Stoke Wood, Oxfordshire - 9th December 2017

Although the previous frost overnight had made it an expected tough time to find fungi at the onset of winter, I had hoped to see 'The Goblet' for the first time and try for some log rolling to see if any unusual resupinates were in evidence. I not only found a lonely frost laden Goblet, which was the only one I could find in this predominantly Beech, Ash, Hazel and even Corsican Pine forest. Managed by the Woodland Trust it was my first visit, but won't be my last as this was an excellent woodland with plenty of old wood left to rot in all the right places. Parking was easy and FOC, the only drawback was it was a Saturday morning and there were more dogs than fungi around.

Pseudoclitocybe cyathiformis  The Goblet

Dacrymyces stillatus Common Jellyspot

Hemimycena tortuosa Dewdrop Bonnet

Chlorociboria aeruginascens Green Elfcup

Mycoacia aurea  (toothed resupinate)

Schizopora paradoxa  Split Porecrust (small mazelike pores)

North Leigh Common, Oxfordshire 15th November 2017

Originally a site that the Oxford Fungus Group visits at this time of the year, but was called off due to the earlier fruiting season and expectation that not much would be around. They were right! I only dropped in to this site as I was passing and just to see if they may have been 'something' or not. Well I searched the site twice I think and came up with very little but to compensate and stimulate my interest in all fungi I started to look under rather than just on top of dead wood looking for resupinates and here I wasn't disappointed. The site has some unusual and mixed tree species so helped find a few of these species that are hard to ID, but these are the nearest I could get to without microscopic analysis. So not 100%, but they look good!

Hygrocybe conica - Blackening Waxcap 

Panaeolus acuminatus - Dewdrop Mottlegill

Marasmius epiphyllus - Leaf Parachute (much enlarged as minute!)

Mycorcia aurea - Possible.

Crepidotus mollis (under rotten damp wooden log)

Phanerochaete sordida - Possible

Trechispora farinacea - Possible

Tulasnella violea

Phlebiella sulphurea - Yellow Cobweb

Stowe School, Bucks 11th November 2017

I joined the Bucks Fungus Group (BFG) today although only seven people made it possibly due to the distance for most as very North Bucks, but perfect for me being just down the way! We searched a relatively small area of the Grecian Valley by the Temple all morning, mostly off-limits to the public. We had some great finds and ended with 69 species led by Penny Cullington and Derek Schafer, the two most prominent foray leaders and knowledgeable mycologists you can find. I managed to find 13 species, some of which were new to the site, but we had 23 new species for the morning plus one county first in Mycena citrinomarginata - which I missed! All photos are normally my finds, adding the occasional must see found by other BFG members, which is noted under each.

Coprinopsis atramentaria - Common Inkcap
These were extremely large 6cm plus across, probably largest seen by all ever.

Hygrocybe punicea - Crimson Waxcap
Mnay fruiting bodies around and all types of aging, extremely large and quite beautiful Waxcap. (Found by Paul Cullington)

Hygrocybe punicea - Crimson Waxcap

Russula fragilis - Fragile Brittlegill

Clitocybe fragrans - Fragrant Funnel

Melanoleuca melaleuca - seldom recorded.

Mycoacia nothofagi - unusual resupinate found under large beech log

Parasola plientilis - possibly var. similis

Pholiota gummosa - Sticky Scalycap

Entoloma conferendum var. conferendum - Star Pinkgill

Helmdon Village Old Railway South 10th November 2017

I visited an old disused railway site which I understood to be a special scientific site or area on the off-chance of picking up Waxcaps or other grassland species. I saw nothing until I came upon what I thought at first were Coprinus micaceus Glistening Inkcap, but would have been strange being no where near woodland or evident substrates. I believe this grouping to be the less common Coprinus silvaticus. There were others smaller groups around but not many. Interestingly, the substrate was bramble pushing its way through the heavy grassy hillside and embankment of the old railway line. The scene itself took you back to the old days of steam, as the track ran through a wide cutting but was very wide where this site was and would have made a terrific photograph. The only thing missing was the train and tracks.

