Helen McAra
@hedgerownibbler.bsky.social
I run plant & fungi ident courses, helping people reconnect with nature & discover the amazing wild foods of the UK. Nature lover especially wild orchids. Often found in woods & meadows hunting for inner peace and fungi. Wild Seasons Foraging #wildfood
Glorious beech tree in Savernake Forest, Wiltshire today doing its best sun salutation position on a gorgeous sunny day. What a wonderful sight! 💛
November 1, 2025 at 9:17 PM
Glorious beech tree in Savernake Forest, Wiltshire today doing its best sun salutation position on a gorgeous sunny day. What a wonderful sight! 💛
Verdigris agaric or Stropharia aeruginosa - I posted this photo a few weeks ago with the wrong name. Reposting now to compare with its’s relative Redlead roundhead. There are so many species fruiting at the moment my brain is struggling to keep up with all the indentification 😵💫 #ukfungi
October 17, 2025 at 7:36 PM
Verdigris agaric or Stropharia aeruginosa - I posted this photo a few weeks ago with the wrong name. Reposting now to compare with its’s relative Redlead roundhead. There are so many species fruiting at the moment my brain is struggling to keep up with all the indentification 😵💫 #ukfungi
This pretty little mushroom is a Redlead Roundhead (surely should be Wooly socked scaly foxcap) aka Stropharia aurantiaca. This fungus grows out of rotting wood and can be found in clusters - what a stunner! The cap really is a orangey/red as the photo shows. #ukfungi
October 17, 2025 at 7:23 PM
This pretty little mushroom is a Redlead Roundhead (surely should be Wooly socked scaly foxcap) aka Stropharia aurantiaca. This fungus grows out of rotting wood and can be found in clusters - what a stunner! The cap really is a orangey/red as the photo shows. #ukfungi
Violet webcap (Cortinarius violaceus) growing under gorse today near the Devil’s Punchbowl in Surrey. An absolute stunner of a mushroom and nationally rare - it’s always good to see these beauties.
#ukfungi
#ukfungi
October 10, 2025 at 8:38 PM
Violet webcap (Cortinarius violaceus) growing under gorse today near the Devil’s Punchbowl in Surrey. An absolute stunner of a mushroom and nationally rare - it’s always good to see these beauties.
#ukfungi
#ukfungi
Amanita phalloides - Death Cap: always a thrill to find one if these beauties. I don’t see them that often so it was good to find one today. Sorry about the lighting. #ukfungi
October 6, 2025 at 4:16 PM
Amanita phalloides - Death Cap: always a thrill to find one if these beauties. I don’t see them that often so it was good to find one today. Sorry about the lighting. #ukfungi
Happy UK Fungus Day! All of these were photographed by me in the UK. Aren’t they beautiful!
#ukfungi #ukfungusday
#ukfungi #ukfungusday
October 4, 2025 at 10:06 AM
Happy UK Fungus Day! All of these were photographed by me in the UK. Aren’t they beautiful!
#ukfungi #ukfungusday
#ukfungi #ukfungusday
Parasol mushrooms (Macrolepiota procera) - these tasty mushrooms are incredibly tall (up to 25cm) with very large caps (15-35cm). These ones have their caps still curled under so they look like timpani drumsticks. They always make me marvel at their size every time I see them. Pretty common #ukfungi
October 2, 2025 at 5:48 PM
Parasol mushrooms (Macrolepiota procera) - these tasty mushrooms are incredibly tall (up to 25cm) with very large caps (15-35cm). These ones have their caps still curled under so they look like timpani drumsticks. They always make me marvel at their size every time I see them. Pretty common #ukfungi
More beautiful Fly agarics today - look at this gorgeous group! As beautiful as any flower in my opinion. We are having an amazing autumn for fungi generally but the numbers of Fly agarics is incredible. Hope you can head out into the woods to see them this week. #ukfungi
September 29, 2025 at 6:53 PM
More beautiful Fly agarics today - look at this gorgeous group! As beautiful as any flower in my opinion. We are having an amazing autumn for fungi generally but the numbers of Fly agarics is incredible. Hope you can head out into the woods to see them this week. #ukfungi
Fly agarics (Amanita muscaria) aren’t rare by any means but they are absolutely stunning mushrooms. They are at their peak right now in southern England and the woods are full of these beauties.
#ukfungi
#ukfungi
September 27, 2025 at 9:07 PM
Fly agarics (Amanita muscaria) aren’t rare by any means but they are absolutely stunning mushrooms. They are at their peak right now in southern England and the woods are full of these beauties.
