NEW WAXCAP SPECIES!!! - Earthy Waxcap

The first time I have seen this Waxcap Species and I found it right here at The Beeches. The Earthy Waxcap (Cuphophyllus fornicatus) is quite distinctive and the ID has been confirmed. That makes it Species #23 (counting var Pallida as a Species) or #24 if the probable Vitellinus was counted. The question is how much of the extraordinary species count here is due to the fact that I visit it daily as opposed purely to the fungi value of the site.

Macrolepiota konradii

This fungus which has no english name has appeared in exactly the same place it appeared last year. It lives in the barn, right in the entrance where footfall is highest and where the soil is dry and dusty. It is essentially a woodland species although it can be found in grassland. No mention of barn entrances in the books!

Apricot Club - in the lawn

Now that I treat the grassy areas around the house more or less as meadows, cutting them in late summer rather than regularly stuff is starting to appear in them - both plants and fungi. The latest example is Apricot Club (Clavulinopsis luteoalba) in the grass below the South field.

It's bird feeding Jim - but not as we know it

I have had to desist from bird feeding again as I was in fact once again providing a breakfast bar for a Sparrowhawk. He (for it is the male distinguished by the orange breast colour) has taken to sitting on the wall near the feeders figuratively drumming those fearsome claws while he waits for the Tits to arrive. I saw him take two Tits and whilst I am sympathetic to the need for Sparrowhawk chicks to be fed, it's not fair to lure Tits to their death.

Small Tortoiseshell

I perhaps don't pay as much attention to the Small Tortoiseshell because it is one of the commonest butterflies - although not very common this year. There have been one or two around in the last few days and I was reminded how amazing their patterning is. Blue, orange, yellow, black, white and brown - that's some combo.

More Waxcaps here

Three more Waxcap species appeared here in the last two days - two pretty common ones Scarlet Waxcap and Blackening Waxcap and the much less common Dingy Waxcap (Hygrocybe ingrata) pictured above. That makes 11 species or 12 if you count the probable Gloioexanthomyces vitellinus.

White Spindles - Clavaria fragilis

The fungi pace picked up a notch with the appearance here of the first spindles of the year. White Spindles are C. fragilis because they are, well, fragile. Actually the only other spindle that is at all similar is Clavaria acuta which is smaller and less clumpy.

Death Cap

I had my first view of the Death Cap (Amanaita phalloides) yesterday, found in Chepstow Park Wood. I also heard of a recent local incident where some inexperienced foragers had collected a couple in amongst some edible fungi and were intending to eat them until it was discovered by chance. It is a fine looking fungus but I was careful to wash my hands after handling it.