This year has been particularly good for fungi and, a couple of days ago, I enjoyed a walk with two friends, one of whom is an expert mycologist.
Altogether we found some 70 different species in a few hours during which we were only able to cover a few areas of Brede High Wood. The commonest was undoubtedly the sulphur tuft (Hypholoma fasciculare) - see below.
Another common species was the false death cap (Amanita citrina). It is rather paler and yellower than the true death cap and has the distinctive patches on the cap. The ring round the stipe and the cup or volva at the base show that it is an Amanita.
The following day I found my first fly agaric (Amanita muscaria), just a baby but indicative that the species should soon be fairly common.
All three species are poisonous, or at least inedible, though a wide range of invertebrates consume them with impunity.
