lichensvc4
@lichensvc4.bsky.social
Naturalist, lichenologist, birdwatcher, botanist and lover of life based in beautiful north Devon
Neat little thalli on painted metal gate looking like Caloplaca chlorina. Found in the centre of Carlisle. Xanthoria parietina and Physcia tenella there too
February 8, 2026 at 12:41 PM
Neat little thalli on painted metal gate looking like Caloplaca chlorina. Found in the centre of Carlisle. Xanthoria parietina and Physcia tenella there too
PS blackbird post. Absence noticed in Devon. Could it be a local problem?
December 4, 2025 at 10:20 AM
PS blackbird post. Absence noticed in Devon. Could it be a local problem?
Where have the blackbirds gone?
My garden was never without a blackbird and this year there have been none visiting since the end of September. Has anyone else noticed their absence?
My garden was never without a blackbird and this year there have been none visiting since the end of September. Has anyone else noticed their absence?
December 4, 2025 at 10:10 AM
Where have the blackbirds gone?
My garden was never without a blackbird and this year there have been none visiting since the end of September. Has anyone else noticed their absence?
My garden was never without a blackbird and this year there have been none visiting since the end of September. Has anyone else noticed their absence?
Many thanks to Becky Yahr and Erik Moller for a really helpful and inspirational workshop on Rhizocarpon held at the RBGE last week. So lucky to have expert Einar Timdal over from Norway too
September 20, 2025 at 8:55 PM
Many thanks to Becky Yahr and Erik Moller for a really helpful and inspirational workshop on Rhizocarpon held at the RBGE last week. So lucky to have expert Einar Timdal over from Norway too
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White stipe? (Actually grey but illuminated by bright sun. Lecanactis abietina on Pedunculate Oak, Cow Wood SSSI. High Weald Ghyll Woodland yesterday.
August 30, 2025 at 11:16 AM
White stipe? (Actually grey but illuminated by bright sun. Lecanactis abietina on Pedunculate Oak, Cow Wood SSSI. High Weald Ghyll Woodland yesterday.
Nice find this weekend, the lichen Pertusaria coccodes not in its usual position on a tree but on siliceous stone in a churchyard. It has distinctive thick-finger projections or isidia with brown tips and it turns yellow to red (eventually - have patience) when tested with KOH #lichenGBI #lichen
September 1, 2025 at 11:55 AM
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Typical lichens of vegetated shingle in Sussex, at Tide Mills, Newhaven, East Sussex. Pebble with Rhyzocarpon reductum, Verrucaria nigrescens, and Xanthoria parietina, in a bed of Cladonia rangiformis and Sedum album. #lichenGBI @britishlichensociety.org.uk
May 10, 2025 at 8:04 AM
Typical lichens of vegetated shingle in Sussex, at Tide Mills, Newhaven, East Sussex. Pebble with Rhyzocarpon reductum, Verrucaria nigrescens, and Xanthoria parietina, in a bed of Cladonia rangiformis and Sedum album. #lichenGBI @britishlichensociety.org.uk
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Field notes for Lecanora expallens! This one at Bungay, Suffolk, England. One of many 'dreaded' green sorediate crusts common in Britain, but which look very much alike. Fear not: this #lichen can be ID'd with care. See notes for help, plus bonus tabular key to GSCs! aspenecology.com/lecanora-exp...
May 10, 2025 at 8:36 PM
Field notes for Lecanora expallens! This one at Bungay, Suffolk, England. One of many 'dreaded' green sorediate crusts common in Britain, but which look very much alike. Fear not: this #lichen can be ID'd with care. See notes for help, plus bonus tabular key to GSCs! aspenecology.com/lecanora-exp...
