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Squawking @squawking.bsky.social · 11/02/2026

This tiny Alder Goblet (Ciboria caucus) was growing on an alder catkin, then got photobombed by what I think is a Glistening Inkcap (Coprinellus micaceus). #fungifriends

Close-up of a 5 mm Alder Goblet on an alder catkin among moss and leaf litter. The tiny goblet-shaped cup, smooth and beige-brown inside with a pale rim, looks miniature beside the white inkcap stem rising through bright green moss.

Low-angle photo of a Glistening Inkcap about 6 cm tall, with a pale grey conical cap. Fine dust-like veil fragments cling near the cap margin, and the gill edges are darkening and beginning to dissolve. At the base of the slender white stipe, among vivid green moss, a tiny 5 mm Alder Goblet grows on an alder catkin.

Top view of a likely Glistening Inkcap cap growing among moss. The cap is conical with a darker honey-brown centre fading to a paler edge. The margin is strongly striate (lined with deep grooves), and the edge is beginning to deliquesce, blackening and dissolving into ink.

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Squawking @squawking.bsky.social · 05/02/2026

I came across this today, a quite distinctive mushroom, with an elegant shape, sheltered in scrubby grassland. I think it may be The Goblet, Pseudoclitocybe cyathiformis. #fungifriends

A brown mushroom about five inches tall, standing upright among twigs and leaves in scrubby grassland. It has a slender fibrous stem and a cup-shaped cap with an inrolled edge; pale gills beneath are crowded and weakly forked.

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Squawking @squawking.bsky.social · 28/01/2026

I think this might be Netted Crust (Byssomerulius corium). Suddenly vibrant today, its delicate wrinkled pattern, backlit by the late afternoon sun, felt like a treat at the end of the day. #fungifriends

Close-up of a pale cream-white crust fungus growing on tree bark. The surface shows a delicate, wrinkled, net-like pattern and thin, slightly lifted edges. Sunlight shines through from behind, making the fungus appear softly translucent against the darker bark.

Wider view of a slender tree trunk in winter woodland, with long vertical stretches of pale netted crust fungus running up the bark. Small shelf-like folds protrude along the trunk. The background is a tangle of bare branches with low afternoon sun filtering through.

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Squawking @squawking.bsky.social · 22/01/2026

Found today on an old hazel stool. I think this is likely Tremella foliacea (leafy brain fungus). If the ID is correct, it’s parasitising Stereum hirsutum (hairy curtain crust). The largest mass of jelly fungus I’ve seen. #fungifriends

Large amber-brown jelly fungus forming folded, leaf-like lobes on the underside of an old hazel stool. The translucent, gelatinous mass clings to the wood, with paler edges glowing where light passes through.

A heavy convoluted cascade of amber and honey-coloured jelly fungus bundled beneath an old hazel stool, its folded, leaf-like lobes translucent and glossy, catching the light against the dark, damp wood.

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Squawking @squawking.bsky.social · 22/01/2026

I’ve been searching for fungi on traveller’s joy (Clematis vitalba) for ages and thought I’d finally found one, about 40 tiny caps, just 1–1.5 mm across, smooth inside. Possibly Moss Ear (Chromocyphella muscicola), in which case it’s growing on the moss, not the climber. #fungifriends

Close-up of a moss-covered, decaying traveller’s joy stem. Nestled among the green moss are tiny, pale fungi shaped like miniature hoods or bells, each only about 1–1.5 mm wide, their smooth interiors opening sideways or downward.

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Squawking @squawking.bsky.social · 16/01/2026

When I saw this today I first thought it was Purple Jellydisc (there’s a lot starting to shape up just now), but some of these had begun to form small cups rather than the brain-like bundles, so perhaps this might be Budding Jellydisc (Ascocoryne cylichnium). #fungifriends

Small, glossy, purple jelly fungi forming shallow cup shapes on decaying wood. The fruit bodies are translucent and smooth, nestled in cracks of dark, wet bark with patches of moss nearby.

Cluster of deep purple, jelly-like fungi growing on a mossy fallen log. Some fruit bodies form rounded cups while others are folded and lobed, with a wet, gelatinous surface in a damp woodland setting.

