Hallucinations

Walking along the old colliery route yesterday, we were struck by the large number of Fly Agaric mushrooms growing among the Birches.

Fly Agarics (Amanita muscaria) are the archetypal toadstool.  Get anyone to draw a poisonous toadstool and you will probably get a picture of a red topped, white spotted mushroom.

These handsome fungi pack quite a punch when it comes to toxins.  They contain many different poisonous compounds, but the most well known would have to be one called Muscimol.  This substance is powerfully psychoactive, has hallucinogenic properties and as such has been widely used in folk medicines over the years.  It has even been used in ritualistic, religious ceremonies, especially in northern Europe and Siberia.

Deaths are rare from ingestion of these fungi.  It is thought you would have to eat as many as 15 to kill you.  The mind-altering qualities are what it's known for mostly.  Reindeer, feeding on mosses in the far north are sometimes to be seen suffering from the effects of eating them.  Accidentally ingesting small toadstools as they break through the soil surface, these unfortunate creatures have been noted staggering about as if drunk, no doubt seeing stars and thinking everything is 'far out man'!

Colours

The Autumn colours are quite lovely at the moment.  As usual, the Maple trees are by far the most colourful in their September clothes.

A few patches of green still cling to the leaves, but a strange, dark, pink colour seems to be taking over.  Normally, red is the colour of Autumn Maples, but the shade seems to be nearer cerise.

The Maples are not the only trees leaving their greenery behind.  The Poplars are looking golden in the sunshine too.

Equinox

As we approach the Autumnal equinox - this year actually occurring on 23rd September, the landscape hereabouts is beginning to look the part.  My solitary walk this morning (more of that in a moment), took me across golden fields of drying grasses.

Then, having slipped my way through the muddy paths of the woodland on the right of the picture above, I got a good view across more Autumn fields, up Shipley Hill towards the turning leaves of the trees on top.

Skirting the woodland around the hilltop, I looked over towards the village of Mapperley.

Emerging on the other side of the hill, the scene across the lake was equally Autumnal.  The Poplars, taking on a golden hue, adding highlights to the view.

Returning home, I passed a good many Maple trees with their leaves turning redder than anything else in the area.  Beautiful!

Back home to find Malcolm had had a trying experience at the doctor's.  He had gone for the second of his steroid injections into his shoulder.  Unfortunately, things didn't go too well.  As the doctor inserted the needle, the syringe exploded cascading steroid fluid down Malcolm's arm.  Amid apologies from the doctor and an assurance that it had never happened before (not much comfort to know that), Malcolm had to have another shot and a good deal more pain too.  As you can imagine, he's not looking forward to having to have a third 'jab'.

Lace

A small, green creature on our patio this morning, captured my attention.  Picking it up and bringing it inside to take it's picture, it was a Common or Green Lacewing (Crysopa carnea).

The Green Lacewing is an aggregate species and is used to indicate a 'Super species' group of several distinct species which appear to be superficially similar. Of the 14 different species of British green lacewings, Chrysopa carnea is the most common.

Adults such as this will hibernate during the Winter months and emerging in Spring, it will eat pollen and nectar, but it will soon join the immature lacewings in a diet of it's favourites - aphids.  A closer look at it's mouth parts will show the formidable eating utensils which this insect has for mashing up aphids.

Having had it's photo taken, it was returned to the garden, unharmed and now a star of the inter-webs!

Drought

Just a few weeks ago, I reported on our walk around Mapperley Reservoir (see HERE).  At that time, the water level, although not at it's highest, was about right and large Carp were to be seen swimming in the murky waters at the North-Western end of the reservoir.  This morning, we walked this way again and were shocked to see how low the water had fallen.

At least 8ft of exposed mud now surrounds the reservoir and the reeds which are normally standing in a couple of feet of water, are now high and dry.  The mud is strewn with empty shells of Swan Mussels which have been caught out of water, but the biggest shock came when we reached the Northern end...

... It has completely dried up.  Where a few weeks ago carp swam, all is now drying mud and green slime.  At that time, we stood and watched a Kingfisher going about it's daily business here.  No chance of that today.

We have to wonder if the dramatic loss of water has anything to do with the ongoing and ever-increasing opencast mining which is happening close by.  Has that caused the streams, which once supplied the reservoir, to dry up?  Something certainly has been the cause of it.  Has The local water authority been drawing the water from the reservoir for some reason?  We may never know, but if we do know that if things don't alter soon, there will be nothing left!

More Berries

A few more Berries to lift the heart this morning.  Around the lakes of Straw's Bridge are several fruiting shrubs and trees.  some pretty impressive rose hips are to be seen on the shrub roses around 'Swan Lake', but it was the white berries of the Dogwood (Cornus alba) which caught my eye first.

Close by these little white jewels are the strangely shaped and oddly coloured fruits of the Spindle tree (Euonymus europaeus).  spindle gets it's name from the hard wood which was once used to make spindles for the wool industry.  But it is the four-lobed berry which looks so odd.

Back home and a Bug caught my eye as it climbed up our wall.  It is a Forest Shield Bug (Pentotoma rifupes).  Common in wooded areas, orchards and gardens across Britain, it's an impressive little bug.

Berry

This morning, Malcolm and I set off for a walk up Shipley Hill.  It's been a while since we headed that way, so we thought we would rectify the situation.  Our way was strewn with debris from the recent high winds.  Twigs, leaves and berries of all shapes and sizes lined the pathways.  Happily, there were still an enormous number of berries clinging to the bushes. These Guelder-rose berries looked redder than red in the sunshine.  I hadn't noticed the Ladybird at the time.

If there is any truth in the thought that the number of Autumn berries is indicative of a harsh winter ahead, we should be in for a 'stinker' again, looking at the Pyracantha bushes.

The Holly trees around the old hall site atop Shipley Hill, were also laden.

But, in my humble opinion, few berries can rival the redness or the attractive juicy appearance of the Yew and here again, the trees were heavy with fruit - all those which hadn't been blown off the boughs.