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And finally from Bealach na Ba, lichens Ophioparma ventosa )not seen on Colonsay) and montane Pseudephebe pubescens. #LichenGBI
May 10, 2025 at 9:36 PM
And finally from Bealach na Ba, lichens Ophioparma ventosa )not seen on Colonsay) and montane Pseudephebe pubescens. #LichenGBI
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We're now in Torridon for a week and stopped off at Bealach na Ba for a taster of montane lichens at just over 600m asl. We refound our find from 2021 of Lepra dactylina and Alectoria nigricans, not far from the car park at the top of the pass. #LichenGBI
May 10, 2025 at 9:08 PM
We're now in Torridon for a week and stopped off at Bealach na Ba for a taster of montane lichens at just over 600m asl. We refound our find from 2021 of Lepra dactylina and Alectoria nigricans, not far from the car park at the top of the pass. #LichenGBI
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Peased to see
Schizotrema (Schismatomma) quercicola on Quercus robur, in a Chalk & Clay-With-Flints SSSI ancient woodland, Downs, W. Sussex. A west country & south coast species. An NIEC 'old woodland' indicator. As all Schismatomma sp. scratches orange. #LichensGBI @britishlichensociety.org.uk
Schizotrema (Schismatomma) quercicola on Quercus robur, in a Chalk & Clay-With-Flints SSSI ancient woodland, Downs, W. Sussex. A west country & south coast species. An NIEC 'old woodland' indicator. As all Schismatomma sp. scratches orange. #LichensGBI @britishlichensociety.org.uk
April 26, 2025 at 7:00 AM
Peased to see
Schizotrema (Schismatomma) quercicola on Quercus robur, in a Chalk & Clay-With-Flints SSSI ancient woodland, Downs, W. Sussex. A west country & south coast species. An NIEC 'old woodland' indicator. As all Schismatomma sp. scratches orange. #LichensGBI @britishlichensociety.org.uk
Schizotrema (Schismatomma) quercicola on Quercus robur, in a Chalk & Clay-With-Flints SSSI ancient woodland, Downs, W. Sussex. A west country & south coast species. An NIEC 'old woodland' indicator. As all Schismatomma sp. scratches orange. #LichensGBI @britishlichensociety.org.uk
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Pertusaria coccodes. Mostly a south-east species. On Quercus robur in South Downs chalk and clay-with-flints ancient woodland SSSI. K+ yellow turning red. #LichensGBI @britishlichensociety.org.uk
April 26, 2025 at 7:06 AM
Pertusaria coccodes. Mostly a south-east species. On Quercus robur in South Downs chalk and clay-with-flints ancient woodland SSSI. K+ yellow turning red. #LichensGBI @britishlichensociety.org.uk
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Field and lab notes for R reductum now available! If you find #lichens that look like this, particularly on pebbles, chances are it's R reductum: Britain's most common and widespread Rhizocarpon. But take care still to rule out similar species. See notes for help! aspenecology.com/rhizocarpon-...
February 8, 2025 at 11:21 AM
Field and lab notes for R reductum now available! If you find #lichens that look like this, particularly on pebbles, chances are it's R reductum: Britain's most common and widespread Rhizocarpon. But take care still to rule out similar species. See notes for help! aspenecology.com/rhizocarpon-...
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As promised, field notes for Phlyctis argena now available! You'll likely have seen it on trees near you: it's striking and visible even from distance. Take care, though: it can be confused at first glance with its rarer cousin P agelaea. See field notes for advice! aspenecology.com/phlyctis-arg...
February 22, 2025 at 8:32 PM
As promised, field notes for Phlyctis argena now available! You'll likely have seen it on trees near you: it's striking and visible even from distance. Take care, though: it can be confused at first glance with its rarer cousin P agelaea. See field notes for advice! aspenecology.com/phlyctis-arg...
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Xanthoria calcicola on concrete bridge parapet, Pensthorpe, VC28 West Norfolk, England. Hard to mistake: similar to über-common X parietina, but with isidia rather than apothecia, or sometimes both as on this specimen. Next set of field notes to come! @norfolknats.bsky.social @robyaxley.bsky.social
February 23, 2025 at 11:27 AM
Xanthoria calcicola on concrete bridge parapet, Pensthorpe, VC28 West Norfolk, England. Hard to mistake: similar to über-common X parietina, but with isidia rather than apothecia, or sometimes both as on this specimen. Next set of field notes to come! @norfolknats.bsky.social @robyaxley.bsky.social
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Field notes for Xanthoria calcicola now available! This colourful #lichen, common especially in England, is easily identifiable. You might mistake it at first glance for its even more common cousin X parietina, but they're readily told apart. See notes for advice! aspenecology.com/xanthoria-ca...
March 1, 2025 at 3:25 PM
Field notes for Xanthoria calcicola now available! This colourful #lichen, common especially in England, is easily identifiable. You might mistake it at first glance for its even more common cousin X parietina, but they're readily told apart. See notes for advice! aspenecology.com/xanthoria-ca...
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Physcia caesia (gray) struggling against seemingly overwhelming Xanthoria calcicola (orange), Pensthorpe, VC28 West Norfolk, England. #Lichens may appear merely passive growths, but in their own slow time they compete fiercely for space, light, water. @norfolknats.bsky.social @robyaxley.bsky.social
March 5, 2025 at 9:20 AM
Physcia caesia (gray) struggling against seemingly overwhelming Xanthoria calcicola (orange), Pensthorpe, VC28 West Norfolk, England. #Lichens may appear merely passive growths, but in their own slow time they compete fiercely for space, light, water. @norfolknats.bsky.social @robyaxley.bsky.social
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Field notes posted for Physcia caesia! This one on concrete pavement in Bungay, TM38/VC25 East Suffolk, England. It might seem humble little #lichen, and it's common in Britain. But it's also found on all continents, from #Arctic to #Antarctic! Look for it near you. aspenecology.com/physcia-caes...
