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Rushall Manor Farm and River Pang – December 16th 2009

Seven members met at Rushall Manor Farm on a crisp, frosty morning that rapidly turned to steady light snowfall. This severely interfered with plant discovery and very few birds were seen, not surprisingly. The woods to the north of Rushall Manor Farm were explored and the walk extended through fields down to the Pang. The upwelling of underground water in the Blue Pool complex was admired and one intrepid welly-clad member waded in the river looking for crayfish, unsuccessfully. A possibly exciting specimen in the river proved to be a discarded sock.In spite of the accumulating snow, a good number of fungi were noted, all of them frozen solid. They included:

Clitocybe flaccida (Tawny Funnel Cap)
Clitocybe nebularis (Clouded Agaric)
Clitocybe geotropa
Collybia butyracea (Buttercap)
Mycena galericulata (Bonnet Mycena)
Mycena sp.
Lepista sordida
Stereum hirsutum (Hairy Stereum)
Lactarius turpis (Ugly Milk Cap)
Laccaria laccata (The Deceiver)
Russula heterophylla
Piptoporus betulinus (Birch Polypore)

Lunch by the fireside in the Old Bull at Stanford Dingley was most welcome!

Article by Chris Bucke