Coprinus silvaticus

Shirburn Hill, Nr Christmas Common, Ox 4th November 2017

Joined the Oxford Fungus Group today headed by their President Prof. Richard Fortey FRS, often seen on TV hunting for fossils rather than fungi. Thing is there isn't too many people in the UK that knows a great deal more about what you are looking at and always enjoyable forays.

We needed to cross a filed full of frisky young bulls we when accomplished headed down to a ancient pasture land where some of the trees inc Yews were original and dated back some considerable years. Some of these held some rare species which I won't discuss here to protect the area. I manged to find an uncommon Lactarius in evosmus (Fishy Milkcap) which was almost completely hidden beneath a Rock Rose mound, so how I saw it I have no idea other than a very bright orange and large mushroom in a rabbit hole must be good. Others followed in some nice Silky Pinkgills Entoloma sericeam I found on soil without grass as well, which somehow were missed off the count after the event. Found by other members included a rare waxcap in Hygrocybe marchii and an uncommon cup species in Otidea umbrina, shown here.

Cystodema amianthinum Earthly Powdercap

Lactarius evosmus Fishy Milkcap

Hygrocybe marchii (Waxcap)

Clavulinopsis corniclata Meadow Coral

Otidea umbrina

Entoloma sericeum Silky Pinkgill

Penn Woods and Penn St Church 29th October 2017

Once again joined up with the Bucks Fungus Group led by Penny Callington. After a slow start in the paths from the church the common and cricket pitch were busy with waxcaps and other fruiting bodies, much more than this time last year when hardly any had appeared. I found my first Field Blewitt, and first for the foray with a white Puffball being found close to the road by mole hills, was a Mosaic Puffball, and large one at that. Finding Branching Oyster on a fallen tree. Some of my finds here:

Clavulinopsis luteolba - Apricot Club

Lepista saeva - Field Blewitt

Geoglossum fallax

Pseudohydnum gelatinosum - Jelly Tooth

Lycoperdon utriforme - Mosaic Puffball

Mucilago crustacea - Slime moulds

Hygrocybe insipida - Spangle Waxcap

Cantharellus tubaeformis - Trumpet Chanterelle

Salcey Forest, Northants 22nd October 2017

This second visit to Salcey Forest I was accompanied by James Richardson, where we drove to the southern end of the forest and made our way due east through mainly Spruce, Beech and Oak. Finding a 'hoard' of Dog Stinkhorn in an open area and on wood chip mulch and litter was surprising, with newly hatched specimens to matured and dying types in a very compacted area. An Entoloma species was intriguing, as ever, this being one of my favorite families. This seemed to be Entoloma euchroum or Stump Pinkgill, a first for us both, and attach photos here to provide evidence for this uncommonly seen species. As we proceeded back to the car we nearly trod on a splendid saddle type species in Tuberous Polypore on small branch almost on the roadside.

Agaricus silvaticus - Blushing Wood Mushroom

Mutinus caninus - Dog Stinkhorn

Tephrocybe rancida - Rancid Greyling 
10th record for Northants

Tephrocybe rancida

Tephrocybe rancida

Polyporus tuberaster - Tuberous polypore

Clavulina rugosa - Wrinkled Club

Bolbitius titubans - Yellow Fieldcap

Pavis Wood, Dancers End, Bucks 15th October 2017

I joined the Bucks Fungus Groups foray around the virtually surveyed less area around Pavis Wood. This wood had recently been acquired as part of the nearby Dancers End Nature Reserve and is hoped will be an attractive new area to visit.The area we recorded within had a mix of Oak, Beech as you would expect, Birch and Hazel. There was a fairly steep descent at times but were finding quite a few Tricholoma species, of which I found three alone. Not a big count on the day but here are some highlights that I found.

Mycena speira - Bark Bonnet

Mycena aetites - Drab Bonnet

Tricholoma cingulatum - Girdled Knight

Tricholoma terreum - Grey Knight

Daedalea quercina - Oak Mazegill

Oudemansiella mucida - Porcelain Fungus

Lachnum virgineum - Snowy Disco

Tricholoma scalpuratum - Yellowing Knight