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Squawking @squawking.bsky.social · 16/01/2026

I saw these tiny (approx 2mm) fungi caps on an Ivy leaf today. I think they might be Ivy Parachute (Marasmius epiphylloides). If that ID is correct, there are 145 U.K. records in the NBN database but likely reflecting how tiny and easily missed it is rather than true rarity. #fungifriends

Close view of several minute white fungi with umbrella-like caps standing upright on a brown ivy leaf. The caps are slightly cupped and semi-transparent, supported by hair-thin stems. Green moss and textured decaying wood fill the background.

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Squawking @squawking.bsky.social · 14/01/2026

I think this one is possibly Elder Whitewash (Xylodon sambuci), if it is then the name suits it well as it is very chalky and like whitewash peeling in some places, thin in others. Elder Whitewash is not Elder Specific. #fungifriends”

Close-up of a tree trunk coated in a chalky white crust fungus, patchy and uneven like peeling whitewash, with thin areas and thicker cracked sections. Green moss and lichen break through the white surface.

Wider view of a slender tree trunk in woodland, where a pale white crust fungus runs vertically along the bark. Green moss blends into the white coating, giving the impression that both were brushed on together, while ivy, brambles, and ferns surround the base of the trunk.

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Squawking @squawking.bsky.social · 12/01/2026

This starkly white crust wrapping a twig looked almost mineral when seen up close, it seemed to sparkle in the damp woodland. I think it may be Netted Crust (Byssomerulius corium). #fungifriends

Close-up of a thin twig coated in a bright white crust fungus. The surface is finely cracked and textured, with a maze-like pattern. In catching the light it appears almost crystalline against the dark, damp woodland background.

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Squawking @squawking.bsky.social · 12/01/2026

The Black Witches’ Butter (Exidia glandulosa) looked glorious after yesterday’s heavy rain. #fungifriends

A close view of Black Witches’ Butter growing on a mossy oak branch forming dark, gelatinous, translucent folds.

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Squawking @squawking.bsky.social · 10/01/2026

Saw this vibrant Yellow Brain Fungus (Tremella mesenterica) on a big, freshly fallen branch today at eye level. The vivid yellow-orange colour contrast against the damp winter woodland was startling. #hotsticksaturday #fungifriends

Bright yellow-orange Yellow Brain Fungus (Tremella mesenterica) growing on a freshly fallen branch at eye level. The jelly-like, folded fruit bodies glow against damp grey-brown bark, with moss, lichen, and blurred winter woodland in the background.

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Squawking @squawking.bsky.social · 10/01/2026

Jelly Ear Fungus (Auricularia auricula-judae). It’s always a joy to see the soft, fragile folds when they’re caught by the light and backlit like this. #fungifriends

Backlit Jelly Ear Fungus (Auricularia auricula-judae) growing from the side of a standing dead trunk. The ear-shaped fruit body glows warm amber-orange where sunlight passes through it, showing smooth, gently folded inner surfaces against darker bark.

Cluster of Jelly Ear Fungus on a dead tree trunk, showing soft, ear-shaped fruit bodies with wrinkled, folded surfaces. The fungi are deep brown to reddish-brown, with lighter translucent edges where the light catches them.

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Squawking @squawking.bsky.social · 10/01/2026

White Brain Fungus (Exidia thuretiana) today on a fallen branch. It’s a good indicator of how damp things have been here, as it shrivels in dry conditions. Its name comes from the brain-like folds of the pale, jelly-soft fruit bodies, which will deepen as this one matures. #fungifriends

White, jelly-like fungus growing in soft lobed patches along a cracked fallen branch, emerging from splits in the bark. The translucent fruiting bodies cling closely to the damp wood, with ivy leaves and wet leaf litter visible in the background.

Close-up of White Brain Fungus (Exidia thuretiana), showing pale milky-white, brain-like folds and a glossy, gelatinous surface. The fungus appears soft and swollen from moisture, contrasting with the rough brown bark beneath.

