Square Fungi

Managed a quick foray into my home 1k square on Sunday morning, mainly looking for fungi. I headed straight down to a scrubby track at the back of fields where I knew there was a decent pile of felled tree trunks and branches, and sure enough I scored with some nice additions to the square list.

Small Stagshorn

Brown Cup

Common Eyelash

Candlesnuff

Also a few that I've already recorded this year, like Jelly Ear, Cramp Balls, Velvet Shank and these:

Crystal Brain

Shaggy Parasol

Fungus ...

... I WIN!

Don't panic, I've not gone completely mad though anyone who hasn't seen this mental blog will have no idea what I am on about. Have a look at the Field Guide as well.

This morning was one of the those superb bright crisp days with a frost. I decided to spend an hour or so our with the camera looking for fungi. Seeing as I had to go and pick up Isabelle from Ullesthorpe I decided to walk along the old railway cutting near Leire, known as the Jubilee Walk. Down in the cutting it was pretty damp and mossy with plenty of fallen branches hosting fungi. I found a few species, including at least three definitely new for me plus others that I haven't managed to ID as yet.

First up, this is Purple Jellydisc (Ascocoryne sarcoides)

This one is Crystal Brain Fungus (Exida nucleata) - fungi have great vernaculars.

I only took one shot of this next one and didn't really see it properly, otherwise I'd have tried to get a better shot showing why it is called Common Eyelash (Scutellinia scutellata) - I've posted a close crop to show the lashes.

Not sure what this next one is, and not sure if it is a fungi or a slime mould of some sort - very velvety looking edge to the 'crust'. I'm sure it's the same thing growing in the moss on the following shot.

Shaded spots along the cutting were still frosted up. Here's a frost-crystal interlude ....

The next three species are not new to me, but it was a good opportunity to try and get new/better shots.

Candlesnuff Fungus (Xylaria hypoxylon) - as is the opening shot on this post.

Common Jellyspot (Dacrymyces stillatus)

Jelly Ear (Auricularia auricula-judae)

The next three bracket type fungi are all as yet unidentified - though none of them look especially exciting.