NATURA

Outdoors, the birds are most visible. When walking
around in Nottingham the pigeons, gulls, magpies and
different kinds of geese are the most notable. All kinds
of small birds like starlings, blackbirds, blue tits, chaffinches
and wood pigeons can as well be seen flying
around. Pigeons are an example of birds that have effectively
adapted to humans. Pigeons nest in our houses
and even eat from our hand. When walking around in
the city you can be certain to see pigeons.
Plants have been very successful in urban habitats.
Houses and walls are similar to cliffs, and the fertile soil
in the gardens makes this a suitable place for some of
them. Moss and lichens grow on gravestones, on statues,
houses and stone walls. Fungi grow on the trees as well
as on the ground, and a good example is the fly agaric
Amanita muscaria, the mushroom that most of us recognize
from books and fairy tales. In autumn, fly agaric
can be found in many urban areas. The one on the image
was found on a golf field in Beeston, Nottingham.
Image 16. Fly agaric Amanita muscaria .[Non-marked]
Like most other cities, the city of Nottingham can be
divided into many different habitats, such as gardens,
parks, open areas, golf fields, football fields, canals, and
many more. The river Trent runs through Nottingham
and provides an important habitat for many species. In
each habitat something is growing, some plants prefer
shadow while others prefer the sun, some are adapted to
live in a dry soil while others grow just near or in water.
Image 15 .It is common to feed birds and grow plants in the UK, even on a
small balcony like this in Beeston, Nottingham.
Image 17. Mole Talpa europaea, hiding in Attenborough Nature Reserve, Nottingham. [Non-marked]
Urban mammals are not as easily seen as birds. For example moles, common mole or European mole are among
the most common and widespread mammals in the UK. They are hard to see but molehills of soil are easy to find
in Nottingham like many other UK cities. The mole spends most of its time underground in tunnels searching for
earthworms and insects.
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