Squeezed between heavy overnight rain and torrential afternoon rain, Sheelagh Hill managed to find a window of opportunity for her walk on Wednesday 21st November when the weather was merely damp. The walk started from The Bottle and Glass at Binfield Heath and headed north-eastwards along the lane before turning off onto the track through High Wood. Part way through the wood, a bank with big old coppice stools marked an ancient trackway. In the grassy fields beyond, a number of Field Blewits were found. In Harpsden Wood, abundant yellow fungi with a smell of coal tar were identified as Sulphur Knight Tricholoma sulphureum. Leaves of Woodruff and Wood Spurge indicated that this was long-established woodland. At the base of a beech tree was a big patch of foam, which was thought to be a slime mould. A number of specimens of The Blusher were seen, with a flat dark brownish-red cap covered with pale scales. Other species identified included Common Puffball and Clouded Agaric.
The next stretch of track, across a field of winter wheat, was sticky under foot. Entering Upper Hailey Wood, there was an enormous flat pale tan-coloured fungus with a cap which was at least 20cm across. A Roe Deer was disturbed and raced away. On the far side of Lower Hailey Wood, the route followed a track to Shiplake Row, before turning west towards Binfield Heath. The Spindle bushes in the hedgerow had an abundant crop of pink berries. Their leaves showed no sign of changing colour yet. At the top of the hill, there was a brief diversion down the track running south towards the Reading-Henley Road. Jelly Ear and a white jelly-like fungus were growing on a dead branch at the side of the track. As the group walked back through the fields, the sky became darker and heavy rain began to fall. Fortunately Chris Ash’s car was strategically parked in Kiln Lane and it was used to cover the last half mile to the pub, which was warm, dry and served excellent food.
