A few more fungi - sorry!

I’m off on my travels to Peru tomorrow so this will probably be my last fungus-related post (or any post come to think of it) for a while. The main fungi season will be over by the time I return. Phew I hear you cry! 

A walk from home on Saturday (mainly to avoid the football!) was quite productive considering the lack of good habitat and the late date. Stubble Rosegill, an oozing Oak Bracket, Sulphur Disco, Wrinkled Crust and Wet Rot were the highlights. 3 Fieldfares and a Red Kite having a go at a Skylark in mid air were also entertaining.

Fast forward to Sunday and I cut short a visit to Norwich to venture out to Burlingham Woods with directions Lorraine Auton had kindly given me. My quarry was a lovely bunch of Aniseed Cockleshells growing at the base of a tree. This rare fungus has only 2 other county records this century so was well worth going to see. It’s curious shape, saw-edged gills and faint aniseed smell are diagnostic. Also there I found Funeral Bell amongst a few common bit and bobs. Earlier in Norwich there was a very large and impressive Shaggy Bracket right where we parked the car. 

                                                                                                                             Stubble Rosegill

                                                                                                                                   Oak Bracket

                                                                                                                               Wrinkled Crust

                                                                                                                    Wet Rot

                                                                                                                        Sulphur Disco

                                                                                                                               Aniseed Cockleshell

                                                                                                                           Funeral Bell

                                                                                                                             Shaggy Bracket

Pepper Pot Earthstar - the fungal holy grail! 7 November 2025

Pepper Pot Earthstar was thought to be extinct in the UK (there have been no Norfolk records since 1880!) but the species was found in Suffolk again in 2006. The site has remained a closely-guarded secret ever since but I was told about it in the strictest confidence this week and popped along yesterday. 

And I located 7 specimens albeit most had gone past their best. Looking at the site you do have to wonder if any others lurk undiscovered on a hedge bank somewhere.

As I was told about them in confidence I’m afraid I won’t be giving the location away. 

Cavenham Heath, over the border with the NFSG! 1 November 2025

A rare foray into Suffolk for the Norfolk Fungus Study Group. And a great attendance too with c25 people turning up and trying to squeeze onto the tiny carpark! 

We explored the woodland from the carpark followed by the open grassland of the heath. The final list of 150 species was pretty impressive although, of course, this number is boosted by many micro-fungi. 

I can’t do much better than copy and paste from Steve Pinnington’s ‘official’ trip report:

‘Starting from the car park we explored the mixed woodland and then moved onto the heathland where we had lunch and explored for grassland fungi until we retraced our steps down the lane to the carpark at the end of the day.

In the woodland there were plenty of fruiting bodies, mostly in the leaf litter of the birch and oak trees. Highlights were - Amanitas - Tawny Grisette and Amanita excelsa as well as Earpick Fungus and Ramaria stricta/Upright Coral. Lots of funnels, including Fragrant and Clouded and a single False Chanterelle growing out of a pine cone. There were a range of Lactarius/milkcaps - Oakbug, Mild and Ugly, plenty of Russulas/Brittlegills - Powdery, Bloody - and Mycenas/Bonnets - Coldfoot, Yellowleg, Angel’s, Rosy and Lilac. The dead wood had Hoof Fungus and Birch Polypore as well as Rosy Crust, Jelly Rot and Conifer Blueing Bracket. There were plenty of microfungi among which were Cacumisporium capitulatum and Natantiella ligneola on dead oak wood.

We had a very pleasant lunch, sitting on the only log on the heath, during which someone handed round a Macrotyphula fistulosa var. contorta/ Contorted Pipe Club. In the afternoon we were treated to grazed grassland scattered with dung - ideal! The highlight were Cordyceps militaris/Scarlet Caterpillar Club and its accompanying larva, found near the lunch log, along with two types of Deconica - Flecked Brownie growing on grass stems, and Dung-loving Brownie on cow dung as well as another amanita - Fly Agaric.There were two types of waxcaps - snowy and blackening as well as two Mottlegills - Petticoat and Dewdrop and two Inkcaps - Coprinopsis pseudonivea and Parasola misera/Least Inkcap.

An extremely pleasant day - enthusiastic recorders, pleasant company, great location and fine weather - what more could you ask for?’

I can’t add too much to that except 14-spot Ladybird, Western Conifer Shieldbug, and Minotaur Beetle. Plus loads of Bay Boletes, Bluefoot Bolete, Liberty Cap, Ochre Coral and Grassland Puffball.