Author Archives: Sabena Blackbird

Tony Carter asked me to circulate this to members regarding research into Powdery Mildews. Please contribute if you are able 🙂 Powdery mildews commonly occur on garden plants, are unsightly, and can cause serious damage. To help understand how widespread … Continue reading →

Spent a wonderful weekend at a wedding reception at Plas Maenan, a beautifully restored Edwardian mansion on a bluff 300 feet above the Conwy Valley. Managed to drag myself away from the champagne to have a wander around the grounds. … Continue reading →

After dropping off the half a dozen members to explore the National Trust’s Bodnant Gardens the remainder continued the short distance to the village of Abergwyngregyn and a walk to Aber Falls . The Aber Valley is geologically rich with … Continue reading →

Richard Surman, Ron Crossley, DaveB and I headed over to Coed Llangwyfan, a broad-leaved and coniferous woodland below the Iron Age hillfort on Pen-y-Cloddiau in the Clwydian Range AONB. A cool start as we parked up with Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff, … Continue reading →

We visited a new venue on our MNA Coach Trip – Manifold Valley in Staffordshire’s White Peak area. The track ran along the former route of the Leek and Manifold Light Railway through a wooded valley beside the Manifold River. … Continue reading →

Kodchasri – a Thai mythical creature with a lion’s body and an elephant’s head Spent the Easter break indulging the cultural and culinary delights of Thailand. A hectic trip  – as per the norm but I did find some time … Continue reading →

FROM TONY CARTER Sunday 12th April 2015 The Ken Jordan Memorial Foray. Ten hardy souls attended this North West Fungus Group foray, including David Bryant and Joanne Moore from the Biodiverse Society Project. I walked round the area on Tuesday, … Continue reading →

The first MNA coach trip of 2015 saw us returning to Marton Mere SSSI on the outskirts of Blackpool.  We disembarked and wandered past some allotments which had good stands of rhubarb and some dried up globe artichokes. Plenty of … Continue reading →

Keel-billed Toucan Ramphastos sulfuratus, the National Bird of Belize Just returned from a couple of hectic weeks in Central America visiting Belize with a couple of days in Guatemala. We thoroughly enjoyed visiting a number of wildlife areas including Crooked Tree, Cockscomb … Continue reading →

Twenty five members joined the final MNA coach trip of the year to Leighton Moss RSPB Reserve. Our fungi foraging got under way at Charnock Richard motorway services with the dark grey form of Oyster Mushroom Pleurotus ostreatus var. columbinus … Continue reading →