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Squawking @squawking.bsky.social · 08/01/2026

There are still a few Common Earthballs (Scleroderma citrinum) about. This photo was taken yesterday…all those spores drying in a gentle breeze. Today it poured, and every raindrop will launch them. #fungifriend

Common earthball fungus in leaf litter, with thick yellow-brown, warty skin split open to reveal a dark mass of powdery spores inside, ready to be dispersed by wind and rain.

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Squawking @squawking.bsky.social · 08/01/2026

Yesterday I mistook this bullseye-shaped fungal leaf spot on hart’s-tongue fern for a leaf miner, so today I searched until I found one, likely a fern-specialist micro-moth larva. Very scarce compared with the widespread fungal leaf spot. #fungifriends

Close-up of a hart’s-tongue fern frond showing a round, bullseye-shaped brown fungal leaf spot with darker outer margin and paler centre on the glossy green leaf.

Hart’s-tongue fern frond showing a narrow, winding serpentine leaf mine within the leaf tissue, with a pale track contrasting against the green surface.

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Squawking @squawking.bsky.social · 08/01/2026

Came across these four earthstars again today in leaf litter at the base of a mature oak. The vaulted, arched rays made me think possibly Arched Earthstar (Geastrum fornicatum)? #fungifriends

Earthstar fungus in deciduous leaf litter with thick brown rays split open and arched upward, lifting the spore sac above the ground; abundant brown spores visible on the top surface.

Closed earthstar fungus in leaf litter, appearing as a small round greenish-grey ball before the outer layers split into rays.

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Squawking @squawking.bsky.social · 07/01/2026

A burst of vivid red caught my eye today, it was a cheering delight to see Scarlet Elf Cup, (or similar), glowing in deep woodland shade. #fungifriends

Two bright scarlet cup fungi, each about 3 cm across, growing from moss and leaf litter in deep woodland shade. The cups have smooth, vivid red interiors and thin, slightly irregular rims, emerging from buried wood beside a deer track.

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Squawking @squawking.bsky.social · 07/01/2026

Black crust fungus in hollow of dead wood, approx. 6 cm across. Granular, bead-like surface. Possibly Dead Man’s Fingers / Candlesnuff (Xylaria) in crust stage. Looks like rot but structured. #fungifriends

Close-up of a black, granular fungal crust inside a hollow in decaying wood. The surface is made up of many small bead-like nodules embedded in the wood, giving a textured, charcoal-like appearance.

Fallen log on woodland floor covered with moss and leaf litter, with ivy growing over it. A dark black patch of crust-like fungus is visible in a hollow on the side of the log.

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Squawking @squawking.bsky.social · 16/01/2025

Wrinkled Crust (?) Phlebia radiata Found this crust on oak today. Like sunshine on a foggy day. #fungifriends www.first-nature.com/fungi/phlebi...

A large moss-covered fallen oak branch hosts two circular patches of fungal growth, each about 6 cm wide. Both patches have bright orange edges that sharply contrast with the moss and warm grey centres. One patch is flat, with a wrinkled, lumpy surface marked by vein-like lines radiating outward from the centre. The other patch is more textured, featuring small, finger-like structures up to 1 cm tall that give it a spiky, uneven look.

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Squawking @squawking.bsky.social · 15/01/2025

Pink polypore mould (?) Hypomyces rosellus The crust is eating the trunk, now it looks like the mould is eating the crust. #fungifriends

A close-up view of Hypomyces rosellus, also known in the U.K. as pink polypore mould is growing on a crust fungus on a fallen tree trunk. The crust fungus forms a thin, pale layer on the wood, while Hypomyces rosellus appears as small, deep pink dots scattered across its pale pink surface. These dark pink structures are the spore-producing parts of the parasitic fungus. The texture of the crust fungus is slightly uneven, and the surrounding wood is aged, with cracks and a rough surface.

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Squawking @squawking.bsky.social · 07/12/2024

Chocolate Tubes Slime Mold (?) Stemonitis splendens for #hotsticksaturday (Yorkshire, 2021)

A tight cluster of Stemonitis splendens (Chocolate Tubes Slime Mold) in its 'Chocolate Tubes' phase, growing on a small decaying log. The slender, tube-like structures fan outward at the top, resembling the tentacles of a sea anemone. They are joined together at the base, creating a dense, cohesive bunch. The tubes are smooth and rich brown.

