The fungi season has begun in earnest. Forays with North West Fungus Group and Liverpool Botanical Society have been held. Ainsdale Sand Dunes NNR produced over sixty specimens, seven not having previously been recorded there by the Group! Stereopsis reidii was also discovered last month in Ainsdale, its only known location in the UK!
Check out this article to see what species you could find in North Merseyside.
The fungi season has begun in earnest. Forays with North West Fungus Group and Liverpool Botanical Society have been held.
Ainsdale Sand Dunes NNR produced over sixty specimens, seven not having previously been recorded there by the Group. Highlights included:
A wet woodland lover found by the newt pond.
This is said to be edible but easily confused with Galerina marginata (Funeral Bell – the clue is in the name).
Ainsdale is the only site in the UK where this species has been recorded!
The next visit was to Springwood Crematorium and Allerton Cemetery in Liverpool, looking for grassland fungi. A good number of waxcaps were recently recorded there by other local naturalists but not when I went.
Finds included Cortinarius talus (Honey Webcap) that does smell like honey!
Next a visit to Calderstones Park, where the shrubberies are usually a good area for fungi. Some nice Echinoderma aspera (Freckled Dapperling), a species moving north in the current climate.
One of the less common species of coral fungus was living among the fallen twigs.
Not much to look at was Cystolepiota bucknallii (Lilac Dapperling), a new species for me. The only thing lilac on mine was the stem. It gives off a very strong smell of coal tar.
As long as the weather holds, this should be a good year for fungi.
By Tony Carter
