Friday 17 October 2014

Autumn in the Braids

It's wonderfully warm and sunny today, perfect weather for planning out a new route for a nature study walk I'll be leading the week after next. The group have said they want us to go through the Hermitage of Braid and into the Braid Hills, which I thought was a bit ambitious for the 3 hours we will have, certainly if we're looking at everything from fungi to birds along the way.

Today's walk proved my suspicions and also alerted me to a path that looks like the obvious route to get from a particular A to B but in fact is way too steep, so I had to find another linking path, which I did, though this one is overgrown and muddy, but it isn't too steep. So this proves the value of checking out an exact route and on the day we'll just walk as far as we can and then back again by a slightly different route.

The autumn colours are wonderful at the moment, though I find they never look as wonderful on camera as they do in real life.

The bridle path around Braid Golf course was muddier than ever, but has got plenty of fungi growing alongside it at the moment - these are common puffballs

and this one I don't know, though possibly an egg yolk fungus? If you can recognise the species, then please let me know in the comments section!





4 comments:

Maureen @ Josephina Ballerina said...

Hi Juliet!
You're right about pix never quite showing the splendor of the real thing. On the other hand, there are so many photo apps these days to manipulate things with. I'm never quite sure that what is being presented is what was really there. Thus, I just take the shot and let the chips fall where they may.

Those puffballs are Cute! I am sorry to say I can't ID the second one. BUT! I found a bunch of delightful bright yellow mushrooms yesterday that I did ID. They are apparently mildly hallucinogenic, and are purported to have been used by Vikings to remove fear. Come see them, I think you will be delighted. :) m

TexWisGirl said...

fungi are fascinating. :)

RG said...

Exploring the route first sounds like it will really pay off for your adventure! Yes - rarely do I see as much beauty in the pictures of the fall color I take as what I saw with my eye.

eileeninmd said...

Sounds like a lovely walk.. The trees are gorgeous and the fungi is cool. Have a happy weekend!