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Squawking @squawking.bsky.social · 05/12/2024

Rosy Bonnet (?) Came across these a couple of days ago. Their delicate pink was reminiscent of springtime, yet these may be with us until the hard frosts reach them. Said to be bioluminescent, emitting a weak green light. #fungifriends www.first-nature.com/fungi/mycena...

Two rosy bonnet mushrooms sit beside a small log in the brown autumn leaves beneath an oak tree.

Their almost flat caps range in colour from nearly white at the slightly raised centers to a deep pink.

The edges of the caps show a hint of pale pink gills underneath, which are crowded together and curve in deep, wavy lines.

The stems are pale pinkish-white, smooth with faint lines running along them. The mushrooms stand out with their soft and vibrant pink hues against the earthy tones of the forest floor.

One of the rosy bonnet mushrooms has fallen over, showing its pale pink gills. The edges of the caps show a hint of pale pink gills underneath, which are crowded together and curve in deep, wavy lines.

The fallen mushroom rests on oak leaf litter, its soft pink tones standing out against the autumnal colours.

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Squawking @squawking.bsky.social · 04/12/2024

Coral Spot (?)  Nectria cinnabarina Saw this fungus on yesterday’s walk. It can weaken trees over time and may become a contributing factor to their death. Usually hardwood trees. The red dots are fruiting bodies that produce spores. #fungifriends www.first-nature.com/fungi/nectri...

A close-up of a fallen branch shows a patch of dark brown gnarly, raised lumps approximately 3mm across.

Within the patch, some lumps have clusters of 5-30 tiny, vivid red dots, which are the spore-producing bodies of the coral spot fungus.

A fallen branch about 1.5 inches in diameter and 2 feet long lies on the leaf litter. Its surface is rough and weathered, with occasional patches of dark-brown, gnarly, raised lumps scattered along its length.

Bright red, spore-producing dots appear in clusters on some of the lumps, contrasting with the branch's muted bark.

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Squawking @squawking.bsky.social · 04/12/2024

Funeral Bell (?) Galerina marginata Found these yesterday. Annually, globally, it is estimated that eating them causes 50–100 poisonings, some resulting in serious organ damage. An estimated 5–20 cases result in death. www.first-nature.com/fungi/galeri... #fungifriends

A small, pale-brown mushroom is growing amid a patch of vibrant green moss on the side of a fallen log.

The mushroom has a smooth, helmet-shaped cap with a slight point at the top and a light brown colour that darkens toward the center.

The gills underneath the cap are visible in the reflection of a mirror placed beside the mushroom, showing thin, closely spaced lines. The mushroom has a dark stem at attachment and a dark ring.

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Squawking @squawking.bsky.social · 03/12/2024

Noticed today that (in two places) the Cobalt Crust instead of going flat across a dead branch has half enveloped a Hazel twig, firmly attaching the twig to the branch that the crust resides upon. Just like Hazel Glue fungus does. Looks like the crust wants to go up in the world. #fungifriends

A strikingly deep blue velvety crust fungus is on dry branches stacked in a hedge.

It has wrapped around a Hazel twig, half enveloping it and has firmly attached the twig to the branch that the crust resides upon.

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Squawking @squawking.bsky.social · 03/12/2024

Oak Crust (?) Peniophora quercina This fungus caught my attention today. Along the length of a fallen branch beneath an oak tree. #fungifriends

This oak crust is growing on a damp branch lying within the leaf mold. The surface is waxy and lilac, sticking tightly to the wood.

Where it has dried, the edges of the crust curl up, revealing a dark, rough underside.

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Squawking @squawking.bsky.social · 03/12/2024

Collared Earthstar (?) Geastrum triplex This morning found this on sloping ground beneath an oak. Remarkably still “juicy” for December. #fungifriends

A star-shaped fungus found on sloping ground beneath an oak tree. It is approximately 6cm across. The beige, smooth spore sac sits prominently in the center, surrounded by broken and weathered rays that from above resemble a flower. The rays are joined at the base, forming a saucer-like collar around the sac. Despite being December, the fungus appears surprisingly fresh, with a pale beige color and an earthy look. It is set amongst twigs, fallen oak and Hazel leaves in a natural, woodland setting.

