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Friends of Lye Valley @friendlyevalley.bsky.social · 1d

We have an introduced colony here in the Lye Valley that’s doing really well.
@judywebb.bsky.social

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Judy Webb @judywebb.bsky.social · 4d

We welcomed again entomologist Steve Gregory to #LyeValley #fen to complete his grant-funded invertebrate survey. A bit cool for flying insects but Steve did find spiders & snails & actually found a Glow-worm larva feeding on a dead snail! @friendlyevalley.bsky.social @colsocbi.bsky.social

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Judy Webb @judywebb.bsky.social · 5d

Look at how important warm sunny logs are to wildlife at this time of year in #LyeValley. A basking Common Darter and a very young Viviparous Lizard just absorbing as much warmth as possible. @friendlyevalley.bsky.social

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Judy Webb @judywebb.bsky.social · 7d

Accidentally scythed off in #LyeValley #fen, this small delicate inkcap toadstool made my day with its fragile beauty. Maybe a small Hare's foot inkcap, Coprinopsis lagopus?
#fungifriends @friendlyevalley.bsky.social

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Judy Webb @judywebb.bsky.social · 11d

Some last #LyeValley flowers & a smart hoverfly that enjoys them: Fleabane, Hoary Ragwort and Marjoram. The batman hoverfly Myathropa florea is a favourite wasp mimic on the wing still, here sunning on our seed collecting bags @friendlyevalley.bsky.social @bsbibotany.bsky.social

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Judy Webb @judywebb.bsky.social · 12d

In #LyeValley scrub work time. Cutting back non-native invasive Russian Vine (mile a minute climber) ramping in from a neighbour first. This generates lots of material made into useful faggots for our Brook bank #restoration, combined with poles cut from hazel nearby @friendlyevalley.bsky.social

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Judy Webb @judywebb.bsky.social · 14d

#LyeValley is slowly turning brown with all the seed heads from many flowers. Here rather attractive fluffy heads of Hemp Agrimony alongside the boardwalk caught my eye. @friendlyevalley.bsky.social @bsbibotany.bsky.social

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Judy Webb @judywebb.bsky.social · 19d

#Fungi do not usually feature much in #fens because they are too wet. But in #LyeValley, drier short turf areas near seepage zones are sprouting red-orange jewels in the shape of little Blackening Waxcaps, Hygrocybe conica. @friendlyevalley.bsky.social

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Judy Webb @judywebb.bsky.social · 20d

@friendlyevalley.bsky.social volunteers yet again repairing damage to the brook bank & fen defences after the flash floods (from road run-off water) last weekend. Soft peat of fen gets eroded, barriers must go higher, & #climatechange will make this worse in future with more intense rainstorms..

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Friends of Lye Valley @friendlyevalley.bsky.social · 24d

#WildflowerHour

Judy Webb @judywebb.bsky.social · 24d

In #Lyevalley #fen our insectivorous Butterworts, having feasted on midges & built up food reserves, are getting ready to go to sleep for the winter. Hard green little 'resting buds' like bulbs have formed & will persist under the peat whilst the visible leaves rot away @friendlyevalley.bsky.social

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Judy Webb @judywebb.bsky.social · 27d

Whilst scything sedge & reedmace down in this dried down & vegetation filled pond, found hundreds of these little slimy-topped toadstools growing from wet mud or poss rotting leaves. Do any #fungi experts have any idea what they might be? Hypholoma sp. ? #fungifriends

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Judy Webb @judywebb.bsky.social · 28d

#LyeValley #fen looking very autumnal, with warm brown as well as green tints. Still plenty of flowers though, Hemp Agrimony still going strong & still plenty of tall reed needing scything down despite heavy rain showers! @friendlyevalley.bsky.social @bsbibotany.bsky.social

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Judy Webb @judywebb.bsky.social · 29d

Surprised by a troop of these brownish but flowery-sweet smelling toadstools in #LyeValley #fen . Sweet Poison Pie Hebeloma saccariolens.. mycorrhizal with crack willow roots. The name tells you all you need to know! @friendlyevalley.bsky.social #fungifriends

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Ash Whiffin @ashwhiffin.bsky.social · Sep 5

It’s one of the predatory #CarrionBeetles (Silphinae) which hunts snails. In that area it could be Phosphuga atrata or Ablattaria laevigata - not possible to confirm which from these photos I’m afraid.

