Frog Squeak

Common frog - Rana temporaria

The common frog, Rana temporaria, is found all across the UK. I had seen a few shortly after arriving in Norwich in September 2014, but none since; the winter months are too cold for them and they tend to hibernate. Now, with the onset of Spring, the frogs are beginning to emerge again, ready to begin the reproductive phase of their life cycle. 

They can differ in appearance quite drastically and so can be easily confused with other species. I'm not so hot with my amphibian identification and had studied a few different descriptions and raked my memory of my frog encounter before coming across this useful tip. I knew this was a frog straight away because of its bulging eyes, slimy streamlined body and large back legs. For those who might confuse toads and frogs remember those distinguishing features, and that toads tend to look dry and bumpy and tend to walk instead of hop.

I always get excited when I come across animals I  didn't expect to see and inevitably try to pick them up (terrible habit, I agree). When I tried to grab this frog, mid-leap, I got quite the surprise!

Excuse my chuckle. I had never come across a frog that squeaks! Common frogs occasionally squeak to startle predators. Though I did not intend to harm the frog it definitely startled me.

Currently, chytridiomycosis (a disease caused by a species of fungus) is causing a global decline in amphibian numbers. The pathogen uses flagella to move through aquatic environments and infect new hosts through the skin. Because amphibians have such delicate and porous skin and live semi-aquatic lives, they are prime targets and are the worst affected. 

It is great to see these frogs still on the UEA campus. I hope they are not too badly affected.

Great tit

Great tit - Parus Major

The Great tit is the largest bird in the tit family with very distinctive plumage. Their white cheeks stand out against their black crown and throat. Their backs are a yellowish green and their feathers a blue-grey. Their yellow bellies dashed by a black stripe down the middle. It is easy to spot and identify these once you have seen them once or twice.

It is common in bird species for the male to have a more elaborate plumage than the female as it is a display of good fitness and therefore a good mating partner. However in great tits, as with some other bird species, the plumage between sexes does not differ too drastically. Identifying sexes is still quite easy, as in males the black belly stripe extends passed the cloaca whereas in females it falls short about halfway down the belly. Determining age is a little more difficult as it relies on the judgement of shades of colour on the wing. Different species of bird molt feathers at different ages and a different number of times. The great tit molts from a dull grey to a pale blue on its wings. A bird found with predominantly grey-ish feathers is therefore a young bird, and a bird with predominantly blue-ish feathers is an older bird.

Great tits eat an array of things from insects to seeds to berries and occupies more northern ranges; as far north as southern Scandinavia, as far south as Algeria, as far east as Siberia and as far west as Morocco. They are known to be monogamous and to hold territories which they protect through the breeding season. 

Rosemary

Rosemary - Rosmarinus officinalis

Rosemary is a well known herb used in many dishes around the globe. With its distinctive spiky needles surrounding a fibrous stem it is easily distinguished among other herb species and once crushed between your fingers its smell is undoubtedly acknowledged. I love how the smell lingers even after a few washes of your hands - sometimes all you need is a deep inhalation of fresh rosemary to put a smile on your face! (Or get you thinking about dinner.)

In 'Hamlet', Shakespeare has Ophelia refer to rosemary as being for 'remembrance' in her last few remarks before committing suicide. I had always attributed this statement to her depreciated mental state and the folklore behind herbs in that time and place, however, studies have actually proven that the inhalation of rosemary oil can indeed improve memory and enhance concentration. Rosemary is incredibly easy to grow, so why not have this as a potted plant in your kitchen?

If you have ever crushed rosemary with your hands before you will know it results in quite a sticky produce and can be quite difficult to was off without lots of soap and water. This is the phloem sap that is used in the transportation of nutrients throughout the plant. Insects such like spittlebugs (froghopper nymph stage) feast on this sap and can result in plant death. An easy remedy for this is a spray of water across your plant. No need for any insecticides.


If anyone is interested in a study that has shown the correlation between rosemary and memory read this paper: M. Moss, & L. Silver (2012) Plasma 1,8-cineole correlates with cognitive performance following exposure to rosemary essential oil aroma. Therapeutic Advances in Psychopharmacology 103-113

Snowdrops

Snowdrop - Galanthus nivalis

I am told that a flowering snowdrop is a sign of Winter drawing to an end and the beginnings of Spring. Since this is my first winter I had no idea about snowdrops, or how cold snow was, or how to tell Spring was on its way, but I love how we can look at nature and be told of what is to come by what it is showing us. I won't forget about snowdrops now, even though I took this picture in early January which seems a little bit early to signify the onset of Spring. In Kenya we have rain lilies that spring up after a good down pour of rain. We usually assume it means there is more rain to come and are glad when we see them following dry spells.

