few of the first one. Most of us had not seen either species before. Luckily one person
(.lacquey Bunn) had a digital camera, which came in very useful (see Plate 3).
Other finds in Brickbarn Wood were tame in comparison, but included the familiar
black Cramp Balls Daldinia concentrica, Shaggy Bracket Inonotus hispidus with its
lemon yellow spores, Jelly Rot Phlebia tremellosa, two species of Oysters, Branching
Oyster Pleurotus cornucopiae and Veiled Oyster Pleurotus dryinus, were all common
species found on dead wood. On the woodland soil were specimens of Shaggy Parasol
Macrolepiota rhacodes, Brown Birch Bolete Leccinum scabrum under Silver Birch,
Common Earthball Scleroderma citrinum, and a Brittlestem Psathyrella gracilis in a
grassy clearing. On a steep sandy slope there were some bright orange Blackening Waxcap
Hygrocybe conica, with yellow gills and stipe below, and we watched the bruised pieces
blackening in a few minutes. These Waxcaps are common, but typical of the group with
the bright colours, waxy feel and very conical cap shape. We found three species of the
pink-gilled Shield fungi, Deer shield Pluteus cervinus with brown cap, Yellow S. P.
chrysophaeus which was a yellowish-olive-brown colour, and Willow S. P. salicinus
which is pure grey on top, all on decaying wood. One dead tree trunk had big caps of
Bay Polypore Polyporus durus on it, and another had the small red-brown Cinnamon
Bracket Hapalopilus rutilans on it, and a third had some small soft white brackets glancing
grey-blue on the pores which were Blueing Bracket Postia subcaesius. Two trees that
were nearly dead but not quite had interesting fungi on them: one had the bright orange-
yellow scale-flecked caps of Shaggy Scalycap Pholiota squarrosa and the other had an
unusual set of Southern Bracket Ganoderma australe growing all over the exposed
roots in strange knobbly shapes, but luckily a normal bracket low on the trunk gave the
game away.
We came back the quick way across the flat water meadow and Jill Ireland suggested we
cross the little pond on the wooden walkway and we might see a Water Vole. We stopped
chattering as we went near, and we enjoyed watching one for several minutes moving
around between the reeds. We noticed the rounded muzzle and thick woolly fur that
distinguish the Water Vole from the sleek Brown Rat with more pointed muzzle, which
is also often seen near water. We set off home at about one o'clock, having had a very
enjoyable two and a half hours.
Thanks are due to Steve Mitchell, who let us into the more secure parking area by the
pumping station and opened up the toilets for us, and to Steve Ireland, of Thurrock
Wildlife Society, who locked the gates behind us at the end.
26
Essex Field Club Newsletter No. 46, January 2005