September 15th – With some damper weather, the fungus is coming on well, and few better places to spot it than the relatively undisturbed verges of industrial estates.`This venerable specimen was spotted in Wednesbury, and seems quite old, although it does appear to be growing. About the size of a small plate, it’s fascinating, and also a home for lots of bugs.

It looks like some kind of lactarius and was part of a fair-sized group.

October 30th – Sadly, I took loads of photos today, not realising I had a piece of fluff on the lens and they all came out badly. But these toadstools, spotted on a grass verge in Wednesbury after the rains of the morning had stopped were wonderful. I think they’re oak milk caps, certainly some form of lactarius. I love the way they dimple and hole water as they grow.

I actually spotted them because that little one resembled a bum. It appealed to my sense of the absurd. Sorry.