2005 - Whitby Naturalists

Towards the end of September, whilst recce'inga walk fbr the Ramblers,
I was expecting to see some fungi which grew in conjunction with
conifer trees at a favourite site on the Quaker's Causeway near
Commondale, and became very disorientated as I could not even see
the small plantation which has been so productive in ycars past. It had
been cut down and newly fenced off and presurnably planted once
again. After only a year, it was surprising how few fungi there were and
I had tcr be content with Brown Birch Bolete (leccinum scabrurn) arvJ
Stinking Puffball (Iycoperdan foetidtxn). it was quite spiny but not spiny
enough for the Spiny Puffbail. There used to be quite a variery of the
Boiete-type fungi on the edge of this small wood. i shali have to lcxrk
clscwhcrc!
Onc of the best days for fincling fungi was eariy in October during a
ramble in Dalby Forest. This forest is always good in aurumn/winrer
and it did not disappoint this day. There was Slippery Jack (suilhu
luteus), Dog Stinkhorn {mutinus cminus), Straw Cup Fungus (Iteziza
uersicuktsa), Common Ganoderrna (ganoderma adspersunr), Brown Roll
Rim (paxlilas involutus), Stinking Puffball again, ancl the very prety (if
you like that sort of thing) Sulphur Tuft (hrpholoma faicuiare) which
is very yeliow, grows in large clumps and is hard to miss seeing - one of
my favourites!
Just to indicate how much I don't know, let's finish with Colin
Stephenson's list compiled in one day at Maybecks. He found rnore in
that day than I found in a yearl !7e are so forruna[e to have him lead
our fungi walks in the aurumn.
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MAVIS READMAN