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Nuthatch - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

Nuthatch

A Nuthatch has arrived at Daisy Nook. It’s hungry after a cold night. Just look at those claws. No wonder it can …

Feral Pigeon - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

Feral Pigeon

An incoming Feral Pigeon in beautiful light is a wonderful sight. It always gladdens the heart.

Deadly Webcap - Cortinarius rubellus - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

Deadly

Here’s a fungus you should learn to identify if you’re interested in foraging and eating wild fungi. It’s the Deadly Webcap, Cortinarius …

Chicken of the Woods - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

Chicken of the Woods

There’s a young Chicken of the Woods, Laetiporus sulphureus, on an oak tree. Correction, there was young Chicken of the Woods, Laetiporus …

Orange Peel Fungus - Aleuria aurantia - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

Orange Peel Fungus

Orange Peel Fungus, Aleuria aurantia, is unmistakable. Just look at it: I’ve written about it before, and posted beautiful illustrations of it …

Mycena seynii - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

Pine-cone Bonnet

The Pine-cone Bonnet, Mycena seynii, is a beautiful fairy-bonnet cap which grows on pine cones. It’s so beautiful I wish I’d brought …

Blackening Russula - Russula nigricans - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

Blackening Brittlegills

There are Blackening Brittlegills here on Dartmoor. They are fungi which live in broadleaved, mixed and coniferous woodland. They really do like …

Coot - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

As daft as a Coot

The commonest bird on the water in The Regent’s Park is the Coot, Fulica atra. That must be stressful for them, as …

Canada Goose - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

Canada Goose

There’s a flock of Canada Geese, Branta canadensis, here in The Regent’s Park. They were introduced in the late 17th century as an …

Spectacular Rustgill - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

Spectacular Rustgill

There’s a strange group of fungi on this dead tree stump in the grounds of Exeter University. I’m out again on a …

Ring Ouzel - Turdus torquatus - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

Ring Ouzels

It’s not very often that you can experience wilderness in England. Contrary to popular belief, we’re not lovers of wildlife and nature …

Rhodocollybia maculata - Spotted Toughshank - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

Spotted Toughshanks

There are fungi I don’t recognise in the woods. They look as if they’ve been given a little too much bicarbonate of …

Black Bulgar - The Hall of Einar

Black Bulgar Pontefract cakes

How many people know what Pontefract cakes are? Surely not just people who live in Yorkshire? Maybe some people who live in …

Scarlet Caterpillar Club - The Hall of Einar

Scarlet Caterpillar Club

Here’s a thrill. It’s the pupa of a moth, which has been been infected with a fungus called Scarlet Caterpillar Club, Cordyceps …

Shaggy Inkcaps - Coprinus comatus - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

A Shaggy Inkcap story

I’ve been enjoying looking through this 1947 copy of Edible and Poisonous Fungi from 1947. It has one of my favourite edible …

Grey Heron - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

Grey Heron

A trip to London for work, with an afternoon free, means I’m changing out of my suit in a toilet cubicle and …

Red Kite - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

Red Kite in the morning

As a teenager, I went on a biology field trip to Borth on the west Wales coast. We had a minibus trip …

Short-Eared Owl - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

An early morning

I’m not usually out early in the morning. You might have noticed that my blog contains many, many sunset photographs but precious …

Starling - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

Stare

Adult Starlings used to be known as Stares. It was the juveniles which were called Starlings. By the 16th Century, they were …

Fallow Deer - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

There, There, My Deer

There are Fallow Deer at Powderham Castle in South Devon. It’s not really a castle, with a motte and bailey, but more …

Egghead Mottlegill - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

Egghead Mottlegill

There’s a beautiful domed fungus on this lump of poo on Dartmoor. Naturally I have to pick it up and have a …

Dog Stinkhorn - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

Dog Stinkhorns

Dog Stinkhorns, Mutinus caninus, aren’t easy to find. It’s not just that they like growing in overgrown areas, it’s that they don’t …

Boletus edulis - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

Big Boletes

To find wild mushrooms at their peak you really need to visit a likely spot for them every three days. As they’re …

Beefsteak Fungus - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

The oaks have tongues

We’re on an organised fungus foray with the Devon Fungus Group when our leader spots a Beefsteak Fungus, Fistulina hepatica, on a …