#ukfungi
#ukfungi
Late again for #wildflowerhour and these aren’t pink but I wanted to show you these beautiful meadow cranesbills. I found a secluded meadow in Ashdown Hanger where there were thousands of these stunners with meadowsweet and agrimony. The place was alive with butterflies - you’d have loved it. #bsbi
July 7, 2025 at 6:51 AM
Late again for #wildflowerhour and these aren’t pink but I wanted to show you these beautiful meadow cranesbills. I found a secluded meadow in Ashdown Hanger where there were thousands of these stunners with meadowsweet and agrimony. The place was alive with butterflies - you’d have loved it. #bsbi
Need a bit of help with this one please #wildflowerhour. I’m staying in Kefalonia and went up Mount Aenos for the flowers and the view. Found this little beauty. Is it Cymbalaria microcalyx acutiloba - I’m not sure? Anyone recognise it? It looks like Ivy leaved toadflax but it has hairy leaves.
June 22, 2025 at 6:25 PM
Need a bit of help with this one please #wildflowerhour. I’m staying in Kefalonia and went up Mount Aenos for the flowers and the view. Found this little beauty. Is it Cymbalaria microcalyx acutiloba - I’m not sure? Anyone recognise it? It looks like Ivy leaved toadflax but it has hairy leaves.
And relax! 🇬🇷 Olive harvest is looking promising.
#backinmyhappyplace
#backinmyhappyplace
June 18, 2025 at 3:05 PM
And relax! 🇬🇷 Olive harvest is looking promising.
#backinmyhappyplace
#backinmyhappyplace
Southern marsh orchid looking fabulous at a SANG near Godalming, Surrey. I’ve been a little underwhelmed by SANGs beforehand but this one was gorgeous with lots of damp and dry meadowland, reed beds and small coppices. It was full of birdsong too and a fantastic boardwalk through the watermeadow.
June 11, 2025 at 2:05 PM
Southern marsh orchid looking fabulous at a SANG near Godalming, Surrey. I’ve been a little underwhelmed by SANGs beforehand but this one was gorgeous with lots of damp and dry meadowland, reed beds and small coppices. It was full of birdsong too and a fantastic boardwalk through the watermeadow.
I know us orchid lovers have seen hundreds of common spotted orchids but look how perfectly gorgeous this plant is! There’s nothing common about this level of beauty. It made the man orchids growing nearby look a bit drab.
#bsbi #ukorchids #wildflowerhour #iknowimlate
#bsbi #ukorchids #wildflowerhour #iknowimlate
June 9, 2025 at 3:33 PM
I know us orchid lovers have seen hundreds of common spotted orchids but look how perfectly gorgeous this plant is! There’s nothing common about this level of beauty. It made the man orchids growing nearby look a bit drab.
#bsbi #ukorchids #wildflowerhour #iknowimlate
#bsbi #ukorchids #wildflowerhour #iknowimlate
Ok, I know it’s not Sunday now but here is my new entry for the #wildflowerhour #orchidchallenge (sorry they are my addiction). Greater butterfly orchid looking perfect - one amongst quite a good number at Cobbett’s View in the Ashdown Hanger Nature Reserve, Hants. Lots of common spotted too. #bsbi
June 4, 2025 at 6:38 PM
Ok, I know it’s not Sunday now but here is my new entry for the #wildflowerhour #orchidchallenge (sorry they are my addiction). Greater butterfly orchid looking perfect - one amongst quite a good number at Cobbett’s View in the Ashdown Hanger Nature Reserve, Hants. Lots of common spotted too. #bsbi
Volume up full.
Evening chorus featuring a nightingale as the lead. Filmed yesterday in a West Sussex wildflower meadow (that looks more like a Greek olive grove because of the drought). #ukwildlife #bsbi
Evening chorus featuring a nightingale as the lead. Filmed yesterday in a West Sussex wildflower meadow (that looks more like a Greek olive grove because of the drought). #ukwildlife #bsbi
June 3, 2025 at 6:52 AM
Volume up full.
Evening chorus featuring a nightingale as the lead. Filmed yesterday in a West Sussex wildflower meadow (that looks more like a Greek olive grove because of the drought). #ukwildlife #bsbi
Evening chorus featuring a nightingale as the lead. Filmed yesterday in a West Sussex wildflower meadow (that looks more like a Greek olive grove because of the drought). #ukwildlife #bsbi
My orchids for this week’s #wildflowerhour and the #orchidchallenge. A green flowered fly orchid and a chunky chalk fragrant from a certain Hill in Hampshire and a couple of sword leaved helleborines (my fav) from that famous wood. All of these are classy flowers (well all orchids are obviously).
