Wednesday 29 January 2014

Fungi and signs of spring

It was damp and muddy along the Water of Leith today. Ideal conditions for fungi and there were plenty of them around:

Auricularia auricula-judae (currently usually known as Jelly Ear)

Stereum hirsutum (Hairy Stereum)

 not sure about this one, I thought it was some sort of earthball fungus, but on a closer look I think it might be some sort of earthstar, though one of the species that doesn't have a collar. Does anyone have any idea what this might be?

The air was full of birdsong, specially song thrushes, which always start singing early and though they're sadly in decline across the UK, they continue to thrive in the Dells, by the Water of Leith. The hazel trees are a mass of catkins, I tried to take a photo, but the camera refused to focus on both the dangling male catkins and the tiny, red female flowers, so I'll need to wait until next time I see a hazel tree!

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Meanwhile I'm delighted to now have a page of poetry on Verse Wrights

As ever, red text contains hyperlinks that take you to other webpages where you can find out more.

9 comments:

TexWisGirl said...

very neat fungi.

dosankodebbie said...

That is what autumn looks like here, can't imagine seeing those many-shades of rich browns in the spring.

Crafty Green Poet said...

TexWisGirl - thanks!

debbie - it's what autumn looks like here too, but we've had such a damp amd mild winter that it's felt like an extended autumn!

eileeninmd said...

Great finds, cool looking fungi!

Draffin Bears said...

Hi Juliet,

Love all the fungi.
Interesting how the weather has been so mild in some of the parts of Europe.
Must have been nice hearing the bird song.
happy day
hugs
Carolyn

Maureen @ Josephina Ballerina said...

Juliet -oh, your fun haiku and haunting poems at VerseWrights. You are such an honest- to -goodness poet. Thank you for your offerings.

Little Miss Titch said...

never mind spring I want summer,had enough of rain now,xx Rachel

Unknown said...

What great photos. It's wonderful to see a glimpse of your world. :)

A Cuban In London said...

Beautiful fungi. I thought you guys up in Scotland were having -20 temperatures. It looks like it's not only down south where winter has failed to turn up.:-)

Greetings from London.