IMG_20221106_110806
Despite the damp start for the fungi foragers of BNHS & Herts & Beds Fungi Group the morning was interesting with some good discoveries. Alan Outen and David Buckingham took us out on to acid grassland surrounded by some magnificent trees and finds came thick and fast. Thank you to all involved for a very pleasant morning in the wilds of the RSPB Sandy .
The Lodge, Sandy, Beds, 6 Nov 2022
Leaders Alan R. Outen and David Buckingham
This annual foray is always a popular event and this year was no exception. It was over-subscribed before the deadline but I did nonetheless accept all those who had booked in time. Some were still trying to book up until 15.20 the day before! In the end there were 25 present for the morning (a few had withdrawn) and with several only intending to stay for the morning a further five people were booked for the afternoon. The participants included members of the Fungi Group, Beds Natural History Society, these including a few RSPB staff. Contrary to expectations the morning remained dry. We covered a different area to usual, mostly grassland though with a few living and dead trees. Health issues meant that I had to leave at lunchtime but by then the species I had listed already totalled 68. It is a tribute to the efforts of those present in the afternoon, when there was heavy rain, and the diligence of my co-leader David Buckingham plus Steve and Margaret Kelly, Mark Ward, Stephen Plummer and Simon Horsnall who undertook microscope examinations of many of the collections (something which my health issues have frustratingly prevented me from doing for several years now). These efforts have taken the total number of recorded species up to 130. Although not exceptional by the standards of this site it is a remarkable total in the context of the season and exemplifies the quality of this site, already recognised nationally as a Site of Mycological Importance.
There were some interesting and excellent finds: Amanita gemmata, a Pine associate, is a regular here but with just three Beds sites. Clitocybe odora with its distinctive aniseed smell is always a popular species. Lactarius deliciosus and L.hepaticus, both Pine associates are two of the less frequently recorded members of this genus in the County, yet we failed to see L.tabidus, L. pubescens or L.torminosus, all Birch associates often found here. Lepiota felina and L.oreadiformis are both rarely recorded in the county whilst Leucoagaricus crystallifer has only a handful of sites nationally, though it has apparently been seen at the Lodge a few times in recent years. Sadly I missed it, as it would have been new to me. Of no fewer than fourteen Mycena species found on this foray M.polyadelpha is not often recorded in the county though probably overlooked. M.pseudocorticola was the first confirmed record of this species for the county. It has historically been regarded as a mainly western species in the UK. Mark Ward found specimens of a beautiful little Flammulaster species on small beech branches. None of the species in this genus are seen very often in Beds. On the balance of probability (including overall appearance, habitat, county and national records) I think that this is most likely F.muricatus.
Of the bracket fungi Ganoderma resinaceum, Inonotus dryadeus, Ischnoderma benzoinum, Lenzites betulina, Mycoacea fusca and Polyporus brumalis are all infrequently noted in the County, whilst Fomes fomentarius and Plicatura crispa are clearly increasing here. The Cauliflower Fungus Sparassis crispa always attracts attention. Remarkably the only puffball recorded was Handkea utriformis whilst Scleroderma verrucosum was the only earthball. I always think it appropriate that bird's-nest fungi are often found on forays to this RSPB reserve. This year three species were recorded: Cyathus olla, Crucibulum laeve and Sphaerobolus stellatus (see Reg’s excellent images of all three below).
I find it fascinating to consider the species that are not recorded on a foray. On this one there were no Tricholoma and no Inocybe species, just one inkcap, the only Cortinarius was seen by just one person and was not identifiable. The site is normally excellent for waxcaps, earth-tongues and other grassland species but this year we found just a single species of waxcap and no earth-tongues. With the weather having been exceptionally mild it is possible that that other waxcap species are yet to appear. There was also just a single Pholiota, only a single rust species and very few microfungi generally. Several regular special finds at the site were not seenon this occasion.
Finally Simon Horsnall, who is a member of both H&BFG and Beds Invertebrate Group though he lives in Derby found the spider Xysticus lanio [Thomisidae]. This was ironically the only species from the foray that I was able to photograph which was new to me.
My thanks to all attendees, photographers and especially to those who assisted with identifications.
Images follow………..
