The time of the Agaric

 Into October and Crow Wood is changing dramatically, leaves are changing colour and starting to drop, chestnuts are falling and there is a real sense of the woodland drawing in on itself in preparation for the coming of the cold. But not everything is closing down. Having seen few fungi this year so far, the recent damper conditions have produced a bit of a flurry and this season the wonderful Fly Agaric is very abundant. It is such a fine toadstool in its bright red garb and on my recent visit I counted around two dozen specimens. Like most of the Agaric family it is not edible, although it is known to have hallucinogenic properties and throughout history has been used in this way in some cultures. 

As is the case for many poisonous fungi, even the deadliest, slugs and snails manage to enjoy them without dying and we will never know if they experience the supposed vivid dreams after a supper of Fly Agaric. Someone, and I wish I knew who, once said "all mushrooms are edible but one or two will kill you"; it sums up rather neatly how we should approach the picking and eating of fungi. Helped by our expert Swedish friends, as a family we now know a few safe species to eat and we stick with what we know are tasty and safe varieties. Members of the Boletus family are usually good; the Penny Bun or Cep is the best of the bunch. If there is any cause for doubt we leave it. Crow Wood can sometimes provide us with good pickings but it has not been the case so far this year.

Autumn and winter are the working seasons when most woodland management takes place. Illness last autumn prevented me from carrying out lots of jobs so it has been good to tackle some of them this year. There is felling of some of the "overstood" Sweet Chestnut to plan and get done over the months ahead and areas where the undergrowth of brambles and heather is getting too scraggly and needs cutting back. After several hours of hacking and strimming, the chance to have a big bonfire is a real Autumnal delight.

A member of the Boletus family, my field guide suggests that these are called Mottled Bolete and that they are edible but these specimens were too small.

These are False Chanterelles, they look a little like the very tasty Chanterelles but are poisonous. Even experts have been fooled by them.

A fine specimen of Fly Agaric

Such a brilliant and iconic colour in the duller days of Autumn

A slug has taken a few bites from this one.

A fine end to a day in the wood...burning piles of brash