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Fay Newbery

@fayrnhawk.bsky.social
291 followers 115 following 287 posts

Plant pathologist with an interest in microfungi on plants, lichens, lichenicolous fungi and aquatic hyphomycetes.

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Reposted by Fay Newbery
Jake Dalzell @bitheolaidhe.bsky.social · 21h
Doassansiopsis hydrophila on Potamogeton on Monday - this is one of a group of fungi infecting aquatic plants, with large spore balls (~0.2mm) which presumably float to their next host. #FungiFriends #WildPlantDisease
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Fay Newbery @fayrnhawk.bsky.social · 11h
Great to see The Lichenologist journal arrive on Bluesky with details of their latest publication.
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Bob Lynn @boblynn.bsky.social · 03/11/2025
Ellen Hutchins: The Botanist Who Catalogued an Island from Her Sickbed voxmeditantis.com/2025/11/03/e... #WomenInSTEM #STEM #Cryptogams #Bryology #Phycology
voxmeditantis.com
Ellen Hutchins: The Botanist Who Catalogued an Island from Her Sickbed
Ireland’s first female botanist speaks from beyond the archive. Ellen Hutchins discovered twenty species whilst bedridden, created watercolours so precise they settled centuries-old debates a…
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Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland (BSBI) @bsbibotany.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
The 5th iteration of the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group (APG V) classification has been published. It's #OpenAccess, so check it out here: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
Large‐scale nuclear and plastid phylogenomic analyses inform an updated Angiosperm Phylogeny Group classification: APG V
We present here a revision of the APG classification that considers the extensive recent analyses of hundreds of nuclear and plastid genes for many angiosperm species. Although previous versions of t...
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Peter Braubach @peterbraubach.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Nectriopsis lecanodes, a lichenicolous fungus on Peltigera (in this case P. praetextata). #lichen #fungifriends
Olive green lichen between moss. Parts of the lichen are turning orange and exhibiting tiny blobs - an infection with Nectriopsis lecanodes (another fungus).
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Fay Newbery @fayrnhawk.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
So much care and so many skills required. I'm in awe!
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James Emerson @norwichbirder.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
This little copse of skinny matchstick-like structures is Melanospora lagenaria, a mycoparasite occurring here on an old specimen of Birch Polypore, Fomitopsis betulina.
The photo shows the creamy underside of a Birch Polypore, with some dark brown matchstick like projections growing up from it and a black rim in the background.
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Fay Newbery @fayrnhawk.bsky.social · 06/09/2026
I've recently discovered Martyn Kelly's Microscope and Monsters blog which I'm thoroughly enjoying. The post below illustrates how many ecologists are often fungi blind, failing to recognise, or mention, the importance of fungi in ecosystems. microscopesandmonsters.wordpress.com/2017/10/29/a...
microscopesandmonsters.wordpress.com
A very dilute compost heap …
It is hard to believe that this idyllic view is within a kilometre of the centre of Newcastle.   We are standing in Jesmond Dene, a steep-sided valley that is now, thanks to the largesse of Lord Ar…
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Fay Newbery @fayrnhawk.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
A huge loss. DrM fought so hard to help people to overcome plant blindness. So many botany students learnt from him. Few tutors teach by song but DrM certainly did!
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Anthony Speca | Aspen Ecology @aspenecology.com · 05/09/2026
Collemopsidium pelvetiae: extraordinary 3-part #lichen involving #fungus, #cyanobacterium and #seaweed! Vanishingly few records in Britain. I suspect it's not quite so rare: I found it on 3 of 6 beaches searched on summer holiday in Scotland. Grows only on channelled wrack (Pelvetia canaliculata).
