Phleogena ...

Fenugreek Stalkball (Phleogena faginea)

P. faginea is an infrequent to rare find in Britain with currently only 286 records listed on the British Mycological Society’s Fungal Records Database of Britain and Ireland (FRDBI). The images above are from a small colony I recently discovered in West Sussex on 6th November 2016; the fruiting bodies being located within the cracks between the bark of a living oak tree. Possibly overlooked due to its small size and nature, the NBN Gateway suggests this is predominantly a southern species.

Certainly one to look out for if you like them small …

References:

Sterry, P. and Hughes. B. (2009). Collins Complete Guide to British Mushrooms and Toadstools. London: HarperCollins, p. 338, fig. p. 339.

https://data.nbn.org.uk/Taxa/NBNSYS0000021701

www.fieldmycology.net/GBCHKLST/gbsyns.asp?intGBNum=4702

Middle-earth …

Green Elfcup (Chlorociboria aeruginascens)

C. aeruginascens is a widespread and common ascomycete fungus whose non-fruiting presence is evidenced by the conspicuous blue-green mycelium stained timbers. The beautiful cup-shaped fruiting bodies, generally 2 to 5mm across, are far less frequently encountered. Mainly fruiting during the autumn-winter period, it is always a pleasure to find fresh specimens of this tiny fungus ...

References:

Buczacki, S., Shields, C. and Ovenden, D. (2012). Collins Fungi Guide: The most complete field guide to the mushrooms and toadstools of Britain & Ireland. London: HarperCollins, p. 604, fig. p. 605.

O’Reilly, P. (2016). Fascinated by Fungi – exploring the majesty and mystery, facts and fantasy of the quirkiest kingdom on earth. Llandysul: First Nature, pp. 92-93.

Phillips, R. (2006). Mushrooms. London: Pan Macmillan, p. 377, fig. g.

Sterry, P. and Hughes. B. (2009). Collins Complete Guide to British Mushrooms and Toadstools. London: HarperCollins, p. 308, fig. p. 309.

www.first-nature.com/fungi/chlorociboria-aeruginascens.php

Fungal jungle ...

Ebernoe Common, West Sussex

Where your fungal fantasies come alive ...

Ebernoe Common is a superb example of a habitat which has been almost completely lost from Sussex - a wood pasture, where cattle are allowed to roam freely within the confines of the woodland feeding in the glades and under the trees. The Sussex Wildlife Trust has restored this centuries old practice to the reserve so that once again the delicate balance of trees, flowers, insects, fungi, birds and other species are thriving.

Fungi are a crucial part of the ecosystem, helping some tree species to grow, and others to decay, returning nutrients to the soil. Over 1000 species have been recorded here including many that are nationally rare. A small selection of images from this season are figured above. These include (i) Upright Coral (Ramaria stricta), (ii) Hen of the Woods (Grifola frondosa), (iii) Hare's Ear (Otidea onotica), (iv) the notorious Deathcap (Amanita phalloides), and (v) what I believe to be Common Bonnet (Mycena galericulata).

Ebernoe Common is an internationally important site, which is designated as a National Nature Reserve (NNR), a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and a Special Area for Conservation (SAC) under the Habitats Directive. This means it is illegal to knowingly remove living material, which includes fungi, unless you have specific permission to do so for research purposes.

References:

Buczacki, S., Shields, C. and Ovenden, D. (2012). Collins Fungi Guide: The most complete field guide to the mushrooms and toadstools of Britain & Ireland. London: HarperCollins.

O’Reilly, P. (2016). Fascinated by Fungi – exploring the majesty and mystery, facts and fantasy of the quirkiest kingdom on Earth. Llandysul: First Nature.

Phillips, R. (2006). Mushrooms. London: Pan Macmillan.

Sterry, P. and Hughes. B. (2009). Collins Complete Guide to British Mushrooms and Toadstools. London: HarperCollins.

Sussex Wildlife Trust (2012). Ebernoe Common - Nature Reserve Guide. Woods Mill, Henfield: Sussex Wildlife Trust.

www.kew.org/science-conservation/plants-fungi/fungi

One for sorrow, two for joy …

Magpie Inkcap (Coprinopsis picacea)

West Sussex ...

