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.

In the Leaf Litter

 Meet Trypocopris vernalis.

I love getting down into the undergrowth and leaf litter to find what lurks there. It is so easy to miss what is beneath our feet but there is so much interesting stuff to see. Often it is very small so hard to see, or it moves really quickly so it is very difficult to have a good look let a lone get a decent image.

This little critter scurried across the forest path so I followed it for a little while to see where it would go. At first glance it looks pure black but as the light catches it you can see flashes of brilliant blue. on its belly there is even more blue and it is a really beautiful colour.

The "copris" part of its name gives a hint to one of the characteristics of this beetle, namely its diet, or at least the diet of its larvae since they feed on the dung of animals such as sheep and foxes, YUK! (the poo diet, not the fox). They are a species of dung beetle and their common name is the Common dor beetle or Spring dor beetle. The chances are if you have been out walking in the woods or anywhere in the countryside you will have seen one of these or perhaps one of its cousins as they are widespread across Europe and Asia minor. Despite its dodgy diet they are really cool. Go on take a closer look.

Frozen Dew Drops

As I was preparing to take the shot that I shared yesterday I spotted this leaf on the ground with frozen dew drops clinging tightly to its' surface.

I took a moment to swap from my wide angle lens to my 100mm macro lens and I got down on my knees onto the frozen path to get as close as possible. For the first two images I used the natural light but for the third shot I added a little extra light with the help of my head torch.

I love being able to get a closer look at the little things, macro photography reveals so much detail hat otherwise we would never see and would probably never even imagine to be there. Here you can see little balls of ice are anything but smooth. 

Grey Dagger

This is the caterpillar of the Grey dagger moth, named because of the bold dagger shaped markings on its wings. The moth has a wide range, across Europe, North Africa. Iran, Asia  Siberia and Mongolia, among other places.

An alternate variety is the dark dagger and the caterpillar of the dark dagger moth lacks the distinctive horn in this variety.

This one was busy stocking up on food so that it can over winter as a pupa before emerging in the spring as a beautiful moth.

Autumn Leaves

I haven't had many opportunities to get out with my camera recently so haven't had anything new to share.

This shot was taken in Delamere forest a few weeks ago. Although there were lots of leaves lying on the ground this lone leaf laying on a fallen tree seemed to stand out. I love the colours and different textures that give a real sense that autumn is now in full swing.

Matchsticks in Negative

This tiny fungus made me think of matchsticks in negative. They open out to look like antlers.

I am always amazed at the huge diversity of fungi, it's no wonder I get obsessed.

Amethyst Deceiver

This wonderful fungus Laccaria amethystina lives in both deciduous and coniferous forests.

It is edible but it can absorb arsenic from the soil apparently so I am not sure how you would tell which ones are safe to eat or not.

There were several spread across the forest floor, they are quite small and despite the bold colour they were not immediately obvious, at least not to me. I really like the way they fold upwards and turn inside out.

The Devil's Coach Horse

Ok not a horse, but a beetle. I used to see these a lot as a child and always knew them as Devils Coachman beetles but it has other names too, including cock-tail beetle because of the way it raises its abdomen as you can see in these pictures.

This little critter crossed my path in Delamere forest, it was about 30mm long and with its tail raised you can see the white glands that release a stinky deterrent. 

If you zoom in you can also clearly see its mighty mandibles that are capable of giving a painful bite.

This is a serious predator that feeds at night; moths, insects and invertebrates, slugs and other slimy things make up its diet.

Some adults will survive two winter seasons by hibernating in tiny burrows.

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.

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.

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.

I guess it must be!

So for the third post in a row I have chosen fungi. I will pick a different subject for my next post but rest assured I will certainly be coming back to fungi in future as I have loads more interesting pictures. I should probably try to learn a little but about these things so that I can identify them and at least know a little more about them.

Nevertheless I think they are pretty amazing. All of the specimens today are really tiny, even smaller than those in yesterdays post and they are all really lovely.

I was going to start off by saying something about the red discs in the first image but I now know that they're not red at all so I won't embarrass myself by saying anything about the colour and just say that these tiny discs look amazing against the dark of the damp log they were growing on.

The second one is probably no more that 1cm tall and you can see from the pine needles on the ground around it that it is quite thin too.

Not as thin as the ones in the third shot though with their cotton thin stems and pinhead caps. You may be able to see the way one of the tallest is bending under the weight of a tiny water droplet. These would have been so easy to miss, again the pine needles provide a sense of scale. It is amazing how they even support themselves .

I really like the final specimen which I am reliably told is a mustard yellow. I have seen other varieties like this in a range of colours like purple or grey (I think). I love the pattern on them that makes them look rather like a collapsed umbrella.

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.

More From The Forest Floor

These are just a few of the fungi I found on the fringes of the forest at Centennial Park. They really are fascinating and each one plays a crucial role in the maintenance and well-being of the forest as a whole.

On The Forest Floor

I am pleased to be able share a few more shots of fungi, here are three that I hadn't seen before and I particularly like the second one with its grey and cream cap.

The fourth shot is of moss rather than fungi and I liked the way the different varieties of moss had colonised the rotting log and formed a miniature garden.

I just love being outdoors and the autumn woodland is a perfect place to be. As winter fast approaches I am enjoying looking back over these pictures as reminders of great days out. 

Small Is Beautiful

Here is another super helping of fabulous fungi.

Again this selection highlights the wonderful diversity of fungi, they're so beautiful.