Collemopsidium pelvetiae : Scotland : VC97 West Inverness-shire : NM6589 Traigh : July 2026 : On frond of channelled wrack (Pelvetia canaliculata)
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Forest Research @forestresearchuk.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
Do you participate in nature-related citizen science – or would you like to?📱Take part in our survey: ow.ly/bIee50ZHB6o 🔗 More information: ow.ly/EqKX50ZHB6s #CitizenScience #ForestResearch
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Fay Newbery @fayrnhawk.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
Praise for all the microorganisms that help to degrade dead plant material in aquatic ecosystems. These include #aquatichyphomycetes. microscopesandmonsters.wordpress.com/2013/10/07/a...
microscopesandmonsters.wordpress.com
About crackers, peanut butter and marmite …
I’m a sucker for good metaphors and analogies when I’m teaching. These are great for linking the ideas that I am trying to communicate with things with which the students are already familiar. One …
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Fay Newbery @fayrnhawk.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
Beautiful!
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Fay Newbery @fayrnhawk.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
I like the look of those, stickers @bernoid.bsky.social Have you thought about making a set available?
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Fay Newbery @fayrnhawk.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
Great as always!
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Fay Newbery @fayrnhawk.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
I'm not an insect lover (yet!), but these are cute.
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Fay Newbery @fayrnhawk.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
I love to see people's plant pathogen finds. It shows me what to look out for. Thanks for sharing this one @bitheolaidhe.bsky.social
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Fay Newbery @fayrnhawk.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
I've been driving but great to know that I can listen to at least part of this interview this evening.
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Jennifer Anderson @jandbio.bsky.social · 29/08/2026
📻 Monday 12:09 on channel P1 and online (mixed English & Swedish) Tune in to hear @zimingwang.bsky.social and I discuss #AquaticFungi with journalist Sara Sällström of #SverigesRadio! We hope people will be inspired to learn more! www.sverigesradio.se/vetenskap
Scientist Dr. Ziming Wang is in the middle of the Fyris River (which has very low water in this photo) with scientific equipment around him on the rocks. Ziming is taking water samples from the river for the study of aquatic fungi. Journalist Sara Sällström is navagiating the rocks to get close to Ziming with her microphone to record the sounds of doing this research. A spiky black piece of art appears over Sara's right shoulder. This is part of an art instillation at Ulva Kvarn at the time of the recording. Art by Johan Fremling "Den obekymrade vägvisaren" ("The carefree guide").
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Fay Newbery @fayrnhawk.bsky.social · 30/08/2026
Well done @sim-elliott.bsky.social for making opportunities available for people to find out about lichens and the importance of open parkland.
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Bernoid @bernoid.bsky.social · 29/08/2026
“Blessed are they who see beautiful things in humble places where other people see nothing”​ - Camille Pissarro
A drain cover with moss growing through its holes. Beauty in the mundane.
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Fay Newbery @fayrnhawk.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
A useful conversation on location precision in biological records. What is fit for purpose in one biological group doesn't always work for other groups.
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Fay Newbery @fayrnhawk.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
I'm not an earthworm fan but this video is really interesting. It reminds me of Grime's ecological triangle for plant growth strategies: ruderals, competitors and stress-tolerators.
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James Hughes @dystopian-fashion.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
A beautiful dialogue with the environment. This textile installation intricately mimics the growth patterns of moss and lichen, seamlessly blending fiber craft with the living bark of the tree. In memory of the brilliant artist Hannah Streefkerk (1973–2018). Artwork title: "Symbiosis"
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Jake Dalzell @bitheolaidhe.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
An interesting leaf spot today: Jamesdicksonia dactylidis on Yorkshire Fog. It forms masses of dark brown spores in the mesophyll. This was apparently the first Irish record. #FungiFriends #WildPlantDisease
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Ruhrpott-Pilze @ruhrpottpilze.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
Puccinia modiolae ex Alcea rosea Duisburg-Homberg, NRW, Germany, 8.8.2026 #Puccinia #Pucciniamodiolae #Rostpilz #Rustfungus #Alcea #Alcearosea #Phytopathology #FungiFriends #Nature #FungiFriday
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Biological Recording Company @biologicalrecording.co.uk · 12/08/2026
What can a pond tell you about the health of a city? More than you might think. Join Dr Rachel Walker on 15 Sept to explore urban pond conservation, indicator species, habitat management and practical monitoring techniques 🐸 🌍 🧪 www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1981358046... @barnescommon.bsky.social
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Dr David Cockburn @nature-in-charge.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
A surprise on examining this ~4mm #gall on Agrostis stolonifera at Broughton Sanctuary; Skipton. Expecting maybe fungal spores, I found it to be full of nematodes up to ~1mm: Subanguina graminophila. Not often recorded. @ynuorg.bsky.social
elongate purplish galls ~4mm long at base of leaf bladegall split opennematodes in gall tissuenematode anterior end
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Cofnod Local Environmental Records Centre @cofnod.org.uk · 13/08/2026
Good coverage of spider recording in UK (lots of modern recording, particularly in England & Wales). Tetrad frequency roughly shows the most intensively recorded areas (unsurprisingly mostly centred on areas with high human population density). @britishspiders.bsky.social
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Fay Newbery @fayrnhawk.bsky.social · 09/08/2026
Not something I often see in flower but maybe it likes the heat. Mind-your-own-business.
