Miniature Life in a Log Pile

It has taken a couple of days to process these images taken in one of the log piles in my garden - focus-stacked images with 60mm lens plus 26mm extension rings and natural light. The possible IDs are Trichia varia for the first and Hemitrichia spp for second - I need to photograph older stages to be sure according to expert advice. I like the orange peel surface on the first. The next six are various slime moulds (I think) and then a couple of fungi species (Henningsomyces candidus and ?), , finishing with an incredible spider sac with mesh bag - not yet identified to species but so intricate and colourful. 

 

Cups and Caps at Paxton

Still a lot of fungi around at Paxton Pits including several species of cups as well as traditional clumps of Mycena etc. The Scarlet Elf Caps, Sarcoscypha spp (S. austriaca is the commoner but indistiguishable in the field from S. coccinea) are just starting to fruit - this one with an unusually long stem to get above the moss but also Brown Cups (Rutstroemia firma),  Lemon Cups (Bisporella citrina) and the impressive Green Elfcup (Chlorociboria aeruginascens). The Coral Spot (Nectria cinnabarina) was on a lot of twigs.

Wimpole Fungi

Wimpole grounds were very 'damp' in the mist but thankfully not too muddy. Lots of fungi covered in dew, which gives interesting shots as in the first photo but makes ID difficult. I have managed to identify Calocera cornea, Small stagshorn (2), Helvella crispa, White Saddle (3), Auricularia mesenterica, Tripe Fungus (5,6), Auricularia auricula-judae, Jelly Ear (8), Annulohypoxylon thouarsianum King Alfred's Cakes - young stage (9) and Nostoc comune a Cyanobacterium (10)

Slime Moulds and Mini Fungi

I was studying one of the several piles of logs and cut wood in the garden that I keep for invertebrates and fungi and found these slime moulds and mini fungi. The first two are a slime mould, Comatricha (nigra) and the next two an intriguing fungus,  Henningsomyces candidus. Next a yellow slime mould plasmodium and ?Jelly fungus followed by two stages of fungus, Hypoxylon ?howeanum. Finally what I started photographing a Woodlouse!! 

Paxton Miscellany

A mix of images from an enjoyable day at Paxton looking for fungi (Mycena species and Winter Stalkball) in the morning and walk with friends looking at birds etc in the afternoon 

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