Daeda's Woods, Nr Adderbury, Oxfordshire 31st December 2017

I visited this Woodland Trust site for the first time on New Year's Eve not expecting to see a great deal at this time of the year. It is a nice location, a little parking spot for three cars, easy to navigate paths and a nice mix of Oak, Ash and Willow. A river flows through the wood and there is plenty of old wood log piles around which look left for years, which only helps! I was looking for resupinates as you would expect and wasn't disappointed and added some of the highlights here. Nice to come across two 'old' Collared Earthstars in leaf litter/mulch caught in a willow stump close to the river again. The sacs were still operating though and pumping well. All others are common species except for Subulicystidium longisporum, which isn't. This is only a 'possible' also as like so many they need spore testing before 100% ID. I have booked myself on a Macrofungi microscopy course later this year, so will then expect to purchase a microscope, agents, slides etc., and keys to ID also at that time. Perhaps I can get closer to 100% ID at that stage like so many of the expert mycologists in this country. Pity these courses are so rare and there isn't more help given to 'budding' amateur mycologists, like myself. We can't rely on the relative few mycologists out there - they get old as well!

Geastrum triplex Collared Earthstar

Radulomyces confluens (resupinate under willow log pile)

Steccherinum ochraceum (resupinate under Ash)

Subulicystidium longisporum ?? (Resupinate under log)

Tremella mesenterica (Yellow Brain)

Stereum gausapatum (Bleeding Oak Crust)