Chris Lansdell's Birding & Nature Diary: Barnhamcross Common with the Norfolk Fungus Study Group, 2 November 2019

On Saturday I attended my first field outing with the Norfolk Fungus Study Group. It was at Barnhamcross Common on the outskirts of Thetford so with a mix of habitats it had plenty of potential. Despite some pretty inclement weather (which eventually cleared) we spent a good 5 hours at the site and still only covered the section to the west side of the road! The people in the group were very welcoming and helpful to a newbie like me and it was nice to meet Ian Senior after much online correspondence and Tony Leech, a blast from the past from my days in Holt.

According to the others the list was the biggest they've ever had on a field trip. I noted down some of what we saw but the 'official recorder' has the full list which will be shared in due course. Many specimens were also taken away for further analysis!

Highlights for me were the superb Scarlet Caterpillerclub which parasites caterpillar larvae and Shooting Star, a tiny fungus of dead wood which shoots it's spore out at high speed. Apart from those photographed and shown below I also noted down Fly Agaric, Clouded Agaric, Wood Blewit, Grassland Puffball, Orange Mosscap, Collared Mosscap, Slender Parasol, Powdery Earthcap, Bark Bonnet, Brown Cap, Spotted Toughshank, Peppery Roundhead, Wrinkled Crust, Hairy Curtain Crust, Lumpy Bracket, Frothy Porecrust, Tan Pinkgill, Rooting Shank, Silky Pinkgill, Colmans Waxcap, Spangle Waxcap, Stump Brittlestem and Club Foot.

It was an educational day to say the least!