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Vale of Glamorgan, South Wales, United Kingdom
Bit of a long tooth IT Manager - been and had a few hobbies, as for the title, I make glass beads, its Called Lampwork, I brew my own Beer, its called fun and I take photos, thats the oldest hobby, since I was 16 or so. My first camera was a Zenith E - then a Pentax KR to go digital after a long stint with a Pentax Super A. Now a Nikon D5200 and a D7100 with a Sigma 150 f2.8 macro lens to play with amongst others. Please note all photos used are my own and I retain full copyright to all of them. Thank you for respecting digital ownership

Saturday 15 February 2014

February, wet and windy as normal – or in this case way more than normal. Have to say our position here is good, we are not flooded out and while a few trees are down on the local roads they are soon cleared.

There have been a few gaps in the weather where we managed to get out to go for a walk and of course my trusty camera was with me.  We visited a local nature reserve near us called Coed y Bwl. It is well known for the classic true wild daffodil narcissus pseudonarcissus this normally flowers late February or early March – over here in Wales they like it in flower for 1st March, St Davids day. Me I like it in flower that day as well, but for Yoke's birthday. 

So first week of February and while a lot are showing in early bud no nodding heads ready to open or any actually open. So no luck on that occasion. Fall-back to my favourite subject this time of year Fungi – first time I have seen this to photograph it – common name is Witches butter, Latin name is Exidia glandulosa. 




Then there was this little fella, all on its own and very small and dainty – no common name but while they are notoriously difficult to ID we think this is Mycena galopus var. candida



Then found a patch of these, quite a lot of them in a curve of a large tree that had fallen, I guess it formed a micro climate where the wind went around the curve and back on itself so the spore stayed and the fruits multiplied, a couple of shots – a puffball but one with a stem, Lycoperdon pyriforme


If any of the IDs are wrong, apologies – I sent my ref books to Verity in Falmouth a while back to assist her in her course work, so she did the identification for me from my photos. Thank you Verity

Given how close a few daffs were to opening a return trip this weekend was in order, and lo and behold a single Wild Daffodil in flower – they are very dainty compared to the commercial ones.

And of course there was fungi – Scarlet Elf Cup - Sarcoscypha austriaca

 

Weather started to close in again – so off home to get on with the decorating that I was avoiding while there was a bit of sunshine
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1 comment:

  1. Laney16 February 2014 at 12:08

    Love the fungi! Witches Butter and Scarlet Elf Cap are fabulous but Mycena galopus var. candida looks the most ethereal of them all. We get lots of those ones here on the river walk. You are soo lucky to have a single Daffodil out already, mine are only just poking above the soil somewhat tentatively it has to be said!

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