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Bat Conservation Trust @batconservation.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
🦇 Do you want to learn how to lead a bat walk? We have a course coming up soon, over two evenings on the 19 and 26 August, online at 6:30pm. More information and how to book: www.bats.org.uk/our-work/tra...
How to Organise & Lead a Bat Walk — 19 & 23 August; a group gathers at dusk in an urban community garden while a guide uses a phone to demonstrate bat‑watching, framed by brick buildings
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Nimblenewt @nimblenewt.bsky.social · 30/07/2026
My greenhouse shelf rotted and when I removed it today I found a pretty crust fungus eating it, and a SLIME MOLD!!!🐸 The crust is Coniophora puteana I think; the slime mold is my old-growth rainforest friend Stemonitis fusca, who I am delighted to meet so unexpectedly! 🤎🤍🤎 #SlimeMold #FungiFriends
A white painted greenhouse shelf is collapsing from rot, the decaying part is coated with a creamy and slightly warty crust fungus. At the bottom of the decayed section 5 clumps of delicate brown fireworks appear to emerge; they are the matte brown fruiting bodies of the chocolate tube slime mold, Stemonitis fusca. Just a beautiful collection of unexpected and delightful organisms!
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Jake Dalzell @bitheolaidhe.bsky.social · 29/07/2026
A gall midge, Kiefferia pericarpiicola, galling the ovaries of wild carrot today at Killard #cecidomyiidae
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Jake Dalzell @bitheolaidhe.bsky.social · 25/07/2026
Phacellium alborosellum, a commonish leaf spot on Cerastium. The large bundles of conidiophores are easily visible under the hand lens. #FungiFriends #WildPlantDisease
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Carlos M Herrera @cmhmaliani.bsky.social · 23/07/2026
Let me introduce the main characters in this story, the Gladiolus and its two Metschnikowia yeasts
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Lukas Large @lukaslarge.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
If you like graveyards (and who doesn't) this is worth downloading 'Understanding Scottish Graveyards' By Betty Willsher. Also relevant to the rest of Britain and places with Scottish immigration like USA and Canada www.archaeopress.com/Archaeopress...
UNDERSTANDING SCOTTISH GRAVEYARDS

Betty Willsher

Revised and expanded by Susan Buckham
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mattrjones.bsky.social @mattrjones.bsky.social · 18/07/2026
Another very exciting plant pathogen this afternoon! Hyalopsora adianti-capilli-veneris on Maidenhair Fern (Adiantum capillus-veneris). Nice enough surprise to stumble across a gorgeous Palustriella tufa flush with lots of the fern. Been checking Adiantum in Britain for this rust for a long time!
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Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland (BSBI) @bsbibotany.bsky.social · 16/07/2026
Say hello to the botanists who started it all! We've added 300+ digitised historical titles to our website, from County Floras to periodicals to Herbals dating back to 1571. We're also bringing our digital archives home & unlocking vital plant history. Explore & support: bsbi.org/blog/2026/07...
