#365daysofbiking Little gems:
October 21st – One of the best things about Cannock Chase in autumn is the fungi, and today there was a huge selection.
I never found the one thing I wanted to see – orange peel fungus – but I saw lots of great other types from polypores to boleta.
It’s always worth stopping and looking at that unusual flash of colour in Autumn.
#365daysofbiking Optimal:
October 19th – The Japanese parasols are still bursting out a fresh crop every morning outside work on the industrial estate grass verge. They need to do this as these tiny, delicate fungi peak for a couple of hours but decay to nothing within 24.
It was lovely to see that in the October sun, I’d just caught these ones at their most perfect.
A lovely start to the day.
#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 Spot on:
October 12th – On the way to work in the season of the storm living up to it’s name: torrential, driving rain and a bastard of a headwind forged on satan’s back step.
I took the canal at my earliest opportunity to avoid the madness of the traffic, and as I passed the bank where the fly agaric normally grow in large numbers but has been barren so far this season, a glint of bright red caught my eye.
The size of a dinner plate, it must be the largest, most perfect specimen I’ve ever seen.
Despite the rain, there was brightness. There always is, if you keep an eye open for it.
#365daysofbiking Prolific:
October 10th – The fungus is really coming forth now, but it’s interesting to note that while some species are booming, others I’m used to seem scarce this year.
I’ve not seen many glistening ink caps, puffballs, or fly agaric – certainly not in their usual number. I’ve yet to see my favourite Japanese parasols. this is curious, or it might just be me jumping the gun.
Whilst in Telford today I noticed that there are loads of is paxillus involutus, the brown roll-rim, and these tiny, delicate caps I don’t recognise but may be ink caps of some kind. But none of the regulars.
I wonder if this is connected with the hot, dry summer?
365daysofbiking Noble jacket:
October 7th – I set out on a pleasant but cold afternoon full of optimism. I was off to Cannock Chase to find deer, fungi some fine downhills and some autumn colour.
Fate had other ideas.
The first problem was I’d left home with a flat battery in my camera, so all these are phone photos, and without exception, I think they’d have been better pictures if taken with my camera. But I would tend to think that, I suppose.
Two mechanical failures and I was sunk. A makeshift repair on a shredded tyre wasn’t dependable, so a quick visit to Castle Ring was to be my lot.
I found good toadstools on the sandy embankment by the canal between Wharf Lane and Newtown bridges, which was nice, and the golden hour at Castle Ring was beautiful. Sad to note though now the once stunning view is again obscured by the tall trees down the hill – you can barely see the power station at Rugeley at all now.
A great sunset as I passed back through Chasewater just rubbed salt in my flat battery wound.
Some days are just not well starred. This was one of them, sadly.
#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.
#365daysofbiking Spot on:
October 1st – Not seeing may fly agaric this year yet, which makes me wonder if it’s a bad season for them.
The classic red and white spotted toadstool is a real patch of brightness in the autumn, and is much loved and the subject of a huge amount of folklore.
Heading out to Chasetown before work to drop something off, I saw these in the usual spot before Wharf Lane Bridge in Brownhills, just on the heather sandy embankment by the towpath.
I love to see these fascinating fungi.
#365daysofbiking Ample shroom:
September 21st – The fungi are appearing thick and fast now, with the damper, cooler weather as is normal for autumn. Spotted near Clayhanger when homeward bound, this shaggy ink cap was a decent, large specimen and had there been more than one, might have been decent eating.
Used to see loads of these when I was a kid, but in recent years they appear to be rarer, which is a shame. They’re nice lightly fried.
#365daysofbiking Humongous:
September 19th – A real find on the enclosed football pitch next to the old Smith’s Flour Mill in Walsall, next to the central Ring Road – quite the largest giant puffball I’ve ever seen.
This prize specimen looks a little old to eat and was beyond reach anyway through the fence, but I did giggle at the idea of it being kicked accidentally, mistaken for a football.
What a whopper!
BrownhillsBob's #365daysofbiking 