The autumn of fungi (and rare birds)

While my birding friends have been filling their boots with this autumn’s fest of rare birds, my eyes have been firmly fixed on the ground for the last few weeks.

My best friend Ade was lucky enough to be in on THE birding moment of the year when an adult male Siberian blue robin was found on North Ronaldsay on Sunday. I was excited to be one of only a handful of people who knew about it before the news broke late on Sunday afternoon. He texted me while watching it minutes after it had been discovered. I can only imagine how he felt to be watching such a beautiful bird that has only occurred a handful of times before in the UK.

Although it may well be the best year ever for the number of bird species recorded in the UK, including many wonderful birds like this super rare “Sibe”, another exceptional natural event has unfolded since late August.

Yellow stagshorn fungi, like many species, is having a good autumn (Mark Ward)

It is the autumn 2017 fungi bonanza which has captivated me. It has been the best year I can recall for fungi and that goes for both the numbers of fungi, but also the diversity and number of species to be seen. I’m sure the plentiful rainfall helped with the early flush.

I’ve been lucky enough to see several new species already this year, including some real rarities. 

One of the many, many things that makes so many of us bird lovers is the fact that birds are everywhere. Can you think of may places where you can stand outdoors without seeing, or hearing, a bird? It's a good test to do when you get a chance! This is also true of fungi and I’ve found myself in all sorts of places this autumn on the hunt for it, from checking out cow pats in meadows, friendly neighbour’s lawns, rummaging among the heather on heaths and most recently checking the stems of dead reeds hoping for the hard to find handful of species that grow there. On Sunday, I did manage to find a single little toadstool clamped to a reed just an inch above the water at a Fenland site not far from me. Here it is.

Wetland toadstool awaiting confirmation from the experts! (Mark Ward)

My photos of this are currently with the experts at the British Mycological Society who I am hoping can confirm the identification for me. I’m hoping it is something really good...

I hope you read the Autumn colours blog I wrote last week here on the Nature's Home blog and have sent us your photos of the best autumn colours you've captured. Jack also captured the autumn beautifully last week, including some rather fine fungi shots. There are so many species to be seen now but one group has been continually catching my eye over the last couple of weeks. Waxcaps are looking great at the moment from the slimy greens of parrot waxcaps and the bright yellow of golden waxcaps to the more subtle orange of meadow and white of snowy waxcaps to the glorious red of scarlet waxcaps. Get down on your hands and knees and search among the blades of grass for these lovely fungi. That sudden burst of colour among the green is a real treat.

Waxcaps are looking at their best on short turf and lawns now (Mark Ward)

On the back of our ask for your autumn photos, I have seen some wonderful images, including one sent by a reader from the Midlands of a butterfly I haven’t seen before in the UK: a Camberwell beauty! More on that jealousy-inducing sighting and your other sightings this autumn to come, so stay tuned, enjoy the next few weeks and make sure you email natureshome@rspb.org.uk with your stories and photos.

There are lots more wildlife-watching tips in Nature's Home magazine every quarter and it is free to every RSPB member. We're now bringing you the action month-by-month, so you'll never be short of ideas and advice to help you make the most of each season and find the best wildlife!