June 1, 2025 at 7:06 PM
My orchids for this week’s #wildflowerhour and the #orchidchallenge. A green flowered fly orchid and a chunky chalk fragrant from a certain Hill in Hampshire and a couple of sword leaved helleborines (my fav) from that famous wood. All of these are classy flowers (well all orchids are obviously).
I missed #wildflowerhour yesterday (fell asleep on the sofa after a very busy weekend) but here is my favourite from this week - Solomon’s seal (Polygonatum multiflorum) in a wood more famous for it’s Sword-leaved helleborines, which were also looking lovely and spreading too 😃. #bsbi
May 19, 2025 at 8:33 AM
I missed #wildflowerhour yesterday (fell asleep on the sofa after a very busy weekend) but here is my favourite from this week - Solomon’s seal (Polygonatum multiflorum) in a wood more famous for it’s Sword-leaved helleborines, which were also looking lovely and spreading too 😃. #bsbi
Greater celandine and green alkanet with a view towards part of the South Downs. #wildflowerhour #bsbibotany
@bsbibotany.bsky.social
@bsbibotany.bsky.social
May 4, 2025 at 7:15 PM
Greater celandine and green alkanet with a view towards part of the South Downs. #wildflowerhour #bsbibotany
@bsbibotany.bsky.social
@bsbibotany.bsky.social
Garlic mustard or Jack-by-the-hedge is having a bumper year. I’ve never seen so many. Hopefully they’ll give our orange tip butterfly numbers a boost. #wildflowerhour @bsbibotany.bsky.social
April 27, 2025 at 7:24 PM
Garlic mustard or Jack-by-the-hedge is having a bumper year. I’ve never seen so many. Hopefully they’ll give our orange tip butterfly numbers a boost. #wildflowerhour @bsbibotany.bsky.social
More bluebells - so beautiful and such a shame that photos don’t really capture the blue. And a Dryad’s saddle, an edible mushroom known as Pheasant’s back in the US, that often appears in spring. Cap can grow to approximately 40am across with handsome “feather tip” markings. Very tasty! #wildfood
April 27, 2025 at 3:26 PM
More bluebells - so beautiful and such a shame that photos don’t really capture the blue. And a Dryad’s saddle, an edible mushroom known as Pheasant’s back in the US, that often appears in spring. Cap can grow to approximately 40am across with handsome “feather tip” markings. Very tasty! #wildfood
Blooms with a view - cowslips in the Surrey Hills. #bloomscrolling
April 25, 2025 at 5:24 PM
Blooms with a view - cowslips in the Surrey Hills. #bloomscrolling
Yesterday I posted a reel on Insta and FB about the stunning South Downs National Park - 4 likes, 112 views. Last week short reel about wild foods of the week (it was rushed) - 22 likes, 1.2k views. I find SM baffling. Anyway hope you lovely lot like my South Downs photo and beat my Insta score.
April 10, 2025 at 6:48 AM
Yesterday I posted a reel on Insta and FB about the stunning South Downs National Park - 4 likes, 112 views. Last week short reel about wild foods of the week (it was rushed) - 22 likes, 1.2k views. I find SM baffling. Anyway hope you lovely lot like my South Downs photo and beat my Insta score.
After some worrying times recently, a day spent in the tropical houses at Kew Gardens has been the perfect way to brighten my spirits. The jaw dropping wonder of plants is always a huge tonic and the orchid festival was a feast for the eyes and the soul. #orchidlove
February 24, 2025 at 7:38 PM
After some worrying times recently, a day spent in the tropical houses at Kew Gardens has been the perfect way to brighten my spirits. The jaw dropping wonder of plants is always a huge tonic and the orchid festival was a feast for the eyes and the soul. #orchidlove
Ophrys colossaea from a wonderful trip to Rhodes in April a couple of years ago. I’m dreaming of Rhodes and it’s beautiful flora right now and kicking myself for not booking a trip. A massive thank you to @matthewberry.bsky.social for his help finding this beauty.
February 17, 2025 at 7:19 PM
Ophrys colossaea from a wonderful trip to Rhodes in April a couple of years ago. I’m dreaming of Rhodes and it’s beautiful flora right now and kicking myself for not booking a trip. A massive thank you to @matthewberry.bsky.social for his help finding this beauty.