Laurel fungus in Madeira
Here’s a find from when it was possible to travel There’s a fungus on this laurel tree: It’s Laurobasidium lauri, which grows …
A pig stretching its legs
We arrive at Challacombe Farm to a piggy greeting. It’s clearly pleased to see us and trots alongside us for ten minutes …
Since when was the Cotswolds in Mesopotamia?
Sheep. They’re fascinating animals. There are 23 million sheep in the UK. That’s a lot of sheep. Sheep are frequently described as …
Sunset over Tafts
One of my favourite photographs from Orkney is Sunset over Tafts. It sums up the surprising drama of a landscape, which is …
Rock Pipits
There’s a noisy young pipit on the rocks. It’s the perfect colour for these lichen covered rocks. It has a lovely delicate …
The child within
There are the remains of a small tree on Bovey Heath. It’s started to disintegrate and the trunk has shattered. Deep within …
Piggy little lies
We arrive at Challacombe farm to find a happy, inquisitive pig. It’s quite small and not too intimidating. It follows us as …
Green islands in the fall of the leaf
The leaves are turning brown and falling. Fall is the traditional English name for Autumn, it’s not an Americanism. Spring was called …
The Hall of Einar Sunday Recommendation #26
Rewilding by Richard Durrant.
Birch Brackets and extinct elephants
This Birch Bracket fungus is Piptoporous betulinus. It looks like a bicycle saddle here. I almost expect it to have springs underneath like …
Pottering amongst the potters of Bovey Heath
In early autumn I visited Bovey Heath to meet John Walters, a fabulous entomologist, artist and speaker. He’d promised to show me …
Deceptive
Walking through woodland in autumn is always a delight. The sights and smells are fascinating. I’m delighted when I find a Deceiver, …
Jewels in autumn leaves
There are warty jewels hidden amongst the leaves on the woodland floor. These are Common Puffballs, Lycoperdon perlatum. It’s always an impressive …
Baby pink mushrooms which smell of radish
There’s a beautiful baby pink fungus on the Heath. I suspect it might be Mycena rosea, the Rosy Bonnet: It’s hard to …
Fly Agarics
There are Fly Agarics in abundance on Bovey Heath at the moment. It’s tricky to find one which hasn’t been partially eaten …
The Hall of Einar Sunday Recommendation #25
The Living Mountain by Jenny Sturgeon
A waterfall of Hedgehogs and Rubber Brush risotto
Hedgehog fungi are one of the easiest to identify. If it has a central stem, a pale off-white cap and the underneath …
Doggy Paddle
Kayaking always looks such great fun. I wish I did it more often. This kayaker has a couple of passengers. They’re better …
With this ring…
Maybe not.
A Squab
There’s a big kerfuffle in the garden. Something’s happening in the pine tree. I glance out of the window and see a …
Skating on water
I always enjoy seeing pond skaters, as childhood memories flood back: Today there are some large ones on this brook and I’m …
The Sundews of boggy pools and peaty moors
We’re having a trip to Dartmoor and I decide to stop off for a quick fungus forage. Down by the bridge there’s …
The Hall of Einar Sunday Recommendation #24
Emergency Lullabies by Merry Hell
An early Start Point
I’ve been to Start Point before. I came here with my son one morning, very early, and took photographs in the fog. …
The Drumstick Truffleclub
There’s a fungus which is barely visible on the forest floor. It’s Tolypocladium capitatum, the Drumstick Truffleclub. It’s a parasitic fungus which …
The Wasp Spider
Walking around Bovey Heath we spot a Wasp Spider. It’s a fantastic specimen. Just look at it: I manage to get between …
Challacombe Chickens
These chickens at Challacombe Farm have the look of an ancient painting about them. The farm is owned, like 52,760 hectares of land and …
Boring beetles
Beetles are never boring, unless they’re tunnelling, of course. How fabulous are these tunnels under the bark of this tree? I’d love …
Late Swallows walking the high barbed wire
A few months ago we had a trip to Dartmoor and saw Barn Swallows enjoying some of their first weeks of flying. …
The Hall of Einar Sunday Recommendation #23
An Orkney Triptych – Book One by Erland Cooper and Alex Kozobolis