March 9, 2025 at 7:56 AM
Field notes posted for Physcia caesia! This one on concrete pavement in Bungay, TM38/VC25 East Suffolk, England. It might seem humble little #lichen, and it's common in Britain. But it's also found on all continents, from #Arctic to #Antarctic! Look for it near you. aspenecology.com/physcia-caes...
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Excited to be on my way to London to lead my first pair of #lichen walks in Kensington Gardens for The Royal Parks. Train time now for a little bit of revision. Another pair of walks to lead there in a fortnight’s time, too. See linked post below if you’d like to join in!
March 15, 2025 at 8:02 AM
Excited to be on my way to London to lead my first pair of #lichen walks in Kensington Gardens for The Royal Parks. Train time now for a little bit of revision. Another pair of walks to lead there in a fortnight’s time, too. See linked post below if you’d like to join in!
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Rusavskia (Xanthoria) elegans, Pensthorpe, TF92/VC28 West Norfolk, England. This #lichen was taken to orbit, fully exposed to space for 18 months, and lived! Common in Britain: see new field notes, and find it near you. aspenecology.com/rusavskia-xa... @norfolknats.bsky.social @robyaxley.bsky.social
March 15, 2025 at 6:27 PM
Rusavskia (Xanthoria) elegans, Pensthorpe, TF92/VC28 West Norfolk, England. This #lichen was taken to orbit, fully exposed to space for 18 months, and lived! Common in Britain: see new field notes, and find it near you. aspenecology.com/rusavskia-xa... @norfolknats.bsky.social @robyaxley.bsky.social
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Bit surprised to find Melanohalea exasperatula this week. On oak, Ringsfield, TM48/VC25 East Suffolk. First record for hectad; maybe 20th for county. Ascending lobes thick with inflated to spade-shaped isidia; pale underside with scattered rhizines; medulla C-, K-. @suffolk-nats1929.bsky.social
March 21, 2025 at 8:37 PM
Bit surprised to find Melanohalea exasperatula this week. On oak, Ringsfield, TM48/VC25 East Suffolk. First record for hectad; maybe 20th for county. Ascending lobes thick with inflated to spade-shaped isidia; pale underside with scattered rhizines; medulla C-, K-. @suffolk-nats1929.bsky.social
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Trentepohlia #alga on oak trunk, Hertford Heath, TL31/VC20 Hertfordshire, England. Not every tree-bark crust is #lichen! This alga does partner with fungi to create lichens, but it's also quite happy to live separately in its own fuzzy cellular chains. Orange from same beta-carotene as in carrots!
March 22, 2025 at 11:24 AM
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Field notes for 'pixie-cup' Cladonia chlorophaea sens lat! Common in Britain: this one from Arichonan, NR79/VC101 Kintyre, Scotland. Not one but six hidden and mostly indistinguishable species. You can still identify, enjoy and record it as group, though: see notes. aspenecology.com/cladonia-chl...
March 22, 2025 at 6:03 PM
Field notes for 'pixie-cup' Cladonia chlorophaea sens lat! Common in Britain: this one from Arichonan, NR79/VC101 Kintyre, Scotland. Not one but six hidden and mostly indistinguishable species. You can still identify, enjoy and record it as group, though: see notes. aspenecology.com/cladonia-chl...
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Physcia caesia on wooden bench, Hertford Heath, TL31/VC20 Hertfordshire, England. Atypical for this #lichen, which likes less acid substrates. But bench was old and strongly nutrient-enriched, which suits P caesia's nitrophilic preferences. See field notes for more! aspenecology.com/physcia-caes...
March 26, 2025 at 8:36 PM
Physcia caesia on wooden bench, Hertford Heath, TL31/VC20 Hertfordshire, England. Atypical for this #lichen, which likes less acid substrates. But bench was old and strongly nutrient-enriched, which suits P caesia's nitrophilic preferences. See field notes for more! aspenecology.com/physcia-caes...
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Absolutely delighted to be back in Kensington Gardens to lead second pair of public #lichen walks for @theroyalparks.bsky.social! Lovely feedback from participants in previous pair a fortnight ago, many ‘seeing’ lichens for first time. Hoping for another 40+ happy people today. Fine day for it, too!
March 29, 2025 at 9:47 AM
Absolutely delighted to be back in Kensington Gardens to lead second pair of public #lichen walks for @theroyalparks.bsky.social! Lovely feedback from participants in previous pair a fortnight ago, many ‘seeing’ lichens for first time. Hoping for another 40+ happy people today. Fine day for it, too!