A bit special

Thanks to a tip off from a friend, this morning we found some Earthstars.

This is probably the most common of the seventeen species found in Britain and Ireland. I believe it to be Collared Earthstar, Geastrum triplex.
They are related to Puffballs and if gently touched or hit by a raindrop large numbers of fine spores will puff out of the hole at the top.

Earthstars are a bit of a cult and enthusiasts try to keep secret the locations of some of the rarer varieties. They can sometimes be found growing as a fairy ring.