Alan R. Outen
IMG_20221106_110806
Despite the damp start for the fungi foragers of BNHS & Herts & Beds Fungi Group the morning was interesting with some good discoveries. Alan Outen and David Buckingham took us out on to acid grassland surrounded by some magnificent trees and finds came thick and fast. Thank you to all involved for a very pleasant morning in the wilds of the RSPB Sandy .
The Lodge, Sandy, Beds, 6 Nov 2022
Leaders Alan R. Outen and David Buckingham
This annual foray is always a popular event and this year was no exception. It was over-subscribed before the deadline but I did nonetheless accept all those who had booked in time. Some were still trying to book up until 15.20 the day before! In the end there were 25 present for the morning (a few had withdrawn) and with several only intending to stay for the morning a further five people were booked for the afternoon. The participants included members of the Fungi Group, Beds Natural History Society, these including a few RSPB staff. Contrary to expectations the morning remained dry. We covered a different area to usual, mostly grassland though with a few living and dead trees. Health issues meant that I had to leave at lunchtime but by then the species I had listed already totalled 68. It is a tribute to the efforts of those present in the afternoon, when there was heavy rain, and the diligence of my co-leader David Buckingham plus Steve and Margaret Kelly, Mark Ward, Stephen Plummer and Simon Horsnall who undertook microscope examinations of many of the collections (something which my health issues have frustratingly prevented me from doing for several years now). These efforts have taken the total number of recorded species up to 130. Although not exceptional by the standards of this site it is a remarkable total in the context of the season and exemplifies the quality of this site, already recognised nationally as a Site of Mycological Importance.
There were some interesting and excellent finds: Amanita gemmata, a Pine associate, is a regular here but with just three Beds sites. Clitocybe odora with its distinctive aniseed smell is always a popular species. Lactarius deliciosus and L.hepaticus, both Pine associates are two of the less frequently recorded members of this genus in the County, yet we failed to see L.tabidus, L. pubescens or L.torminosus, all Birch associates often found here. Lepiota felina and L.oreadiformis are both rarely recorded in the county whilst Leucoagaricus crystallifer has only a handful of sites nationally, though it has apparently been seen at the Lodge a few times in recent years. Sadly I missed it, as it would have been new to me. Of no fewer than fourteen Mycena species found on this foray M.polyadelpha is not often recorded in the county though probably overlooked. M.pseudocorticola was the first confirmed record of this species for the county. It has historically been regarded as a mainly western species in the UK. Mark Ward found specimens of a beautiful little Flammulaster species on small beech branches. None of the species in this genus are seen very often in Beds. On the balance of probability (including overall appearance, habitat, county and national records) I think that this is most likely F.muricatus.
Of the bracket fungi Ganoderma resinaceum, Inonotus dryadeus, Ischnoderma benzoinum, Lenzites betulina, Mycoacea fusca and Polyporus brumalis are all infrequently noted in the County, whilst Fomes fomentarius and Plicatura crispa are clearly increasing here. The Cauliflower Fungus Sparassis crispa always attracts attention. Remarkably the only puffball recorded was Handkea utriformis whilst Scleroderma verrucosum was the only earthball. I always think it appropriate that bird's-nest fungi are often found on forays to this RSPB reserve. This year three species were recorded: Cyathus olla, Crucibulum laeve and Sphaerobolus stellatus (see Reg’s excellent images of all three below).
I find it fascinating to consider the species that are not recorded on a foray. On this one there were no Tricholoma and no Inocybe species, just one inkcap, the only Cortinarius was seen by just one person and was not identifiable. The site is normally excellent for waxcaps, earth-tongues and other grassland species but this year we found just a single species of waxcap and no earth-tongues. With the weather having been exceptionally mild it is possible that that other waxcap species are yet to appear. There was also just a single Pholiota, only a single rust species and very few microfungi generally. Several regular special finds at the site were not seenon this occasion.
Finally Simon Horsnall, who is a member of both H&BFG and Beds Invertebrate Group though he lives in Derby found the spider Xysticus lanio [Thomisidae]. This was ironically the only species from the foray that I was able to photograph which was new to me.
My thanks to all attendees, photographers and especially to those who assisted with identifications.
Images follow………..
Alan R. Outen