Snowdrops are herbaceous plants which means their stems, leaves and flowers die down at the end of their growing period and their bulbs remain alive under ground. For snowdrops this is over the winter months. Usually, snowdrops increase in number through bulb division as there are not too many insects around during the cold months but can be insect pollinated if visited by any.

The flowers are easily mistaken to be completely white as they hang face-down, and are rarely overturned. If you are curious enough, turn one over and you will see dashes of green on the petals as well as yellow anthers enclosed in the center.

These flowers are beautiful and apparently have a honey-like scent in the warmer days - this I am yet to experience! They feel quite tough and rubbery - this enables the plant to push through the cold and sometimes frozen ground so it can flower once more.

Curly Woodlouse

Woodlouse - Cylisticus convexus

Woodlice are very common across the UK with about 35 identified species. They inhabit both coastal and terrestrial habitats and are considered the most species-rich group of crustaceans on land.

This small specimen was just over 10mm in length and scurried across the ground at quite a fast pace. An easy method of identifying woodlice is to see if they roll up into a ball when experiencing external factors it does not like. Some woodlice cannot roll into a ball at all and rely on their speed or strength of their exoskeleton for protection. Some, like the Cylisticus convexus pictured above, can roll into a ball but leave a small gap that the antennae protrude from. Other species can roll into a perfect sphere with no gaps.

Unfortunately, I did not harass this woodlouse and so am not 100% sure of its rolling capabilities. However, I am quite sure it is the C. convexus due to the pointed tail ends that are slightly more visible in this second picture below.

Pointed tail ends visible

Commonly known as the Curly woodlouse, it feeds on dead plant and wood materials and is nocturnal though can be seen around twilight hours.

Narcissus

Daffodil - Narcissus barnum

This beautiful flower is a Narcissus barnum or more commonly it is called a daffodil. Once again my slight Greek genes started tingling at the name Narcissus. In Greek mythology Narcissus was the son of a God and a nymph and was known for his astounding good looks. One day he caught sight of his own reflection in a river and fell in love with it. There he sat and wasted away until death overcame him and in his place a single daffodil grew bent over the water as though still looking at its reflection. Through this story the meaning of narcissism was explained to me.

Daffodils are commonly found growing along a waters edge and rely on insects for their pollination. This means you have to have a fairly healthy ecosystem to sustain the flowers - a great sign for UEA!

The bulbs of these plants somewhat resemble those of a leek or onion but should not be eaten as they can cause poisoning. During Winter the flowers and stem die down but the bulb persists underground, pulled deeper by its contractile roots. Here it lies dormant until the Springtime, when favourable conditions enable the plant to flower once again.

It seems a bit early in the year for them to be flowering! Despite the size of my jacket it must have been a mild Winter.

Blackberry Bites

On a  walk around the UEA lake and surrounding forest I came across some delicious looking berries. Back in Kenya I had become used to picking from bushes and trees where I saw ripe and edible fruits on display and so I naturally went to pluck a couple.
Upon reassurance from my uncle I gobbled them down, satisfied that I can continue my foraging antics here.

For those unfamiliar with berries it can be easy to confuse them with raspberries. An easy distinction between the two is that when you pluck a blackberry off of the plant the core stays inside the aggregation of berries. A raspberry comes clean off the plant with a hollow centre. Raspberries are indeed red but remember that so are ripening blackberries.

Though blackberries are stuffed with vitamins they are also incredibly sugary. The more wild blackberries have a bitter and sour tinge to their flavour (this is normal - you have not poisoned yourself.. Although, I'm no expert so you might want to double check which berries you are indulging on) which personally I enjoy. Maybe pick and try one before you fill your basket with the idea of a midday snack. Also, keep in mind the height at which the berries are which you are plucking - you don't want those within dog-pee-height.

Yummy snack on a lovely walk.

Ginkgo

Ginkgo biloba

Ginkgo biloba is considered one of the most primitive of trees living today. Commonly referred to as a living fossil Ginkgo is the only tree of the division Ginkgophyta that exists today. It was believed to have gone extinct many years ago but was found growing in a region in China and has since been moved and grown around the globe.

Ginkgo leaves have dichotomous venation - two veins in the leaf stem continually divide to form a fan-shaped leaf. They have separate sexes with cones forming which contain the male microsporangiate and female ovules forming at the tips of the shoots.

