats, none of which are welcome here. I am sure that if squirrels were much of a threat to the birds it would be obvious from their alarm calls.
People who call squirrels ‘tree rats’ are merely showing their ignorance: Sciurus vulgaris and Sciurus Canadensis are both true squirrels. I heartily recommend the book “Squirrels” by Jessica Holm - it is charming and informative.
P. Shott, Bury St Edmunds
(Click Here to revisit David Walker's original editorial in WA 58
use the back button to return to this page ~ Ed)
I should like to say a big thank you to Neil Mahler for his advice (White Admiral 58) regarding fungal look-alikes. Since the original article in White Admiral 57 and after reading about it in Field Mycology vol 3 (1) I returned to Stropharia aeruginosa in Gunton Wood. Through the macroscopic features described on p23 I was able to say it was probably S. caerulea. Incidentally the plate and text of S. aeruginosa in the Phillips Guide to Fungi (p171) has now been corrected to S. caerulea. I sent a photograph to Richard Shotbolt of the Norfolk Fungus Study Group and he agreed that it was probably this species.
It is also interesting to note that Reg Blacker, Alan Beaumont and I found Stropharia aurantica in Gunton Wood in November 2003. The same issue of Field Mycology (ibid) says it is no longer rare owing to the increased use of woodchips. In Lowestoft I found Morchella vulgaris growing on woodchips in a front garden in St Peter’s Street, and Volvariella speciosa on woodchips in Corton and Gunton woods. In the former case the woodchips were from Waveney District Council. I for one cannot wait to see what else appears!
I have thought about setting up a Suffolk fungus study group. If anyone is interested in establishing a group to record fungi in Suffolk I can be reached on telephone 01502 569136.
(Click Here to revisit Colin Jacobs' original letter in WA 57
(Click Here to revisit Neil Mahler's original letter in WA 58
use the back button to return to this page ~ Ed)
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