Although generally found as solitary specimens, C. picacea can also be found in well-spaced small groups. Although relatively frequent in the south of England, where they are mainly found amongst the soil and leaf litter of deciduous woodland, particularly beech, they are a rare find elsewhere. There is certainly something rather special about finding a pristine specimen of this beautiful fungus, or even better, a small group standing upright amongst the leaf litter of their woodland home …

References:

O’Reilly, P. (2016). Fascinated by Fungi – exploring the majesty and mystery, facts and fantasy of the quirkiest kingdom on Earth. Llandysul: First Nature, p.253.

Phillips, R. (2006). Mushrooms. London: Pan Macmillan, pp. 258, fig. p. 259, c.

Sterry, P. and Hughes. B. (2009). Collins Complete Guide to British Mushrooms and Toadstools. London: HarperCollins, p. 218, fig. p. 219.

It's life Jim but not as we know it ...

Welcome to the world of slime …

Although their appearance might suggest that slime moulds are fungi, they are neither fungi nor moulds; though they often form spore-bearing structures that resemble those of true fungi. Most slime moulds are generally deemed by taxonomists to be protists; the oddities of the natural world that don't seem to fit in with the rest of our global taxonomic grouping system - though this classification is still open to some debate.

Although
 many species fruit on decaying wood, they do not form penetrating and absorptive masses of hyphae in the woody
 substrate. Instead, slime moulds form structures called
 plasmodia, which are naked masses of 
protoplasm [a colourless material comprising the living part of a cell], which can move about and engulf particles, in an 
amoeboid-like manner, in order to maximize the nutrients they can draw from their food source. The plasmodia creep about over 
the surfaces of resources, consuming bacteria, fungal spores, plants, protozoa, and small particles of non-living organic
 matter. This continues until the plasmodia convert into spore-bearing
 structures. They are strange and wonderfully varied in colour and form and have names to conjure with such as Wolf's Milk Slime Mould (Lycogala epidendrum) and Dog Vomit Slime Mould (Fuligo septic).

Nice ...

Weird but definitely wonderful ...

References:

O’Reilly, P. (2016). Fascinated by Fungi – exploring the majesty and mystery, facts and fantasy of the quirkiest kingdom on Earth. Llandysul: First Nature, pp.78-79.

Sterry, P. and Hughes. B. (2009). Collins Complete Guide to British Mushrooms and Toadstools. London: HarperCollins, pp. 334-335.

www.flickr.com/photos/biteyourbum/albums/72157664086620474

Departure ...

Red-backed Shrike (Lanius collurio)

Although present throughout the day on Sunday, 2nd October 2016, it appears that the 1st winter Red-backed Shrike (Lanius collurio), which was originally sighted at Newhaven Tidemills on 21st September 2016, has now departed and headed south. Having feasted on the delights of Sussex for at least twelve days this most confiding of birds has finally departed to its wintering grounds. Along with many other migratory birds it faces a journey fraught with danger with many being sadly trapped and killed at the hands of man en route.

I wish it safe passage …

More at:

www.birdguides.com/webzine/article.asp?a=5943

Autumn passage …

Red-backed Shrike (Lanius collurio)

The beautiful Red-backed Shrike L. collurio would once have been the most familiar of the shrike family in both Sussex and the UK for it bred widely, if sparsely, throughout much of England and Wales. However, it sadly declined throughout the 19th and 20th centuries becoming extinct as a breeding bird in Britain from 1992 until 2010. In line with its collapse nationally, the Sussex population, although never large, was certainly declining in the 1930s and the last confirmed breeding was a pair on Ashdown Forest during 1964-68. Other pairs have been recorded, such as those in 1977, 1981 and 1993 but none stayed longer than two days.

Along with many other migratory species of bird, L. collurio is in great danger when travelling to and from their wintering grounds in Africa, with many trapped and killed en route. In Sussex, it is now only seen as a very scarce passage migrant. The best chance of seeing this attractive species now is during autumn passage. Of the 51 birds recorded in the county during 1995-2011, 37 were during August-October, with a clear peak in September. The above images are a selection of the 1st winter bird first reported at Newhaven Tidemills, East Sussex, on 21st September 2016.

More at:

Prince, M. (1996). Red-backed Shrike. Birds of Sussex. Sussex Ornithological Society, pp. 498-500.
Sennitt, M. (2014). Red-backed Shrike. The Birds of Sussex. Thetford: British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) Books on behalf of the Sussex Ornithological Society, pp. 389-390.