A Talky Walk

Went for a stroll to the end of the lane and round the cricket field. I went there two days ago and there was nothing of note to photograph. This time the adjoining field was populated by a large flock of sheep. Until I got too close many were lazing in the sunlight:



Several were watching me as I grew nearer:



There were many patches of fungi appearing, starting about the size of my little finger nail:



Some appeared to be fully grown at about 15mm across:



Recently I found that the local amateur radio repeater transmitter was back in operation. (The repeater receives a transmission and the re-transmits it. The idea being that amateurs can use a low power transmitter and the repeater re-broadcasts it at a higher power) Anyway, I had dug out one of my hand held transmitters from where I had stored them several years ago, charged the battery and took it with me to see whether I could make any contacts.



As I walked back from watching the sheep I made a couple of calls through the repeater and an amateur in Boston, Lincolnshire answered and we had a 10 to 15 minute conversation by radio. An activty I've missed for many years. There was a time I used to have radio chats every day when I walked Tramp, the dog I had then, first thing in the morning.

On the return journey I spotted the sunlight shining through the leaves of a Japanese maple bush. A photograph doesn't do justice to the beautiful red glow:





All in all a satisfying walk in brilliant sunlight, even with the cold breeze across the open field.

I've Got a Lovely Bunch of ....

..... fungi



These should be common enough but could I find a matching picture to identify them? Nope!
They appear to be of the Psathyrella family but which I know not.
Cannot be seen in this shot is the nearly buried piece of rotting tree branch they are growing on.
I guess they are about 20mm across.

Colourful Brackets

Bracket fungi that is.
I noticed these on yesterday's early morning perambulation but had forgotten my camera.
Anyway I remembered this morning



A couple of magnificent looking bracket fungi



These were large. Probably over 12 inches (30cm) across and beautifully marked.
I tried to identify them. Looked at hundreds of photos.
The only two I found which looked like a good match were unnamed.

That Nikon pocket camera has really worked hard. Approaching 9000 photos taken.

Identification solved thanks to Adrian of Adrian's Images.
A  Polyporus squamosus

A Shaggy Parasol?

No, not a wind blown sun umbrella but these little beauties spotted in the part of the garden which was cleared of overgrown bushes late last year:



Having spent a while researching they look to me to be Shaggy Parasol mushrooms.
Chlorophyllum rhacodes  See a description HERE.

Another which had fallen over:


From below:


Another view of the trio:

Wordless Wednesday

Shaggy Inkcap

 

Midday most days we go for a walk down the lane next to the cricket field.



At one place there is a gap in the hedge I use to watch and photograph the nearby fields. Three days ago there seemed to be nothing but grass, nettles and brambles growing nearby but the next day from the ground had sprouted fungi. I am always taken unaware by the speed they seem to grow.  It was a cluster of Shaggy Inkcap (Coprinus comatus):







Easily recognised by the shaggy white cap that slowly rots to a black inky mess:

A Land Oyster?

On one of our regular routes stands the stump of a tree which was cut down a few years ago. From time to time there is a fungus growing on it.

The way it droops over the edge of the stump always reminds me of  Salvador Dali's Melting Clock:







I always find it difficult to identify fungi but I think this one is the Oyster Mushroom - Pleurotus ostreatus.

Is it Spring Yet?

Listening to the radio this morning I heard that some take the 1st of March as the beginning of Spring but others say it doesn't start until the Vernal Equinox on the 20th. Either way it feels more like it this morning with the Sun streaming through the window behind me even if the temperature is only just above 1C.

Yesterday was a complete washout with steady rain most of the day but the water which had started to flood the back lawn has mostly disappeared already. Just a few icy patches left. I didn't even get the cameras out yesterday as the rain running down the windows and the dull lighting would have made it impossible to get anything other than very arty blurred photos.

Another of my windowsill orchids is cheering me up. An Oncidium which has produced a small spike of flowers this year.



Outdoors some heather in a hanging basket is doing its best to brighten up a dull time of year.



The other day I took some better photographs of the fungi I had spotted on the tall stump of an Ash Tree.

  

Now my Colllins Complete Guide to British Mushrooms & Toadstools has arrived I must make another effort to identify it. Goodness me - I didn't realise there were so many different fungi growing in the country.

Another unidentified 'object' is a duck. Not very far away is a house with a large plot of land which includes a decent sized natural pond. On the pond are a group of ducks. I assume these are not a native breed, possibly imported or specially bred. In the photo they seem to have a lot of brown colour but when you look at them the first impression is they are black with dark blue and purple.



At the same house they have quite a variety of different types of chickens and there are always a few taking advantage of any warmth from the Sun.



One local bird is really annoying me at the moment. It sings very loudly most mornings. It is not the volume of the song which is annoying me. I just cannot get a glimpse of the bird to identify it and nor can I find the song in the examples on the British Garden Birds web site.  When I take a recorder with me on the early morning walk it doesn't sing. When I forget, like this morning, it deafens me! Also some times I could swear the sound is moving as though it is one which sings in flight. The song never varies and warbles quite a bit but I couldn't find it among the warbler songs I listened to. I will keep trying to capture it and post a sample here, eventually.

A Walk through the Churchyard - Which Fungi?

For yesterday afternoon's walkies I thought we would try a route we haven't used for a couple of months. As the earth footpath is low lying it soon gets waterlogged but yesterday it was just a bit on the squelchy side but easily passable. Along this path are tall stumps of old Ash Trees which were cut down a few years ago and I noticed one was now being colonised by fungi. (Photos are not brilliant as I only had the mobile phone and even though it was a dull afternoon the highlights were over exposed)



After much searching through Google I am pretty sure the dark finger like growths are Dead Man's Fingers (Xylaria polymorpha)but I am not at all sure about the orange growths. To me they could well be one of the many variations I found called Jack O'Lantern but which variety is still a mystery to me. There was also a clump of these growing on top of the stump.



Continuing through to the back of the churchyard there was a lovely patch of Snowdrops under a group of ancient trees,



There I stood for a while with Bobby patiently waiting as I scoured the branches and trunks for any signs of bird or animal life to no avail. The only creatures about were some fancy chickens which had escaped from the neighbouring house and a lone rabbit hopping about the grass.

As we walked through the churchyard we passed one of my favourite spots this time of year. Here a large group of Winter Aconite were showing their bright yellow flower buds which will be opening over the next week or so.



Twice in the past I have gathered seed from these plants. Each time they have germinated but as soon as they reached about an inch in height they wilted and died. I see it is possible to buy the bulbs of cultivated Winter Aconite so I must try that way to get my own display of one of my favourite late Winter / early Spring flowers.