Macro Mushroom

A lovely sunny walk to Castor Hanglands NNR today, where the last few flowers of Field Scabious, Wild Parsnip and Hogweed were providing a late banquet for a range of flies, bees and wasps. I even saw a couple of Brimstone butterflies, a Peacock and a Red Admiral, all making the most of the warm conditions. 

But once again it was the fungi that held my attention, with huge Parasol mushrooms scattered over the heath (mostly past their best), some good groups of Horse Mushrooms and an extensive troop of Conical Brittlecap along the scrub edges. 

In the woodland there were several sets of Trooping Funnel, and a small group of Cucumber Cap (which does indeed smell of cucumber) on a shaded bank. But the prize for heaviest fungus of the day must go to this Macro Mushroom, whose cap was at least 25cm across - a beast of a fungus. I found a somewhat smaller one nearby which I brought back to identify - it was very tasty fried in butter!