Swinsty Fungal Foray

Sunday 10^th November 2019

Leaders: Mike and Joyce Clerk

We met on this bright but cold day with a good turn out of 18 people. The car park was almost crammed full with runners, ramblers and dog walkers but we all just about managed to find a space. Our leaders Mike and Joyce started by showing us some specimens they had already collected from near the car park before we arrived, including Round-spored Oysterling (Crepidotus cesatii) on a small branch. In a grassy area with trees in the middle of the car park were some good specimens of Fly Agaric (Amanita muscaria var. muscaria). Mike enlightened us with the fact that shamans of the Sami people of Lapland have been known to drink reindeer urine to feel the hallucinogenic effects because they believe it puts them into contact with the spirit world. They believe that consuming the urine of reindeer that have eaten these mushrooms, rather than eating the mushrooms directly, is a way of taking the drug in a safer form. Although easy to identify when it has the white dots on the cap, these dots can wash off over time and make identification confusing.

A host of other species were found in and around the edge of the car park. One interesting species was Snapping Bonnet (Mycena vitilis), which is said to make a faint snapping noise when the stem is broken (although I think it requires quite sharp hearing abilities to detect it). We found an incomplete fairy ring of large specimens of Clouded Agaric (Clitocybe nebularis) with the fruiting bodies larger than my hand. On a fallen conifer were some attractive dark orange fungi which we thought may have been Conifer Tuft (Hypholoma capnoides). On the other side of the car park, a mass of tiny red egg-like shapes turned out to be a slime mould, Arcyria denudate. Slime moulds are not fungi but are in a kingdom of their own with a fascinating lifecycle, sometimes existing as separate single celled organisms, but sometimes aggregating and acting as one organism.

Not far away was another interesting find, Pestle Puffball (Lycoperdon excipuliforme), which had a distinct stem.

Mike demonstrated how the gills of Sulphur Tuft (Hypholoma fasciculare) glow under UV light, a phenomenon which is not fully understood.

Another slime mound was then found, Reticularia lycoperdon, looking very like grey fungal fruiting bodies and causing some trouble in identification at first.

We finally tore ourselves away from the car park and walked along the track to the reservoir. Mike and Joyce were keen to lead us to a lunch spot on the other side of the reservoir and it was a welcome chance to warm up on a quick walk. However, we couldn’t help but stop now and again when something caught our eye. Species along the track included Hairy Curtain Crust (Stereum hirsutum), Butter Cap (Collybia butyracea var. butyracea) and False Chanterelle (Hygrophoropsis aurantiaca).

After taking lunch at a pleasant spot by the reservoir edge, we investigated the near by grassland and woodland. Good numbers of White Saddle (Helvella crispa) were seen, followed by The Miller (Clitopilus prunulus), the gills smelling of flour according to some and Red-cracked Bolete (Xerocomellus chrysenteron), which blushes red when bruised. Another interesting find was Crab Brittlegill (Russula xerampelina), which smelled strongly of crab meat.

Moving onto the short turf below the dam, there was a good display of waxcaps including Scarlet Hood (Hygrocybe coccinea), Meadow Waxcap (Cuphophyllus pratensis), Ivory Wax Cap (Hygrocybe nivea/virginia), Golden Wax Cap (Hygrocybe chlorophana) and Parrot Waxcap (Gliophorus psittacinus). The Scarlet Hood was seen growing in a fairy ring as well as scattered throughout the turf. On the bank was Herald of Winter (Hygrophorus hypothejus), the cap olive brown and the gills orange when bruised.

In near by woodland were large numbers of Wood Blewit (Lepista nuda) and it was evident that someone had already been helping themselves to this edible feast. A good specimen of Shaggy Parasol (Macrolepiota rhacodes) was also seen here.

We then headed back to the cars and thanked Mike and Joyce for an excellent day.

Text & Photographs by Susan & Tom