#365daysofbiking Colonial life:
November 2nd – the fungi colonies are still doing well. The earthstars of the Darlaston Trading Estate are still showing beautifully like some petrified, child’s drawing flower, and these little buttons on a stump were fascinating. I’m not sure what they are, and welcome suggestions: Maybe slimy beech caps or roundheads?
Never tire of studying fungus.
#365daysofbiking Appreciating the damp:
October 15th – The rain of the last few days continued – a steady, irritating, invasive drizzle. It was a horrid wet and cold commute.
But like Friday, it redeemed itself – with fungi.
I found my first tiny, sodden Japanese Parasol of the season on the grass by the canal near the Bridgman Street bridge. This tiny, pleated toadstools don’t last twenty-four hours and there will be no trace of it tomorrow. A real fleeting beauty.
Darlaston’s earthstars were also looking good and apparently thriving in the wet.
I just wish I was…
#365daysofbiking Stars on earth:
October 4th – Returning early this year, on a patch of edgeland on the industrial estate in Darlaston near where I work, one of the most remarkable fungi I’ve ever seen: an earthstar.
Just a couple at the moment, but one is deformed: but these bizarre organisms, when in their prime are stunning. A buff-coloured puffball emerges as it’s casing unfurls in almost petal-like sections around it, forming a star.
They look like they’re made of modelling clay or ceramic. They are absolutely astounding to see.
I adore fungi. It’s so unlike anything else.
December 24th – The weather was bad, I had much to do, so I didn’t go far. I’ll be perfectly honest, I’m nursing a shoulder injury at the moment which is making life uncomfortable – sustained falling over my own feet on the stairs, I ended up with bruises and some kind of muscle strain that’s making long rides very uncomfortable right now.
I was pleased to see however that at Clayhanger Common, in the usual spot, earthstar fungus had returned this year. The fungus here doesn’t usually show until December when the leaves are finally off the brambles that cover their spot, and this time, they’d been difficult to reach on a bike due to the snow.
I finally noted one badly damaged by frost and the spore pods of several others, so at least we had a crop this year, even if it went mostly unrecorded.
They are an most unusual fungus.
October 24th – With the immediate rush easing off a little, I took a diversion on the way to work to check out the earthstar fungi a little further up the industrial estate I discovered accidentally a few weeks ago.
They’re doing wonderfully and there were some perfect specimens.
I love how they look like they’ve been made out of clay or plasticine. Their shapes almost look inorganic.
fungi are fascinating. I wonder if we’ll get any in the usual spot on Clayhanger Common this year? They normally come later, around December…
December 9th – Near the canal at Moxley, Darlaston, I found these fascinating fungi – I’d stopped to undertake a quick mechanical adjustment, and had I not been crouched fiddling with the bike, I’d never have seen the rosy earthstars and what I assume from guides is some kind of pterula multifida living well in the under hedge leaf litter.
It just goes to show what wonders go unseen in our everyday environment.
November 28th – Pleased to note the return this year of the sunny rosy earthstar fungus to Clayhanger Common.
They aren’t looking too good at the moment – they need more damp – but these uncommon fungi have plenty of young ones developing and will look like no other fungi I’ve seen when fully developed.
I was hoping last year’s find wasn’t a one off. I’m chuffed to bits.
I watch with interest.
BrownhillsBob's #365daysofbiking 