It appears in many myths and folklore; Ancient Chinese warriors were believed to sustain themselves off dew from the leaves. Today it is used mainly in Eastern Asia for medicinal purposes as well as in foods made for special occasions such as weddings.

The leaves are green in colour but turn a beautiful yellow during Autumn before dropping off and leaving the tree bare through winter. It is a beautiful tree with an amazing history; we are lucky to have it on the UEA campus!

Judas' Ear

Auricularia auricula-judae

Many species existing today have been named due to their fabled relationship to a person of high stature. My previous post on King Alfred's Cakes is one such example.
Another example is Judas' Ear, a fungus found growing on both living and dead wood. It has a shape and soft 'jelly-like' structure that resembles that of a human ear and is most commonly found growing on elder trees. Auricularia auricula-judae is its Latin name which follows the folklore behind its initial naming. The unusually hyphenated species name auricula means ear and judae means Judas. Judas Iscariot is believed to have hanged himself from an elder tree following his betrayal of Jesus Christ; the fungus found to resemble a human ear believed to be reincarnations of his own as a reminder of his suicide.

This fungus is known today more commonly as the Jelly Ear and can be found quite easily in the UEA forest. It is edible though is not known for tasting very good nor having a favourable texture. In folk medicine it was boiled and drank or gargled to cure sore throats.

Hedgehog

As I embarked on a fungal foray in the UEA forest I stumbled across a sad sight.

Dead Hedgehog - Erinaceous europaeus

A dead hedgehog.

When I was younger I had always thought that hedgehogs were related to porcupines, echidnas or tenrecs, because of their spiny appearance. Little did I know just how far from the truth this was. Hedgehogs are actually distant relatives to shrews which means their spiky protection evolved separate to that of the aforementioned mammals. Hedgehogs are nocturnal omnivores, eating a range of things from mushrooms to bird eggs. Because of their nocturnal nature they are rarely seen during the day.


On a dog walk one evening my uncle stumbled across a great sight.

Live Hedgehog - Erinaceous europaeus

A live hedgehog.


Hedgehogs live in dens that are usually dug into the ground. They find shelter in bushes, thickets and holes in the ground. It is common for them to seek refuge beneath wood piled high for bonfires leading to their death once they are lit. It has become such a problem that people are asked to check their bonfires before lighting them or assemble them shortly before they are needed rather than a few days in advance.

Hedgehogs are known for their protective strategy of rolling into a tight ball to ward off predators. This makes it an arduous process when trying to pick one up!


I hope to see a live one soon myself.

Stinging Nettles

Despite my somewhat wild childhood I had always avoided the wrath of the stinging nettle. It took all of 2 days in Norwich, UK for this to change.

Stinging Nettle - Urtica dioica

As I was walking my Uncles dog along the lake on the UEA campus, arms swinging lazily by my side, I suddenly shrieked in surprise! My right hand had found its way into the thicket of plants along the paths edge, which I very quickly came to realise was indeed a thicket of nettles.


The stinging nettle, Urtica dioica, is a herbaceous plant which can grow quite tall. All nettles are covered in tiny hair like structures called trichomes. In some subspecies these trichomes can pierce your skin and inject various chemicals causing the stinging sensation.

Nettles are used in a multitude of different ways, from herbal teas, to fabrics. In Kenya we use it in a dish called 'irio'. This is a stew of potatoes, maize and peas usually mashed together. The nettles are pureed and added to the mix turning it an interesting light green. It is then eaten with 'nyama choma' roasted meat, or a meat stew.

After subsequent knuckle grazes and even ankle stings I now walk very well covered and with my hands stuffed into my pockets. You probably should too!

Origins of Lycoperdon

Stump Puffball - Lycoperdon pyriforme

As I looked up information about the Stump Puffball the first thing that caught my eye was the latin name – Lycoperdon pyriforme. My Greek side, though distant and diluted, picked up on the Lyco- immediately. Lykos in Greek means wolf, my deepest fear. Is this relevant? Next to find out was the perdon part of the name. In Greek, perdomai means to ‘break wind’ but this did not make sense to me. Wolf fart?

Okay – next to research was pyriforme. This is Latin for ‘pear-shaped’ as older Stump Puffballs do have a similar conformity.

More mature Stump puffball. 

Pear-shaped wolf fart.


