Fungi - Mica Cap

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 It's approaching mushroom time again. Under the woodland canopies there has been a growth of mushrooms which abound at this time of the year. I saw this one yesterday. I think it is in the Coprinellus family and is the "mica cap". Top tip- When identifying mushrooms always photograph the underside of the cap as well as the top! I use the "iNaturalist" App for a general idea and then look it up in the book to confirm.



In young specimens the top surface is covered with glistening cells (like mica crystals hence the name). If you cut the stems the gills slowly dissolve into a black inky liquid ( a process called deliquescence). The mushrooms are edible (apparently) as long as you cook them before the deliquescence takes place.

Diary
The tawny owl was on his or her perch in the orchard again this morning. We have had several fleeting visits from a male sparrowhawk on the prowl around the bird feeders - here and gone before I could photograph him. Overnight cameras revealed a doe roe deer and a couple of buzzard. I think these are young buzzard and they are very noisy and seem to base themselves near the bog meadow. I am showing a clip of just one but another camera with a poorer image showed two at once.



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