🍄 It's #FungusFriday at Hampton Heath... Sessile Earthstar is the find of the week, and waxcaps finally showing in numbers.

Join the litter-picking + habitat volunteers, Saturday, 10am.

Sign up for our weekly newsletter at hamptonheath.org

@plantlifeuk.bsky.social
@habsandheritage.bsky.social

Wasn't expecting to get the first Clouded Yellow record at Hampton Heath... in November.
Red Admiral, grasshoppers, 24 spot ladybird and more all enjoying the sunshine between showers... fungi gradually coming to the fore, but still (almost) no waxcaps.

First Hygrocybe of the season at Hampton Heath 🤩.
A very slimy Blackening Waxcap (#Hygrocybe conica) and one of the Pinkgills (#Entoloma sp.).

At last! Hampton Heath has - at last - had enough rain for its first #CHEGD ( #waxcap ) grassland fungi of the autumn.
Silky Pinkgill (Entoloma sericeum) - unless any actual #mycologists know better!
@plantlifeuk.bsky.social
@britmycolsoc.org.uk

Great to meet @davegoulson.bsky.social and hear him speak at a really well attended event at the wonderful Hanworth Air Parks Biodiversity Project yesterday.

The work of HABP and @cambeauty.bsky.social is clearly hugely valued in the community, and I look forward to reading Silent Earth.

Any lepidopterists in the house? Can you confirm this as a Silver Studded Blue (Plebejus argus)?
This week, Hampton Heath, Hampton Hill, SW London.

This weekend, Hampton Heath Friends were kick-starting nature recovery of an existing pond.
Long-overgrown and shaded out, we've coppiced willow and cleared brambles to open up the banks to daylight, before planting almost 100 native marginal plants providing habitat for invertebrates + amphibians

@hamptonheath.bsky.social will be speaking at the Climate Chat on 30th April at St James's Church, Hampton Hill.
We'll be talking about how local positive action breeds more positive action, and brings the community together.

This week, Hampton Heath Friends tried looking at our local nature area under UV light... and magic happened.
Read this week's newsletter here:
eepurl.com/jcSMF2

Hampton Heath Friends were out in force again today... and so were the Brimstone butterflies.

March 1st: Spring 🌱🌞

Hampton Heath Friends were coppicing willow, opening up the pond margins to daylight and cut/rake/remove managing the acid grassland... and as always collecting litter.

@habsandheritage.bsky.social
@ldnloop-capring.bsky.social
@ldnwildlifetrust.bsky.social

Down in SW London, this week's Hampton Heath Friends newsletter focuses on raptors and how their presence indicates a healthy ecosystem.

Read it here:
mailchi.mp/913264db09a0...
New subscribers welcome!

Our acid grassland ecology depends on yellow meadow ants turning over the soil and cycling nutrients, and a host of invertebrates, microbes, fungi + plants

Insecticides in pet fur have huge potential to damage meadow ant colonies + soil ecology

PLEASE NEVER leave dog fur
PLEASE NEVER leave dog poo

PLEASE NEVER leave dog/cat fur lying on the ground in parks and gardens.

New research shows insecticides in nests lined with fur reduce wild bird brood sizes due to flea/tick treatments.

It took almost 2hrs to clear fur from Hampton Heath, today.
1/2

This week's Hampton Heath Friends newsletter:

- Important information for pet owners, about the devastating impact pet fur can have on nesting birds

- Results from the Big Garden Birdwatch

- All the details of actions on site, this Saturday morning.

Read it here:
mailchi.mp/c8df8cf41b75...

Tomorrow (Saturday 11th Jan) we’ll be on site as usual, for some bramble clearance, grassland management, and to review options for our densest little patch of woodland.

Meet outside David Lloyd, Hampton at 10am!

Last week's progress...
Before. After.

Did you know:
Every single species record from Hampton Heath is publicly available on Inaturalist, here:

www.inaturalist.org/observations...

You can filter the records to search for what you're looking for using the button, top-right - or change the view to list by species ID.

Great news for nature in Hampton, SW London:

Oldfield Meadow (next to St Mary's School) was transferred to nature conservation at committee last night.
Plans for a new nature-based local park can begin!

Who wants to be involved right from the start?
@rtfoe.bsky.social
@habsandheritage.bsky.social

We are Hampton Heath Friends. Located in SW London, we clean litter, manage and restore habitats at Hampton Heath - a public green space surrounding David Lloyd, Hampton.
We'd love to hear from you on all matters environmental in Hampton, Fulwell, Hampton Hill and Hanworth.

Https://Hamptonheath.org