Fungi at Fowlmead

The young woods at Fowlmead country park are sprouting fungi, exploiting the unusual habitats on the coal spoil heap.

There are numerous Fly Agarics, and a variety of less obvious species. The Fly Agaric is well-known for being poisonous, and advertises the fact with its bright red colour.

Apparently about a dozen of the hundreds of the fungi types found in the UK are very poisonous (half a Destroying Angel can kill an adult).


Many types, conversely, are temptingly tasty, but I've come to the conclusion that it's best not to pick wild fungi (apart from the common field mushrooms) because:


they are an attractive find, so leave them for others to see;


like many other natural life forms, they are reducing in number, so picking any would reduce the next generation;


the family wouldn't eat them;


my identification skills are not good enough; and remember...


the best way of finding out is something is poisonous is to eat it!











The last picture, by the way, is a shaggy ink cap, seen not at Fowlmead but at Dungeness.

Plenty of birds moving today, including a nice arrival in the garden of a tit flock including long-taileds and goldcrests. More surprising was a late flock of six house martins and a single swallow, flying low and chasing insects under the cloud.