Images © Joanna Dodsworth

I found these freshly-grown Volvariellas on the dead horse-chestnut trunk in The Walks, here in Brill, just behind our house, on 27 July -- last week. It apparently was wont to grown on dead elm; it is interesting that I have found Rhodotus palmatus, also said to favour elms, last year on the same trunk.

Comment by Derek Schafer:- Volvariella bombycina is a remarkable species. The collection in your photograph looks like an albino guardsman’s bearskin hat (the hat, not the guardsman being albino!). It seems to be found on a range of trees, Elm and Beech most commonly but a number of others as well. Given how distinctive it is, it is not recorded that often. The Rhodotus seems to have a more determined preference for Elm, although occasionally found on other wood.

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Agaricus bohusii − September 2010 − Cathedral of Trees − Milton Keynes

The Cathedral of Trees near Willen Lake in Milton Keynes was planted some 25 years ago. The form of the cathedral is picked out with many different species of trees including hornbeam, lime, cherry, apple and pine. I first found Agaricus bohusii there under the pines in 2009 but not realising its significance, I didn't keep any material for confirmation of ID. It appeared again in good numbers in 2010 and ID was finally confirmed by Geoffrey Kibby, once I had sent a sample to Kew.

It appeared again in 2011 and I fully expect to see this again in the future. Interestingly, I also found this in 2010 at Linford Wood, Milton Keynes, making these the second and third record for Bucks - the first belonging to Derek from Pulpit Hill & Grangelands SSSI in 2005.

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Bog Beacon − Mitrula paludosa − May 2011 − Bow Brickhill Park

A description of the discovery of this specimen is detailed in the 2011 BFG newsletter (available here) so I shan't repeat the same information, however, needless to say, I was pretty chuffed with this one. The only formal Bucks record on the FRDBI is from Burnham Beeches in 1996.

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Boletus edulis − October 2010 − Danesborough Woods

I have been visiting this 'neck of the woods' for many years (in fact it was here that I took my first ever walk specifically looking for fungi), however it was only in 2010 that I found Boletus edulis for the first time - and fruiting in large numbers too. The precise location shall, for obvious reasons, remain a closely guarded secret.

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Chicken of the woods − Laetiporus sulphureus − September 2008 − Stony Stratford Weir

Laetiporus sulphureus can frequently be found parasitizing the ageing willows that line the river Ouzel as it meanders northwards through Milton Keynes. This photo was taken at the Parks Trust crayfish catch event at Stony Stratford weir back in 2008. I am sure that the reason this specimen is in such fine condition is that the river was pretty high, and it would have taken a boat for anyone to reach it!

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Common Ink Cap − Coprinopsis atramentaria − May 2010 − Whitchurch

Taken in Derek and Jenny's back garden at the 2010 BFG AGM. A pretty common species, this one though has what is thought to be Carychium minimum for a hitch hiker!

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Death Cap − Amanita phalloides − September 2011 − Lorre's Wood

I have been keeping an eye on this spot ever since I first found Amanita phalloides there some years ago, waiting for that 'perfect' specimen. Whether this one is perfect or not is of course a matter of opinion, but it was certainly in pretty good nick.

As a side note, this was my first attempt at focus stacking, and I was quite pleased with the result.

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False morel − Gyromitra esculenta − March 2010 − Old Wavendon Heath

I visited this spot in early March 2009 after being given a tip-off from Leif Goodwin that Gyromitra esculenta grew there. This has continued to make a regular appearance in the same spot, despite the recently created mountain bike tracks that now criss-cross its habitat.

Interestingly, Leif has this down as being in Bedfordshire, which is correct, however it rather snugly fits just within VC 24.

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Fly agaric − Amanita muscaria − October 2008 − Broomhills Wood

An early attempt at a fly agaric. I liked the way that the bright sunlight light hit the immature cap - I just wish I had moved that blade of grass from in front of the stipe.

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Half-free morel − Morchella semilibera − April 2007 − Wavendon Heath

In the spring of 2009 I went up to Wavendon Heath near Brickhill to look for Morchella esculenta under the ash trees that grow there. Perhaps unsurprisingly I didn't find any, but what I did find poking out from under the primroses more than made up for it.

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Jewelled Amanita − Amanita gemmata − November 2010 − Bow Brickhill Park

I found this in the church car park, just above the village of Bow Brickhill. This area has proven pretty fruitful for fungi over the years and has included Sparassis crispa and Laetiporus sulphureus, amongst many others.

This species was also recorded about two weeks before this photo was taken at the BFG foray at the nearby Rushmere Estate.

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Sarcoscypha sp − March 2012 − Caldecotte Lake − Milton Keynes

Although this is likely to be Scarlet elfcap Sarcoscypha austriaca, I have entitled the photo as Sarcoscypha sp. as I haven't yet checked under the microscope for the presence of curly excipular hairs, so it may just possibly be S.coccinea.

A regular spring-time presence at Caldecotte Lake in Milton Keynes.

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Shaggy inkcap − Coprinus comatus − September 2010 − Bancroft − Milton Keynes

Just a bit of fun this one really. Not the finest example of Coprinus comatus, and I have to confess that I moved it there from a spot nearby but I had wanted to get something alongside the concrete cows.

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Shaggy parasol − Macrolepiota (now Chlorophyllum) rhacodes − September 2010 − Cathedral of Trees − Milton Keynes

Another from the Cathedral of Trees in Milton Keynes that struck me as quite a nice collection.

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Stinkhorn − Phallus impudicus − September 2010 − Bow Brickhill Park

Camera-shy flies!

Every time I moved closer to get a picture the flies took off, but they were so desperate to get to the ripe smelling gleba that they quickly settled again, but on the side furthest away from me!

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Suillus granulatus − November 2010 − Cathedral of Trees − Milton Keynes

Again, not a particularly uncommon species, but looked lovely in the late afternoon sunlight. This grows quite abundantly in this spot later in the year.

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Tawny grisette − Amanita fulva − September 2010 − Bow Brickhill Park

One of the first fungi shots taken with my newly-acquired 20mm prime lens, this time using a three frame focus stack.

Amanita fulva, citrina, rubescens, phalloides, muscaria and possibly virosa have all been found in broadly the same vacinity.

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The Prince − Agaricus augustus − October 2008 − Cathedral of Trees − Milton Keynes

Bit of a scruffy specimen perhaps, but the light was nice.

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