Fun Times with Fungi

 This is going to be another one of those times when I post a load of photos from one day's shooting because if I don't who knows when I will get round to it. 

When I was last at Martin Mere I noticed quite a few different fungi but I didn't have a tripod or macro lens with me so I didn't try to photograph any of them. However this is the perfect time of year to get out into your nearest woodland and look for  some of our fabulous fungi. So taking advantage of a few free hours and some dry weather I headed off to Thurstaston Common to see what I could see.

I hadn't gone very far before I spotted something and from then on I found loads of different species and I only stopped searching because I needed to go back home for some lunch. I should have known that I would get absorbed and taken some snacks along with me.

Anyway below is a selection of images from todays wanderings. I won't pretend to know what most of these fungi are called, I know there are a couple of shots of some small Jelly Ear Fungus and a couple of Fly Agaric, but not in the vibrant red you might expect. Many of the others were very small and hidden away. When I say small I mean the heads were   a lot smaller than my small fingernail and the stems no thicker than a blade of grass. Such small and fragile plants that do such an important job in our woodlands and heaths. Some of these may be edible, but as I told the various dog walkers who stopped to ask, I have no idea which ones so unless you know its safer to get your mushrooms from your preferred retailer.

Our natural world is full of wonder and beauty, so scroll down and take a look.

Fungus

 Here are a few fungi.

This is a great time of year for spotting fungi in the leaf litter and on the verges. I almost missed some of these because they were well hidden and blending in with the background.

From the heart of my bottom...

So anyone who has followed my blog will know I like to find hearts in nature and I love fungi so when I spotted this Common Earthball  in the undergrowth in Delamere forest in Cheshire I was really pleased because of its heart like shape however photographing it from a different angle it appears more like a crusty butt and that appealed to my sense of humour.

This is a type of puffball but its alternative name of pigskin poison puffball is a clear giveaway, unlike the edible puffballs this one will cause serious gastrointestinal distress so don't try eating them.

My Obsession

I had popped down to Dunham Massey last Saturday to take some photos of the deer, I managed to get a few shots but while following one small group of young deer I spotted a fallen tree covered with loads of fungi. I can never resist something like that and so I was glad to have my macro lens packed in my bag.

Here are just two of the shots I got...

Fleshy Fungus

It is that time of year when a woodland walk will reveal lots of beautiful fungi and I can never resist capturing images of these wonderful organisms.

I will soon be heading to the New Forest for a few days and I am sure that I will be snapping a few more like this.

A Finger of Fungi

I couldn't resist posting another selection of fungi pictures, these were taken along the trail  at Kakabeka Falls Provincial Park.

On my last post I commented about how the fungi have an alien quality and if it was true about the specimens then it is even more true about the first three shots today.

My Obsession

This selection of fungi is testament to how much of an obsession it was on my trip to Canada to capture as many different species of fungi as I could. It was a freezing cold day in Centennial Park and I was out on my own in the forest while nearly everyone else was back at the house in the warm resting up after our mammoth hike the previous day. 

So maybe I am just a little but crazy but I certainly don't regret it. I think these are all amazing varieties, some of them have an alien quality about them especially the second one.

In The Shade

I haven't posted any fungi for a while so I decided to pick a few for today.

It was dark and damp on the forest floor so the light was poor but it suits these little plants just right and if it makes them happy I'm happy.

Is It An Obsession?

Some people might think I have an obsession with fungi after all I do take lots of pictures of them, and when my son asked what I was posting tonight I told him the title of the blog and he guessed "fungi" straight away so maybe there is some truth in that.

However they are really beautiful and so photogenic.

You cant really see from these pictures but the specimens I have chosen today are all really tiny fungi but even though they're very small there is lots to appreciate about them.