phoned Peter Wilson, yes, he mentioned above w.r.t. molluscs and Great Silver Beetles
at RSPB Rainham, and he suggested they were probably the Great Grey Slug Limax
maximus, which is actually very often spotted in just the way I had seen. Put this one's
name into Google and then click on images to see what he looks like; you will see
spotted ones like mine. And I need not have demolished them, as they cat mostly dead
and/or decaying material, not my tomato plants, nor the spinach beet, nor the radishes,
nor the broad beans. Never mind, 1 shall know for next time, and I am sure there are
more where they came from. And j ust in case you think, dear reader, that these two are
the sum total of molluscs in our garden, you are very much mistaken as we have dozens
of kinds here, in all sizes and shapes and hues, and I wage war against all of them.
Except that, from now onwards, the Great Grey Slugs will not be persecuted again.
Several magazines of local wildlife groups come my way, often due to a presentation 1
have given or am about to give to the group. I always glance through these mags, and
they give a good idea of the huge amount of naturalist activity in Essex. Some of the
writer's names I recognise, as being also Club members, but many are new to me. I meet
loads of delightful and interesting people going to these meetings, and, although they
thank me for going to them, I always learn new things at their meetings, and am thus also
grateful to them for inviting me. Some groups I have been to several times, so I get to
know faces, but I am terrible at names. The Basildon Natural History Society Bulletin
(number 173, 2008) has lots about local butterflies, including consideration of whether
ones extinct in Essex should be re-introduced, and a lot of information from the reserve
they look after at Marks Hill, to which I have received a personal invitation to visit. The
British Naturalists' Association, Epping Forest Branch, have a magazine called Heron
(Number 71, spring 2008), with all sorts of fascinating information about their local
area, including much on Hainault Forest, and an account of nature observations from a
10-year old, complete with drawing of a Sparrow Hawk. These are just the latest ones.
I am aware that lots of other groups out there do valuable work too, and send me their
mag at times, such as the Wickford Wildlife Society who look after Crowsheath Wood,
which I have visited, and many others. Some of these reserves are local ones, others are
EWT reserves where local people do most of the hands-on conservation work. All the
mags are fascinating!
In mid June I noticed a large number of whitish mushrooms in a neighhour's front garden.
They could have been Horse Mushrooms, but I pulled one up and the base of the stipe,
with soil on, instantly turned bright chrome yellow as I broke it, thus making them
Yellow Stainers. They can make people seriously ill, even put you into a coma for 3
days! And, yes, I did tell the owner, who was grateful as he thought they were edible
mushrooms. I have been similarly fooled! Then, while digging some of our new potatoes
for supper in my own garden, there was one between the potato plants. These Yellow
Stainers are quite common in September or October, but I cannot remember having seen
them in June before. Maybe the recent rain brought them up?
Essex Field Club Newsletter No. 57, September 2008
5