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Lukas Large @lukaslarge.bsky.social · 06/07/2026
The book 'Pezizomycetes of Europe' is now available to preorder for €80 #MycoBookClub #FungiFriends ascomycete.org/Book
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Megan Shersby @meganshersby.bsky.social · 11/06/2026
Day 10: Placochela nigripes on Elder. ⭐️ lifer ⭐️ #PanSpeciesListing bsky.app/profile/mega...
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Jake Dalzell @bitheolaidhe.bsky.social · 26/06/2026
I spent the last week in Toraigh, a Gaelic-speaking island community off the coast of Donegal. I found Physoderma negeri on Euphrasia there, a rarely recorded chytrid fungus that forms dark warts. I also danced and sang a lot. A welcome escape from the anglosphere! #FungiFriends #WildPlantDisease
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Biological Recording Company @biologicalrecording.co.uk · 24/06/2026
Tardigrades: the microscopic animals with survival superpowers 🧬 Join this FREE webinar on 20th Oct with Witold Morek (from Wellcome Sanger Institute) to explore how “water bears” survive extreme conditions; and the genetics behind it 🌎 🧪 🔗 www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1978418044... #tardigrades
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Rob Edmunds @vc28nature.bsky.social · 14/06/2026
Chromatomyia spinaciae mines are staring to appear on thistles They form long twisting yellow mines and if you turn the leaf over you can find the pale puparium. These are from the garden today
May be more than one mine in a leaf May be more than one mine in a leaf Yellow long mines Pale colour puparium
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Ciarán Byrne @kiwibyrne.bsky.social · 14/06/2026
Leaf mine of Amauromyza verbasci (Agromyzidae) on Great Mullein (Verbascum thapsus) today in Kildavin, Co. Carlow.
Leaf of Verbascum thapsus held up against the sky to show transmitted light through the leaf.
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Fay Newbery @fayrnhawk.bsky.social · 13/06/2026
Let's ensure fungi and lichens get included in this curriculum!
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James Emerson @norwichbirder.bsky.social · 12/06/2026
Whilst checking Raspberry leaves for aphids this evening I noticed the eggsac of the Ray Spider, Theridiosoma gemmosum. Geoff Oxford has written two guides to distinctive spider eggsacs for BAS britishspiders.org.uk/sites/defaul... and britishspiders.org.uk/sites/defaul... if you want to learn more.
A round brown ball on a white cone, suspended from a green leaf by a silk thread. Its the eggsac of the Ray Spider, Theridiosoma gemmosum.
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Ruhrpott-Pilze @ruhrpottpilze.bsky.social · 10/06/2026
Bremia taraxaci ex Taraxacum sect. Ruderalia Übereisenbach, RLP, Germany, 3.6.2026 #Bremia #Bremiataraxaci #FalscherMehltau #DownyMildew #Taraxacum #Löwenzahn #Phytopathology #Fungifriends #Nature
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Ruhrpott-Pilze @ruhrpottpilze.bsky.social · 11/06/2026
Ceratorhiza rhizodes ex Phalaris arundinacea NSG Alfbachtal, Habscheid, RLP, Germany, 5.6.2026 #Ceratorhizarhizodes #Ceratorhiza #Phalaris #Phalarisarundinacea #Phytopathology #FungiFriends #Nature
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Anthony Speca | Aspen Ecology @aspenecology.com · 29/05/2026
Continuing this nested thread about #marine #lichens. Collemopsidium foveolatum (below) can be confused with less common C sublitorale, which also grows on shells. But perithecia of latter are emergent, not immersed. Both occur on these #barnacles, making difference easier to see. Ormsary, Scotland.
Collemopsidium foveolatum and Collemopsidium sublitorale : Scotland : VC101 Kintyre : August 2022 : On Cirripedia shell
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Fay Newbery @fayrnhawk.bsky.social · 17/05/2026
Another new species! Is species diversity higher in our stream in July? Campylospora chaetocladia.
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