At Nature Walks October’s outing we were concentrating on fungi and my word didn’t we see a lot. We met at the National Trust CP on Salcombe Hill and went across the road onto the acid grassland at the Observatory. We saw many fungi in the Lactarius (the milk caps) species, Lactarius because they ‘lactate‘when their gills are damaged; Russulas we saw with their very white gills; Boletes (they have pores instead of gills), probably the Brown Birch Bolete but no ‘Penny bun’ this time and just beginning their season were the Waxcaps and yes most of them do have a ‘waxy’ cap.

We crossed the road and walked back to the car through the woods again finding more fungi but a different habitat so different fungi such as Candlesnuff and Porcelain fungi and Sulpher tufts all needing wood to grow on.

We missed the sun but it was dry and most enjoyable with lots of fungi to look at and identify.

Janet Fernley