Day 77
This was another quick lunchtime lap on my own so not a lot to report really. Then fine weather is still holding after a brief spell of stormy weather over the weekend.
A bit grey outside but not really too bad considering the time of year.
Tag Archives: ardaghwoods
Bedraggled Mushrooms
Day 76
I am absolutely exactly on schedule now with the first walk of the last quarter of the year. Again, I’m on a lunchtime rush so not a lot of note to report. There has been a little rain over the past few days but it is still very dry.
I didn’t do much with the camera due to general laziness – just this shot of a few slightly bedraggled mushrooms.
I need to try to get out for a slightly slower weekend walk in the next couple of weeks. Unfortunately I am taking advantage of the dry weather to do a bit of outdoor work so don’t have a lot of time for walking.
Last of the Foxgloves
Day 75
I was a bit late getting out today due to losing track of time at work. It was yet another fantastic day but it is definitely getting colder.
As you can see, the visibility up the top was fabulous with the horizon a good 70 km away in place I should think. In the latter part of the walk I came across a solitary foxglove having a second coming. It even still had some buds on it.
Day 74
With the fine weather continuing I had yet another dry lunchtime walk. It was a bit overcast and a relatively unremarkable walk. It took the shorter of the two routes as I was running a bit late.
Everything is dying back – even the mushrooms are past their best and it is rare to see some nice colour. So I took this shot on the edge of the forest to show there is still a splash of colour about.
Lunchtime walk
Day 73
This was the usual quick lunchtime loop. The dry weather has continued and it is still very warm considering the time of year. It was a fairly normal walk with no great excitement.
The place is still covered in mushrooms with a few places having almost a carpet of them. Unfortunately I didn’t get a terribly good picture of them aside from these new arrivals
The leaves are turning more by now but not a lot of them have fallen. Hopefully they will all hold out a bit longer. The place is still very dry. Normally by now the streams would all have rewatered and indeed some of them did come back a bit a few weeks ago but they have all dried up again.
Proper Indian Summer
Day 72
Yet another fine day for a lunchtime walk – this is getting to be a bit of a habit. We had fine blue skies but the temperature isn’t quite what is was in high summer. Still, I’m not complaining.
Some of the leaves are beginning to turn and you can see a light sprinkling of fallen leaves in some places. It is quite restful to just sit under a tree waiting for the leaves to come down. Hopefully the storms will hold off for another few leaves to give the leaves a chance to turn properly colourful. Normally, we get one huge storm in late September that clears the lot in one fell swoop and then we miss the fabulous colours as the leaves fade away by themselves.
Even the mushrooms are start to get past it. Something had a nice feed on this one – hopefully it wasn’t too poisonous.
Autumn sunshine
Day 71
After an early breakfast, we got ourselves out of the house into a spectacular early autumn morning. There was hardly a cloud in the sky but there was a bit of a nip in the air to remind us that we were no longer in the middle of the summer.
The early part of the walk was uneventful as it is usually is at this time of year. Everything is dying back and there is not a lot new to see. There was a poor solitary foxglove flower hanging on for dear life
However, once we get across the road and into the second half of the look, the mushroom wonderland experience continues. We didn’t spot any new varieties today but there were a few more fine examples making their appearance. This stop is quite amazing – like some sort of fairy dell and the weird effect of my poor photography only adds to the magical appearance.
The rather deadly-looking red toadstools have sorted out themselves in a few new stands. I didn’t see this one last year.
This tree-fungus has sort of had enough of things by now.
Once we got out of forest, my sharp-eyed daughter spotted this grasshopper and I managed to get a really good shot of it.
Nearby the holly-tree is coming along quite well in time to have the berries ready about three weeks too early so that birds will have them all eaten.
Will the mushrooms ever stop?
Day 69
I had intended to make this a mushroom-free day but there were so many new ones that I couldn’t resist it. It was just me and the dogs today but the weather was fine and it is still warm enough for walking without a fleece.
At the top, there are a few pines doing quite a good job of seeding themselves along the side of the path.
On the path down from the top, these guys were growing in the open in among some sphagnum moss. Although they look like flowers, they are actually mushrooms.
A little bit further on and under cover, I found this really interesting-looking tiny purple mushroom.
Finally, after a bit more, these guys are decaying quite badly now.
It was quite a slow walk as I was messing about a bit taking photos but an enjoyable trip round the forest. My new cheap boots leaked slightly unfortunately.
Mushrooms Everywhere
Day 68
So now I’m back to normal, writing up  a walk the morning after. I’m also back to being marginally ahead of schedule after a somewhat slack month of August. I nipped out for a walk in the afternoon with one extremely happy child and two even happier dogs in tow. The mushrooms are still in fine fettle so I figured on dropping in one non-mushroom picture before I get stuck in.
Once we left the bright part of the walk we started coming across all kinds of mushrooms. They really are everywhere this year
Some of them are beginning to look a bit past their best
My daughter was very exited to be mushroom hunting and she spotted this one hiding hiding under cover
I’ve been waiting for this one to make its appearance where we spotted them last year. The classic toadstool
I spotted this one on a log on the open path. What incredible patterns
This is the tree fungus from last week looking a bit the worse for wear
Another one past its best
We had a grand walk today. Aside from mushrooms and blackberries, everything else is starting to die back for the winter. You definitely get a sense of the approaching autumn.
Family Walk
Day 67
We all dragged ourselves out for a walk in the afternoon although there may have some complaining. The mushrooms are still in full swing and there really is quite an incredible variety this year.
As seems to be my habit lately I am writing this up a week after the walk which is something I need to stop doing so this post will mostly be pictures of mushrooms