When Puffballs are mature a hole forms at the crest of their bulb. Following contact by external factors such as rain, wind, even being stepped on by animals, the spores encased within the puffball are released into the air in a cloud. It is from this method of dispersal that the Puffball was named. The Stump Puffball is the only puffball to grow on wood and not in open soil which is the most outstanding feature between the different species.


Puffball are very common throughout forests and can be easily spotted if you keep your gaze low.


Does anyone know anymore or any different to this?

Harlequin Ladybird

The harlequin ladybird was introduced to Europe from Eastern Asia to control pests such as aphids, but has grown in population number so greatly that it is posing pressure on native species and could lead to their demise. Because of this, methods to reduce their numbers are being increasingly researched and resorted to – insecticides are the most successful but their potential harm to other insect species is great too.

Harlequin ladybird - Harmonia axyridis 

This harlequin ladybird ran across my notebook in the Unio Cafe on the UEA campus. As I reached to pick it up it released a light brown liquid over my fingers with a very unpleasant smell – urine? I later found out it is actually a chemical it uses in defence and stores and releases it from the hemolymph. Next time you pick up a ladybird you can safely declare this and dispense with the urine misconception!

Giant Polypore

Giant polypore - Meripilus giganteus 

The Giant Polypore is a common bracket fungus that can grow rather large. I stumbled across one in the UEA forest which was easily 2ft across!

It is not known to be particularly tasty and is often confused with the more palatable Hen of the Woods bracket, which looks rather similar. However, I would be curious to harvest a little and try a few different recipes.. There is a lot of it after all!

They often grow at the foot of large trees, commonly the beech tree, and can digest the cellulose and lignin causing potential weaknesses in the structure and stability of the tree.

Hawk's Beard PotentialCrepis spp.

Crepis spp.

This is Hawk’s Beard, a species of Crepis.

In Chinese folklore and medicine a plant of the same Tribe (Cichorieae) as the Crepis called theYoungia japonica was used to cure illnesses such as diarrhoea and colds. Recently, the antiviral compounds of Y. japonica have been proven (Ooi et al. 2006).

I feel with every advancement in technology we take a step further away from the nature around us, isolating ourselves from what we depend on. Hopefully discoveries like this will lead to the realisation of the importance and potential uses of what is around us.

Crepis, now that I know what it looks like, litters the ground of the UEA campus. It too could possibly hold antiviral compounds that can be utilised through as simple methods as home brews of tea. Next time you are feeling under the weather, do a simple internet search about what is in your garden. It could save you a hefty prescription fee!

Also, notice how diverse the species are in this picture; hawk’s beard, fungus, moss even a beetle of sorts!

King Alfred's Cakes

Sadly, this is not a post about cakes.

King Alfred's cake - Daldinia concentrica 

Whilst walking through the trees lining the lake on the UEA Campus I spotted a black clump clinging to a dead tree trunk. Fungus! But what kind I had no clue..

So began the legend of King Alfred. Apparently, King Alfred was asked to look after some cakes in the oven and make sure they wouldn’t burn. He failed. The resultant black lumps of goodness resembled the fungus clinging to trees and were so nicknamed.
Carried around in men’s pockets, it was also believed to cure cramps and so were called cramp balls.

Any outdoorsy people will be glad to know it was additionally called coal balls for it’s fire starting magic. Because of it’s dense nature, once dried, the inner flesh will catch sparks from flint and burn slowly.

Camping time?

One last thing… Though they are so aptly named, don’t eat these burnt buns!

Owl You Need is Love!

In late July 2012 I went for a short road trip through central Kenya. I started in Samburu National Reserve and went through Ol Pejeta Conservancy, the Aberdare National Park and Lake Naivasha before returning home. The wildlife was unbelievable! From African wild dogs to Verreaux eagle-owls, African elephants to chimpanzee – I was spoilt for choice! 

In Naivasha I was lucky enough to get up close to a young African wood owl. Barely bigger than a bag of flour, it perched motionless, beautiful big brown eyes endlessly staring. 

African wood owl - Strix woodfordii 

The colour of their iris is a tell-tale sign to when they prefer to hunt; black/brown are nocturnal, orange are crepuscular and yellow are diurnal but, like in most areas of life, there are a few exceptions to this rule.

I learnt this cool fact on Wednesday evening as I embarked on a bat walk around the lake at the University of East Anglia. I also learnt that there are three species of owl that frequent the University campus; the Tawny owl, the Little owl, and the more elusive Barn owl. I hope I am lucky enough to get as close to these three species in the years I spend here.


A whole new world of animals and plants to discover – how exciting!