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Judy Webb @judywebb.bsky.social · Sep 5

In #Lyevalley the fen boardwalk is sometimes a good place to spot species. We know this is a Long winged conehead cricket, but what is this black segmented beast, a beetle larva? @coleopsoc.bsky.social @friendlyevalley.bsky.social

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Judy Webb @judywebb.bsky.social · Sep 3

We are relieved to see Oxford City Rangers onsite in #LyeValley measuring up our burnt boardwalk section for replacement soon. This burnt section attracted a viviparous lizard to do a bit of basking between rain-showers- perhaps blacker a little bit warmer? @friendlyevalley.bsky.social

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Friends of Lye Valley @friendlyevalley.bsky.social · Sep 1

#WildflowerHour #inverts #OxfordshireFens

Judy Webb @judywebb.bsky.social · Sep 1

Wild Angelica is a wetland plant that is brilliant for flies (and other insects..) late hoverflies love it. Mostly in #LyeValley it comes in white, but occasionally in attractive pinky-maroon versions. @friendlyevalley.bsky.social @bsbibotany.bsky.social @freshwaterhabitats.bsky.social

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Judy Webb @judywebb.bsky.social · Aug 31

This is just so the Devil's-bit Scabious time & bumbles are working it flat out in #LyeValley #fen . I'm so pleased that all our seed collection & spreading has given them a mist of blue flowers an abundant nectar & pollen source. Here a buff -tailed intent on work @friendlyevalley.bsky.social

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Friends of Lye Valley @friendlyevalley.bsky.social · Sep 1

Sadly not…

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Judy Webb @judywebb.bsky.social · Aug 31

Our seed collecting bags, left for a while whilst doing other jobs, always seem to be found by a Dark Bush Cricket. Never miss a chance for some effective basking! @friendlyevalley.bsky.social

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Judy Webb @judywebb.bsky.social · Aug 31

It's flat out seed collecting in #LyeValley #fen. Greater Bird's foot Trefoil & then Marsh Helleborine orchid pods. All seed extracted to be put straight back out in newly scythed restoration areas. Might have to wait 7 yrs for the orchids!
@bsbibotany.bsky.social @freshwaterhabitats.bsky.social

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Judy Webb @judywebb.bsky.social · Aug 27

Lye Valley #fen looking so good today. Restored fen area amazingly flowery with Grass of Parnassus, Parsley Water-dropwort & Devil's-bit Scabious starting @friendlyevalley.bsky.social @freshwaterhabitats.bsky.social @bsbibotany.bsky.social

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Tony Gillie @drtonygillie.bsky.social · Aug 15

Delighted to spot this pristine Brown Hairstreak butterfly this morning in the Lye Valley, Oxford, the first adult I've ever seen there!
#Recorded #UKWildlife #WildlifePhotos #inverts #OX3
@friendlyevalley.bsky.social @tverc1.bsky.social @upperthames.bsky.social

A pale brown butterfly with white "streaks" through both its upper and hind wings. The edge of the hind wing is tinged orange and it has a small "tail" sticking out near the bottom. It's perched on a piece of dried brown grass, facing to the right of the photo. Its black eye is visible, as are its orange tipped black and white striped antennae. Its legs are also striped. The background is a messy mix of mostly green blades of grass.

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Friends of Lye Valley @friendlyevalley.bsky.social · Aug 15

Our Grass-of-Parnassus is now carpeting large areas of the west side of the Valley. Henry Taunt (1842–1922), an Oxford based photographer once described them as “like twinkling stars in the shadowy grass”. Seeing them now it's easy to understand what he meant!
#WildFlowerHour @judywebb.bsky.social

A photo of an area of fen with a mixture of green and brown shortish vegetation. Growing through this vegetation on thin stems are dozens of small white flowers.

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Friends of Lye Valley @friendlyevalley.bsky.social · Aug 14

We've got baby lizards! Likely lots of them! 😍
We spotted three juvenile Common Lizards (Zootoca vivipara) and one adult yesterday in a location in the Valley we've never seen them before. They seem to be doing well in the warm weather...
@arc-trust.bsky.social #reptiles #UKWildlife

Just above centre and slightly to the right the head of a lizard. It's facing right, with one eye visible. Its right front leg and foot are also visible. It's leaning on a light coloured piece of wood, and its body and tail are partially hidden by other pieces of wood. Although a little darker than most of the surrounding wood that makes up the rest of the photo, it's very low contrast, making it rather hard to see.

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