Slightly odd blog title I know... but we've had quite alot of questions recently about some brown things next to the path... so I thought I would do a blog post and explain all!
Just over the first bridge along the edge of the path, and up the banks there are things that currently look like this: These strange brown things are actually giant puffball mushrooms!
In summer you may have noticed them looking more like this: Picture by Andy Hawsworth
This white shape is the fruiting body of the fungi, and they can be about the size of a football. The flesh will become yellow and eventually brown and the spores develop. When ready the outer wall (peridium - have a look at the first picture, you can see the top fungi still has some of the outer wall) breaks open and the spores are released in response to physical contact - rain drops or creatures going past.
In summer if you see these along the paths please don't kick them! A lot of these fabulous mushrooms get trodden on or kicked so they die, thank you!