Reading & District Natural History Society

The Control Tower car park on the north side of Greenham Common was the starting point for the walk on Saturday 29th August, led by Jan Haseler. Plants at the nearest pond included Water-plantain and White Water-lily and also, regrettably, the invasive New Zealand Pigmyweed Crassula helmsii. Brown China-mark moths were found in the waterside [...]

The Society’s annual moth-trapping night was held at the National Trust’s Basildon Park this year on Saturday 15th August. Members arrived at Coddesdon Lodge, on the north-west side of the park, as dusk was beginning to fall. It is an area of mixed woodland with mature oaks and ash trees. Bright mercury vapour lights were [...]

Thirteen members and guests met at the rather improbable starting point of Morrison’s supermarket car park and made their way to the path between the Foudry Brook and the A33 to look at the plants in and near the brook and in the rough land beside the road.  The most instantly striking observation was the [...]

On Saturday 1st August, Sally Rankin led a walk round Nettlebed Common. The recent wet weather had brought out an early flush of fungi. The group were alerted to the presence of a Stinkhorn by a strong and unpleasant smell – it was covered with flies, which obviously found the scent attractive. The clay cap [...]