Woodland Fungi.

 A walk along Gove Hill Bottom wood today revealed two fungi that grow on both living or dead wood. The most promient were several, all on a snigle tree, of the Dryad's Saddle, Polyporus squamosus. one of the larger polypores. 

 

Dryad's Saddle. Photo John M Elliott. click to enlarge.

 

The thick white flesh is unfortunately inedible.

Also showing well beside the path were many of the small, black fungi known, for obvious reasons, as King Alfred's Cakes, Daldinia concentrica. 

King Alfred's Cakes. Photo. John M Elliott.Click to enlarge.

 In spite of the name these also are classified as inedible.

Chicken of the Woods.

 

Chicken of the Woods Fungus. Photo. John Elliott

 

Showing well on the Church Green at the moment is a large bracket fungus, Laetiporus sulphureus, otherwise known as Chicken of the Woods. Starting off a bright sulphur yellow, it pales as it ages but the edges stay yellow. Edible, the thick flesh is said to resemble chicken, hence the name. It normally is found on living wood, often prefering yew or oak, Ours is on the remains of what, if I remember correctly, was a cherry tree.   

My Cuckoo.

 News from BTO on my Cuckoo, Arthur.

 

Arthur nudges east

Another of our Suffolk Cuckoos, Arthur, has also been progressing east, albeit at a more sedate pace. His route has taken him from Burkina Faso to Benin, where he is now on the eastern edge of the Trois Rivières Forest protected area.