Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Sunday, February 24, 2013

Rough Hey Wood - Ryburn Valley - today.

On birch. It's very similar to Birch Polypore Piptosporus betulinus, but  inflated, as the expanding gap-filling foam expands and hardens. My knife shows the size. Also seen as big as tea-cakes at Ogden.
Working name I'm refering to it by - "Inflated Pipto." 


The usual form of P.betulinus, but a particularly big one - about 38cm across (15 inches).

Thursday, February 21, 2013

Birch Jelly Fungus (Exidia repanda)

Recorded at Broadhead Clough on 14-02-13. Many thanks to Nick Aplin for the identification. He reports that this species is greatly under-recorded in his opinion, with only forty UK records, he thinks this is due to the fact that it doesn't feature in much of the popular literature.


Witches butter..?


Roe Deer dung fungus (updates 24-02-13)

I collected some Roe Deer dung on the 29-01-13. I placed them on damp kitchen paper, on a plate and covered them with a glass bowl, supported by pencils to let them breathe......and waited. On the 19-02-13 I had these results. The general consensus is that they are a Coprophilous species, they will be sent for identification as soon as possible.

 29-01-13
29-01-13
19-02-13

23-02-13



24-02-13


24-02-13
If you look at the central pellet, there are tiny hair like projections. These are living nematodes which are wriggling around in the dung, which leads me to believe I am rearing a species of carnivorous fungi, also know as Nematophagous fungi that trap, kill and digest nematodes. There are approximately 200 different species. They trap the nematodes on vegetative hyphae or in specialised traps, such as constriction rings (examples are on this site http://www.biological-research.com/philip-jacobs%20BRIC/fangorg.htm).  I shall know more later this week after I have received a positive identification, and update you all again asap.
Photo courtesy of www.nematology.ucdavis.edu
Here you can see the constriction ring around the nematode.

Friday, February 15, 2013

Broadhead Clough 14-02-13

I revisited Broadhead Clough today in my wellies, prepared for the bog and enthusiastic about using my new camera (thank you Michael), and hopeful that I was going to find some species that I hadn't seen before, and I wasn't disappointed!   


 Beechmast Candlesnuff (Xylaria carpophila)

  Trichia affinis (Thanks to Nick Alpin for the positive identification).


Witches' Butter (Exidia glandulosa)


White Brain (Exidia thuretiana)


Fruiting lichen, Cladonia species

Thursday, February 7, 2013

North Dean Wood 06-02-13

I went for a very chilly foray yesterday in North Dean Wood. I went east, from the church along the riverside path. Once again, I was delighted to see the Scarlet Elfcups appearing in ever increasing numbers and brightening up a very, very cold day.  


Elder Whitewash (Hyphodontia sambuci)


Beech Jellydisc (Neobulgaria pura).


Hairy Curtain Crust (Stereum hirsutum).


Jelly Ear (Auricularia auricula-judae).

Jelly Ear (Auricularia auricula-judae).


A forayer holding an enormous Jelly Ear (Auricularia auricula-judae).





Scarlet Elfcups (Sarcoscypha austriaca).


Sycamore Tar Spot (Rhytisma acernium).

Saturday, February 2, 2013

First post


|I took these pics in July last year on the moors above scammonden.the top ones were quite large about 6-8inc..??