Fungi

[goosey]

I presume the new fungi season is now here. After months of seeing very little fungi around. The last week of our holiday I started to see lots in the Lake District (UK)- and plenty of new species to me in upland forests. Saturday was my first trip to the local National Park (Holland) since I got home. I was actually looking for Dragonflies and dayflying moths but was soon side tracked by the abundance of fungi.

What I did notice in both countries though was how many of the fungi had little bite marks! Usually one or two bites per fungus - never gnawed. Does anyone know what creature actually feeds on fungi?

[Cybershot]

I tend to be racing the slugs all the time to capture a pristine specimen for photography. I believe some woodland mammals have a penchant for certain species too.

David

[goosey]

Apart from teeth marks, what really annoys me about taking photos of fungi (not mentioning achy and muddy knee's grass stains and weird looks from passers by ), is when I can only find one of something – so I have to take a picture (or 10, just incase) of it then lay it down to get piccies of the underside. Then put 2 pictures up for ID. At least when there are several, one can be laid down for the photo to incorporate all the details in one image.

And another thing - when, for instance all the cap piccies are out of focus but all the gills look great or vice versa.

[goosey]

Originally Posted by Cybershot

I tend to be racing the slugs all the time to capture a pristine specimen for photography. I believe some woodland mammals have a penchant for certain species too.

David

Thinking about this - I have noticed that very often woodlice seem to be in the gills, especially when the gills are quie wide apart. I think they were living there rather than eating the fungi though. You are right about the slugs - the little blighters .

Then of course there is the Tenebrionidae beetle, Diaperis boleti .

[wildlifesnapper]

Originally Posted by Cybershot

I tend to be racing the slugs all the time to capture a pristine specimen for photography.

David

Glad it's not just me then

neil

[Cybershot]

Originally Posted by goosey

Apart from teeth marks, what really annoys me about taking photos of fungi (not mentioning achy and muddy knee's grass stains and weird looks from passers by ), is when I can only find one of something – so I have to take a picture (or 10, just incase) of it then lay it down to get piccies of the underside. Then put 2 pictures up for ID. At least when there are several, one can be laid down for the photo to incorporate all the details in one image.

And another thing - when, for instance all the cap piccies are out of focus but all the gills look great or vice versa.

The depth of field problem is solved by the likes of Fungi John and Nick Cantle (see WAB fungi galleries) by using tripods, an f22 aperture setting and the associated slower shutter speeds (oh, and of course dedicated macro lenses!!) The rest of us struggle in the available light to select which part of the fungus we want to be sharp using a shutter speed appropriate for hand held shots which rarely equates to a small enough aperture LOL. I used to use an SLR specific Gorilla Pod but it wasn't really robust enough to support my Canon 10D and 17-40mm lens and one leg broke off after a couple of months anyway

David

[goosey]

Originally Posted by Cybershot

The depth of field problem is solved by the likes of Fungi John and Nick Cantle (see WAB fungi galeries) by using tripods, an f22 aperture setting and the associated slower shutter speeds (oh, and of course dedicated macro lenses!!) The rest of us struggle in the available light to select which part of the fungus we want to be sharp using a shutter speed appropriate for hand held shots which rarely equates to a small enough aperture LOL. I used to use an SLR specific Gorilla Pod but it wasn't really robust enough to support my Canon 10D and 17-40mm lens and one leg broke off after a couple of months anyway

David

All my pictures are hand held shots I am afraid - and no posh camera for me .
I did get a "pod bean bag" specifically for fungi photo's - as Fungi John mentioned using them in his "short guide for photgraphing fungi" but I really haven't got on very well with it. I think I will give it another go and persevere.
As for shutter speeds I do everything on macro automatic or just Auto with the macro facility if it's too dark for macro automatic.

[paul m]

Thanks to cybershot for the comment on my earthball.
[img]http://www.wildabouttheworld.com/gallery/data//526/thumbs/WAW3835
Eccl-puffball.jpg[/img]

Does anyone have any further comments about the occurence of this on and under an oak tree in numbers this year. Is it likely to be arising from the tree's tissues?

Incidentally, on the other thread, we've suggested that there should be a forum for fungi - does anyone else agree? Perhaps if we're kind to Stuart ....

