Despite it only being out at South Walsham I’d never been to Fairhaven before. So a Norfolk Fungus Study Group foray there with the added bonus of free entry was a great chance to put that right.
The site consists of mixed broad leaved woodland with some impressive ancient oaks and loads of rhododendron combined with wet (flooded in some parts) alder carr with a mixture of many non-native plants.
Welcoming some more new members we had a brief introduction to the site from the owner/manager before setting off on our usual slow shuffle around the site. We found plenty of interest despite the site being dry (apart from the wet bit if you get my meaning!) and it now being quite late in the fungi autumn season. For me new species I’ve not encountered before are an obvious highlight and these featured Ochre Bracket, Mollisia amenticola (a small disco that grows on alder cones), Bitter Bracket, Blueleg Brownie, Powderpuff Bracket, Rusty Crust, Jackrogersella cohaerans, Laxitextum bicolor and Tomentella bryophila. Other goodies included Wrinkled Crust, Upright Coral, Birch Mazegill, Woolly Fibrecap, Yellow Shield, Willow Shield, Wrinkled Peach, the cup fungus Peziza micropus, Purplepore Bracket, Redleg Club, Wood Pinkgill, Purple Jellydisc, Alder Bracket, Rhododrendron Bud Blast, Dyer’s Mazegill, Blushing Bracket and the slime mould Diderma hemisphericum.
Good looker of the day was an insect however - the stunning Rhododendron Leafhopper. But that wasn’t the only insect of interest with Orange-spotted Fungus Beetle, Common Snail Hunter Beetle and Woodland Darwin Wasp all adding to a fabulous trip out.
Stewart also brought us some specimens to look at on the car park while we were waiting for others to arrive - these included Botryosporium pulchrum, Tomentella bryophila and Polydesmia fructicola.
Rhododendron Leafhopper
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