Rosie's UEA Ecology Blog

A Jelly Ear Fungus growing on a rotting branch. This peculiar-looking organism is a Jelly Ear fungus ( Auricularia auricula-judae ). This fungus grows on decaying wood year-round and looks suspiciously like a velvety human ear. They have a preference for Elder, Sycamore, Ash and Beech wood and like damp and shady habitats. Jelly Ears can freeze completely during cold spells, then thaw and continue growing when it warms up, which is pretty amazing! This gelatinous fungus is actually edible and can grow up to 10cm in width. Though it has no distinct flavour of its own, it can absorb flavours well and so acts similarly to tofu.  Jelly Ears are similar in appearance to Bay Cup fungus, which grows on the ground instead, and should not be eaten as it is poisonous. It also appears similar to species in the genus Peziza , but these grow with the ear facing upwards, whereas Jelly Ears face down. It was used traditionally in medicine to treat various conditions of body parts that it was said...

Tiny and adorable, ladybirds are awesome minibeasts. They belong to the insect order Coleoptera, or beetles, and have hard shell-like wing cases known as elytra. Ladybirds are a family of beetles called Coccinellidae, which contains over 6000 described species, and are found on every continent except Antarctica. They are mostly carnivorous, eating other insects such as aphids. This makes them a crucial ally when it comes to growing plants, and they are used in some cases as a natural pest control by farmers. A close-up of a Harlequin ladybird ( Harmonia axyridis ), an invasive ladybird species in the UK. Some ladybirds can be more destructive than beneficial, like the Harlequin ladybird which arrived in the UK from Asia in 2004, and is now widespread. It has been outcompeting our native species of ladybirds for resources such as food, and has can also predate their eggs and larvae. It is faster at reproducing than our native ladybirds too, meaning the population can grow rapidly and ov...

A Peacock butterfly basking on a bench. The Peacock butterfly ( Alagis io ) is certainly one that can't be missed! It is bright red with amazing lilac-blue eyespots on both the fore and hind wings, when freshly emerged, they are truly pristine and look incredible. A large habitat range means that the Peacock is widespread across the UK, they only really have one foodplant, the nettle, but this species is also widespread. Peacocks defend their territories fiercely, diving at other butterflies (both other Peacocks and other species) and even people! They definitely have unrealistic egos. A Peacock butterfly, with eyespot highlighted. The Peacock overwinters as an adult, often seeking out dark, sheltered spots such as sheds and garages to snooze in. Emerging again in early spring, they mate and lay eggs, with the caterpillars hatching in late spring to early summer and the next generation of adults emerging in mid to late summer, ready to restart the cycle. The caterpillars are a deep...

A relative of primroses and known for their nodding, bright yellow heads of flowers, the Cowslip ( Primula veris ) is a wildflower closely associated with English folklore and traditional hay meadows. Cowslips have declined with the traditional hay meadows of the English countryside, and fields full of nodding yellow heads are now a rarer sight than they have been in the past. The name Cowslip actually comes from cow-slop meaning cow pat which, although not the best name for such beautiful flower, refers to their meadow habitat. Cowslips have traditionally been used as confetti at weddings and for adorning May Day garlands. T hey are the county flowers of Surrey, Essex, Northamptonshire and Worcestershire. Due to their key role in English heritage, they have acquired many different colloquial names including "bunch of keys", "herb Peter", "St Peter's keys", "key of heaven", and "paigles". References to keys come from their shape (cl...

A queen Buff-Tailed bumblebee using her proboscis to feed from Ground Ivy flowers. One of the first pollinators to emerge in the spring is the Buff-Tailed Bumblebee ( Bombus terrestris ). So named after the buff-coloured tail of the queen bumblebees which emerge first, though the workers have an almost white tail and can often be confused with the White-Tailed bumblebee. Bumblebees nest in colonies underground, and bumblebees as big as the Buff-Tailed (~2 cm in length) frequently use old mammal nests (for example mice and voles). Buff-Tailed bumblebee colonies are large, and can reach 600 individuals! Buff-Tailed bumblebees are parasitised by the cuckoo-bee  Bombus vestalis , so called as it is a brood parasite, taking over the nests of its host, much like a cuckoo. It does this by killing the host queen and takes her place, so the host workers unknowingly raise the parasite's young. A Buff-Tailed bumblebee feeding from Ground Ivy, although the flowers are not very 'open', ...

Though more indigo-purple in colour, bluebells ( Hyacinthoides non-scripta ) are a definite sign of spring. Their characteristic scent and carpeting of forest floors (sometimes in their millions!) is a well-known scene of mid April. A mixture of bluebells and wood anemones carpeting the floor of an ancient woodland. Bluebells are an ancient woodland indicator species, as they take many years to develop into a flowering plant from seed, so rely on the stability of the environment to develop into the swathes that dominate some UK woodlands at this time of year. They grow leaves and flower before the canopy of the woodland has fully developed, so as to make use of the increased light reaching the forest floor. As bluebells emerge early in the year and in such abundance, they provide a very important nectar source for early-emerging pollinators including bees and butterflies. A bluebell imposter. The image above shows what, at first glance, appears to be a normal bluebell, but is actually ...

A pair of Mute swans, shot through my binoculars. As one of the UK's largest birds, and being bright white, the Mute swan ( Cygnus olor ) is difficult to miss as it patrols the waterways with an elegance frequently remarked upon by authors and poets. The most well known is perhaps its appearance in the children's story The Ugly Ducking  by Hans Christian Andersen, where he describes the swan's transformation from cygnet to adult from 'ugly' to beautiful. Mute swans have long been associated with royalty, eating them was seen as a status symbol in the past, as payment to monarchy was required for the privilege. In order to own swans in the 15th century, payment needed to be made to the king to receive a 'swan mark' which was engraved into the beaks of the swans, any unmarked swans were property of the monarch. This practice was continued until the 19th century, when the wife of King Edward VII, Queen Alexandra stopped it, as it was considered an unnecessary c...