So far this week I've found a few different fungi, some easy to identify, others not so, but this is all part of learning, spending an hour each evening researching the finds.
This morning I had a two hour fungi hunt in Wild Ken Hill wood and a very enjoyable hunt it turned out to be. The last couple of days had given us yet more rain showers all of which as improved the number of fungi appearing in the wood, with I'm sure many more to come. The weather was perfect this morning, a nice breeze, some nice cloud cover along with some nice sunny spells. On my last visit I had found my first Dead Mans Fingers (Xylaria polymorpha), mature examples but I was still over the moon. I had noted the group of Beech trees and was going to return to have a closer look round, if there was one small group then there must be more and boy was I correct. I reached the area and within minutes I was on my knees photographing more fingers, this time much younger and larger groups. It got to the stage where I was finding them around the base of every other tree, they were everywhere. It always amazes me how one can wait ages...
I just wanted to take a few minutes to make sure that anybody who like me are new to the wonderful magical world of mushrooms and fungi, really are careful about foraging and eating any of their finds. There are many fungi that are edible and really safe to eat in this country(some day over 300), but please please make sure you take time to study and research each different specimen you find. Learn about the structure, the colour, smell when cut or sliced and also note the habitat where found as in woodland and by which tree along with grassed areas or mossy damp cpnditions. This will not only help identify the fungi but you can by recording such information know where to search in coming years. There are many good books out there which will help a great deal and of course you have the internet to consult. So make sure you gather as much information as possible until you're confident eating is safe. If it is a safe mushroom but it's ...
After finding some lovely Dryads Saddle earlier this summer I was really surprised to find more new young saddles appearing around the village. These wonderful fungi are edible when young but I'm just addicted to their stunning appearence. When really young they look like Shrek ears but they soon start to develope those beautiful large saddle shape with that feathered design. Blunts Orchard was where the last two saddles grew and yet again those ancient apple trees are the home for more. In the village I found what must be my best ever Dryads Saddle find, a very young example with around ten heads growing on it. After returning just two days later tbe heads were already forming into good sized saddles. It really is becoming a village for Dryads and I for one will continue enjoying there beauty and unique forms.
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