Some Lichens

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 With the trees not being in leaf lichens are much more obvious at this time of year. Here are a couple that I saw on my walk along the Scandal Beck earlier this week.



I am a very long way from being an expert in identifying lichen. My first step these days is to use an App on my phone. It is possible to get Apps that work for most branches of Natural History. The App might not nail down the id definitively but it will put you in the right ball park and give you some likely options. I have been using a free App called iNaturalist that works well in the UK.
Using the App I am saying that the top photo is of a shield lichen (Parmelia) of some sort.The second one looks like Bristly Beard lichen (Usnia).
When I taught at an Outdoor Education Centre I used to explain to children that lichens are a symbiotic arrangement between an Alga and a Fungus. This "marital arrangement" being best memorised by remembering that "Annie Alga and Freddie Fungus had a Lichen for each other"! .......well it was probably amusing if you were 12 years old!
Here is a screen shot of the sort of options that my iNaturalist App offers


Lichens are pretty good indicator species. Some lichen are very sensitive to air pollution and can be used to assess air quality. Air quality must be pretty good around here!

Diary Notes.
I spent some time yesterday in the much warmer weather getting bird boxes ready for the coming season. We have about 12 boxes to suit a variety of birds ( a couple with cameras in) and it works best if these are cleared of last years debris before the birds get around to prospecting.
The farmer next door was spreading slurry yesterday and as a result there was a flock of around 250 common gulls toing and frowing all afternoon. I disturbed a couple of mallard ducks on our pond when I was out for a wander in the afternoon. Some years they nest on our land.
Last nights trail cameras revealed a couple of badgers, a fox, rabbits , a wood mouse, and a farm cat!




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