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Squawking @squawking.bsky.social · 02/12/2024

Last week saw an upright dead tree covered in little darkish bumps, looked on the other side and saw them shell-shaped, realised they were small (to approx 1.5cm) oysterlings, never seen so many all at once! Perhaps immature Resupinatus trichotis? #fungifriends

A bare, upright dead tree trunk, about 3 inches diameter and 5 feet tall, is loosely covered with hundreds of tiny (to approximately 1.5cm width) mushrooms. The mushrooms have grey-brown, shell- or hoof-shaped caps, with the tops dark near the attachment to the wood and the bottoms fading into a pinkish-brown hue. They are spaced apart across the trunk, not overlapping, and their smooth, velvety texture is visible. The undersides have widely spaced gills and look fan-shaped, they are also pinkish-brown in colour, darker near the centres. The mushrooms cover the trunk in a scattered pattern.

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Squawking @squawking.bsky.social · 30/11/2024

Toothed crust (?) Basidioradulum radula The recent storms brought down a big branch swathed in white, and a closer look revealed curtains of this intricate and lovely white crust. #fungifriends

A close-up view of a delicate white crust fungus covering the surface of a fallen tree branch. The fungus forms dense, cascading curtains of tiny tooth-like projections, creating a textured, almost coral-like appearance.

A view from beneath the white crust fungus, revealing its intricate, maze-like structure formed by the dense rows of tiny, tooth-like projections.

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Squawking @squawking.bsky.social · 29/11/2024

Tripe fungus (?) Auricularia mesenterica Fascinated to find this fungus! I first noticed the gelatinous, wrinkled underside and later realised it was actually the spore-producing part of a bracket-like fungus. Related to the Jelly ear fungus (wood ears) that are abundant just now. #fungifriends

A close-up of a fungus showing its underside, with a gelatinous, wrinkled texture resembling the folds of a brain. The moist, translucent surface is part of a larger bracket fungus growing on wood.

A close-up of the fungus's upperside, showing a harder, velvety, textured surface with shades of gray and brown. It appears dry and slightly rough, contrasting with the gelatinous underside. The bracket shape fans out from the wood it’s growing on.

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Squawking @squawking.bsky.social · 29/11/2024

Lemon Disco (?) Bisporella citrina Glimpsed a cluster of tiny dots of lemony yellow, turned the log and it was covered with a stunning mosaic of these little fungi cups. Like a burst of sunshine on a cloudy day. #fungifriends www.first-nature.com/fungi/bispor...

A close-up of a cluster of tiny, lemon-yellow fungi covering the surface of a decaying log.

Each fruit body, measuring about 1–3 millimeters across, is shaped like a delicate, mostly round, shallow cup or disc, differing from the typical cap-and-stalk structure associated with most mushrooms.

These fungi form a stunning mosaic across the underside of the log, with clusters approximately 5–7 millimeters in size, creating a burst of sunshine-like yellow against the dark, wet wood.

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Squawking @squawking.bsky.social · 28/11/2024

Wrinkled peach (?) Rhodotus palmatus Saw the cap and thought must be wrinkled peach (it’s the right sort of woodland to have old elm) then went through photos of the more spectacular phases of the Rhodotus and was not sure. Thoughts welcomed… #fungifriends www.first-nature.com/fungi/rhodot...

Mature pale peach-colored mushrooms growing on a decayed log. The (5-7cm width) caps are large and smooth, with few wrinkles and a uniform shape. They have a soft, rubbery texture. The fungus has a short, stubby stem that connects the cap to the log. The gills do not all reach the stem from the cap edge, nor are they fully attached to the stem. The log has no bark left and is slightly elevated off the ground.

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Squawking @squawking.bsky.social · 27/11/2024

Spindle (Euonymus europaeus) signals ancient woodland. A few days ago, I saw a berry far from its tree and wondered. Today, I found a stash of berries hidden in a stump—mouse or vole? Spindle’s dense wood was once used for making wool spindles for spinning and knitting needles, hence the name.

