29th August 2010, BARCALDINE & GLEN CRERAN, ARGYLL

Our overall list of 99 species represents almost 10% of the total fungal species known to occur in Argyll, and we hardly touched the microfungi - not bad for a single day!In the morning we had a splendid showing of Lactarius chrysorrheus among the oaks at Sutherland's Grove, Barcaldine, as well as Russula risigallina, Lactarius volemus and a beautiful example of Fistulina hepatica. I had the pleasure of deliberately searching for, and finding, Gomphidius roseus among a large number of Suillus bovinus under pine; it may only have been a single fruitbody but that is quite enough to provide a new record for the vice-county! It was Robert MacPherson, however, who came up with the best find of the morning with 3 lovely sporocarps of the magnificent yellow Tricholomopsis decora on a mossy spruce log - another first for Argyll!

In the afternoon at nearby Glen Creran we again found Lactarius volemus, and before we start to take it for granted we must remember that in many parts of the British Isles there are very experienced mycologists who would jump for joy just to see this fungus once in their lifetime! Carl Farmer came up with a couple of splendid finds, firstly a splendid example of Asterophora parasitica (picture below right) growing on decomposing Russulaceae, and then a gorgeous twinned Cordyceps militaris (picture above left) growing out of an unfortunate pupa of a species of Lepidoptera. The find of the day, however, belonged to Jill Bowis who spotted an unfamiliar earthball. We immediately recognized that it was not one of the common varieties, and I took it home to try to identify it. Every key pointed to Scleroderma cepabut I had to wait a week before I could get microscopic confirmation (thanks to Liz Holden for this).

There have only been six previous records for this species in Scotland stretching back over 200 years! The wide scatter of dates and locations is fascinating: Edinburgh (1793), Netherbyres, Berwickshire (1860), Dunkeld, Perthshire (1953), Benmore, Argyll (1959), New Galloway, Kirkudbrightshire (1965) and Langholm, Dumfriesshire (2003). Now of course we have Glen Creran, Argyll (2010) - and I've just learned that Graeme Walker believes he found it last Sunday at Brodick on the Isle of Arran (subject to microscopic confirmation)!

Carl's suggestion for a venue for the post-foray meal and toast to Hopkirk proved to be inspired. As we ate outdoors at the Creagan Inn we reflected upon the day's finds while watching the sun setting over a flat-calm sea... memorable.

Hope to see you all soon - until then, happy hunting!

Dick Peebles