[goosey]

I think it would be useful, we could move the existing threads in to it. People would be more inclined to post fungi facts and queries if a visable forum was here, at the moment these things tend to just be added on to an image reply.

[Cybershot]

By all accounts nationwide pouring into WAB fungi forums the fungi season really has taken off with a flourish in the UK, and promises to be even more prolific than 2006. To demonstrate the worth of foraying all year round, as our local group tends to do, I have posted some images of some rarer finds discovered this year so far:



David

[goosey]

Originally Posted by Cybershot

By all accounts nationwide pouring into WAB fungi forums the fungi season really has taken off with a flourish in the UK, and promises to be even more prolific than 2006.

So what do you think 2006 and 2008 have in common which could affect fungi growth then? Is it to do with rainfall, or heat or cold? Can say, what happens in the Spring weatherwise, if its particularly hot or wet have a knock on affect for the Autumn?

I have seen so much this year, lots of new species I didn't see at all last year when I first start to look for fungi, and in the main I am searching the same places. Here, it is sandy, we are on the coast in a dune area and our National park, and the wooded areas are also very sandy.

Originally Posted by Cybershot

To demonstrate the worth of foraying all year round, as our local group tends to do, I have posted some images of some rarer finds discovered this year so far:

Do you have to report these rare find to a local examiner?

I don't think I have seen any of the examples you have shown - very nice too .

[Cybershot]

All my finds are recorded on the National Database of the Association of British Fungus Groups, and the Red Data list ones were also reported to the land managers. I am not sure about the regulations concerning the UK BAP list.

David

[paul m]

That's good news. I do seem to spend a lot of my time urging people to send their records to appropriate recorders - where they exist: I appreciate that there isn't a recorder for everything all over the globe!

One thing that's useful on this site is if people give some idea of their geographical situation - country is good, part of the country is better - just helps to ensure that we're not talking nonsense when we give opinions about pictures sent in for identification or whatever!

Originally Posted by Cybershot

All my finds are recorded on the National Database of the Association of British Fungus Groups, and the Red Data list ones were also reported to the land managers. I am not sure about the regulations concerning the UK BAP list.

David

[goosey]

Originally Posted by paul m

Thanks to cybershot for the comment on my earthball.
[img]http://www.wildabouttheworld.com/gallery/data//526/thumbs/WAW3835
Eccl-puffball.jpg[/img]

Does anyone have any further comments about the occurence of this on and under an oak tree in numbers this year. Is it likely to be arising from the tree's tissues?

I have seen so many EarthBalls and Puffballs in the last month, I would not be exagerating if I said probably more than 70 earthballs and hundreds and of puffballs. I have seen them everytime I have gone out, not only under oak, but in leaf litter and in grass. I didn't see any Earthballs last year and certainly not so many puffballs.

Originally Posted by paul m

Incidentally, on the other thread, we've suggested that there should be a forum for fungi - does anyone else agree? Perhaps if we're kind to Stuart ....

I have Pm'd Stuart about this, so hopefully we will get a fungi forum soon.

[Cybershot]

During a dog walking expedition on Tuesday, as well as the misty
mornings, golden bracken and yellowing leaves the classic harbinger of
autumn's colour display, the Fly Agaric, was on display in the woods
on Tuesday along with some other notable companions:





It bodes well for the season though they (the Fly Agarics) are about a month later in showing this year.

David

[goosey]

Thats a great selection, you must have been pleased. Cap fungi are so much more interesting than brackets.

Is it just the Fly agaric that are late this year or have you noticed it being the case with other fungi? I haven't seen any more since my one and only sportting of them at the beginning of September.

The Lactarius torminosus is a great photo, it looks as if it has little ice crystals on the edge of the cap.

Actually you have beaten me to it - I am in the middle of sorting todays photo's, I was mentally started writing the story on my way home!

[Cybershot]

Last year I recorded my first Fly Agaric on 24th August (Minley Wood) this year it was 17th September (Castle Bottom NNR - and not 'til 30th September at Minley, my most popular jaunt). Others such as Asterophora lycoperdoides and Psilocybe semilanceata have appeared way in advance of what would normally be expected. So they don't seem to be keeping to any timetable now that our prevailing climatic conditions are so topsy turvy. Also we get a flush one week then it may dry up the next, and places that normally produce seem bare - it's all very confusing yet fascinating at the same time.

Desperately trying to keep up to speed.


David