Clusters of vivid pink Euonymus europaeus berries cling to bare, leafless twigs, stark against a brilliant blue sky. The smooth, unbroken shells gleam in the sunlight, their bold hues contrasting with the skeletal branches and the crisp clarity of the autumn day.

At the base of a rotted tree stump, a fist-sized hole is partly obscured by a green moss overhang. Inside, there is a tidy pile of about 20 vivid pink spindle berries, likely a stash carefully gathered by a mouse or vole and tucked away into this sheltered spot.

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Squawking @squawking.bsky.social · 26/11/2024

Dyer’s Mazegill (?) Phaeolus schweinitzii A bright and unexpected splash of velvety yellow at the base of the largest Scot’s pine I have ever stood beside. Though it looks small against that massive tree, the fungus was about 7 inches across. www.first-nature.com/fungi/phaeol... #fungifriends

This dyer’s mazegill stood out vividly, a bright and unexpected splash of color near the base of a towering, ancient Scot’s pine.
Its vibrant yellow edges glowed even in the woodland’s shadow, transitioning smoothly into rich brown zones at the center of its velvety cap, which measured about 7 inches across—a striking contrast to the rough, weathered bark.
Growing about three feet from the ground, the fungus’ once spongy texture was beginning to dry and harden. Beneath, its maze-like gills were visible as the cap’s edges started to curl.

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Squawking @squawking.bsky.social · 26/11/2024

Purple Jellydisc (?) Ascocoryne sarcoides The sun today vibrantly contrasted the colour of the Jellydisc against the moss. Then I noticed a tiny 1.5mm width mushroom (?) alongside a jelly cluster. Very curious as to what one that is. www.first-nature.com/fungi/ascoco... #fungifriends

Clusters of shiny, purple jelly-like discs are scattered along much of the length of a moss-covered fallen tree trunk. Some groups look like little tongues, while others resemble miniature, squishy brains. The largest cluster is about 2 cm across, with a soft, pinkish-purple, translucent appearance. The trunk is damp but bathed in sunlight, adding a vibrant contrast to the lush green moss and the unusual shapes of the fungi.

A tiny mushroom (or something like one) about 1.5 mm wide, with a pale, slightly tapered stem that is wider at the top, resembling an ice-cream cone shape. The cap is grayish-brown and slightly convex, the surface is not stretched smooth. The mushroom is growing near a cluster of purple jelly-like discs on a mossy fallen tree trunk, bathed in sunlight.

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Squawking @squawking.bsky.social · 25/11/2024

Hazel Gloves (?) Hypocreopsis rhododendri A large branch with Hazel Gloves had landed on the path in the storm, revealing another tree with it, there are several of them in this little woodland. www.first-nature.com/fungi/hypocr... #fungifriends #mushroommonday

Hazel Gloves is a rare and striking fungus that grows on old hazel trees, often in ancient woodlands. This particular woodland includes remnants of hazel trees once coppiced long ago for lime making.

This cluster, measuring about 6 cm wide and 8 cm tall, spreads across mossy bark, with soft, finger-like shapes resembling the delicate fingers of a glove. The fungus shows a mix of pale orange, deep orange, and tan, standing out vividly against the green moss and rough tree bark. Each finger is smooth and rounded, about 1–2 cm wide and tapering upward, giving the cluster a graceful, glove-like appearance.

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Squawking @squawking.bsky.social · 25/11/2024

Cobalt Crust (?) Terana caerulea A delight to see this strikingly deep blue crust fungus today. www.first-nature.com/fungi/terana... #fungifriends #mushroommonday

A strikingly deep blue crust fungus is spreading across dry branches stacked in a hedge.

The fungus forms very thin, irregular patches, less than 1 mm thick, with a velvety surface that sometimes appears slightly bumpy or warty.

Its rich, intense blue color dominates contrasting beautifully with the pale fringed edges that may whitish.

The texture is soft and waxy when fresh, accentuating its vivid color against the dry, textured wood.

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