Fungal Promise

It looks as if this season might be a good one for those of us who are fascinated by so many aspects of things fungal. In some cases it's the delicate beauty of these creatures, or the appropriateness of the name they've been given - this one is, I think, a snowy waxcap - while for others it's....

....the thought that, if only I knew a little more, the fungus whose beauty I've enjoyed on my walk could also be a highlight on the evening's dinner plate.

This year, I have promised myself, yet again, I am NOT going to spend too much time worrying about identifications. This one is quite interesting and beautiful in itself without the need for a label around its neck.

Even those which are what one might classify as bog-standard fungi have their own interest: this was one of many of its species scattered along the sides of a woodland track, so one wondered what it was about the track that they so liked.

One thing we have noticed is that this year's fungi are under sustained attack, be it by some other microscopic fungus, as one would expect of a fungus like.... 

....the big one featured in this earlier post, here, which is very definitely entering into old age, or....

....by the local slugs and snails, which have eaten more fungi than we seen in previous years -  their slime trails are often visible all around their victims. This fungus might have been a rather pretty fly agaric, of which there are disappointingly few so far this year.