Fungi

It’s been a great season for mushrooms….mild weather, not too wet and so far, at least here in the southeast, only one day of frost.  They are therefore lasting longer as indeed are the fantastic colours.  I feel very lucky this year having gone through 2 autumn’s.  One in Lapland in mid September and of course the other here.  Both very different from one another in that in Lapland it is much colder and the forests are primarily spruce and birch whereas here it is broadleaved.  And there is the added bonus in Lapland that you may get to see the northern lights.

So this year in Kent I have, much like orchids last spring and summer, concentrated on fungi.  I always find myself out there shooting them anyway at this time but I really felt like I needed to update the library with the classic specimens such as Fly Agaric and the more unusual like Giant Polypore.  I would visit one woodland in particular about 40 mins from my home many times as on each visit different types presented themselves.  I also ran a couple of photography workshops there which went down well as we had good weather and different varieties to keep us occupied. 

Aside from this I spent a memorable morning watching Fallow Deer rutting.  These were completely wild, not in a park, and as I stepped out of my car at dawn I could hear the unmistakeable ’grunt’ of the bucks.  It was quite dark and raining so I knew photography wouldn’t be an option but the thought of me seeing them drove me on.  I walked slowly wearing dark, silent clothing along the forest tracks and stopping every 50 metres or so to listen for the bucks whilst at the same time checking wind direction.  I got closer to the sound some 30 minutes later and proceeded towalk into the coppice woodland, the rain muffling my footsteps.  I crouched and there about 20 mtres away I could see the buck through the trees patrolling up and down the length of his stand grunting continuously.  And then, as if out of nowhere, another buck sat up only 10 metres away and looked at me.  The wind was in my favour and he couldn’t make out what I was.  He grew more curious and made a few steps toward me.  30 seconds later he stepped even closer and did the same a gain shortly after.  He eventually circled me to get my scent and when he eventually did so, scampered through the wood.  I remained still and over the next 30 minutes or so carried on watching the buck on his stand with others all around me periodically grunting.  I didn’t take any pictures but it was a great experience non the less.

Tags: autumn, beech tuft, flyagaric, fungus, panorama, porcelain, sweet chestnut, woodland