Nature Notes from Argyll
(and occasionally other places)
Sat 14 Nov 2009 Seil Natural History Group walk from Ganavan to Dunstaffnage.
We met in the Ganavan car park and debated whether to call the walk off because of the rain. Luckily we didn't, as the weather was perfectly tolerable throughout and a good time was had by all.
The route has wonderful views whatever the weather. This is looking south-west from Aonadh Mor, near the start of the walk.
Didn't take many photos, perhaps it was drizzling a bit after all. This is Meadow Coral Fungus. We also found a variety of waxcaps, which I didn't bother photographing as we've had so many recently. These were much battered by livestock, weather, age and perhaps even people, it being a popular walking route. The flat grassy patches dotted about in this diverse bit of countryside will clearly be very promising for waxcaps if visited at the right time of year.
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The woods behind Dunstaffnage Castle also look exciting for fungi if visited before the frosts strike. We did find these Mycenas(?) dotted all over the bark of an oak, and I'm hoping to get them identified at some point.
The oak was a bit of a puzzle as the leaves seem far too deeply lobed for Turkey Oak, but when I went back later to look for acorns, these proved it was indeed Turkey Oak, so it must be a special cultivar of that species. The tree is naturalised in the woods there, with specimens of all ages present.
Tue 24 Nov 2009 Seil
Our monthly midweek recording walk took place in atrocious weather and we only went a token distance before turning back. No chance of getting the camera out. We recorded 25 lichens and the following fungi:
| Piptoporus betulinus | Birch Polypore | |
| Ganoderma australe | Southern Bracket | |
| Basidioradulum radula | Toothed Crust | |
| Hymenochaete corrugata | Glue Fungus | |
| Exidia repanda | Birch Jelly Button | |
| Scleroderma citrinum | Common Earthball | |
| Stereum hirsutum | Hairy Curtain Crust | |
| Rhytisma acerinum | Sycamore Tar Spot |
Sat 28 Nov 2009 Dunstaffnage
This was the day I went back to look for Turkey acorns. Found several hard-to-identify mushrooms and a variety of oceanic lichens.
The most exciting lichen was this green Peltigera. I haven't yet decided whether it's P leucophlebia or P britannica, but I'm working on it.
These waxy-looking mushrooms key to Psathyrella spadicea. No reason why they shouldn't be.
A bit of Dunstaffnage Castle. It's haunted by a lady dressed in green. I wasn't quite quick enough to get her photo.
Other mysterious beings live in the woods behind the castle. These are a Coprinus species. In 24 hours they'll have deliquesced into a black liquid.
Not a bad day weather-wise.
All photos and other content copyright © Carl Farmer