Fungus.

The fungus was spotted at the base of a beech tree while delivering Mrs TD to a Riding for the Disabled Association training day. A passer-by suggested that it was honey fungus but, according to my bible there are three species known colloquially by that name, all of them have gills and none of them are brackets; apart from which, the tree looks pretty healthy where-as honey fungus would quickly kill it. I'll do some research and post an update if I am able to reach a conclusion.


After I’d done the shopping and collected Herself, we had to pay a visit on Mrs Merlin and explain to her just how expensive her dear little corgi has become. I don’t think she really understands; not only is the treatment for his Cushing’s disease expensive, but the continual corneal ulcers aggravated by the consequently compromised immune system result in a continual cycle of treatment and monitoring. Life is not too pleasant for the poor chap.

Later on I moved the two colonies of bees from our back garden to the apiary. It is normal to perform such operations at dusk (or even later) as it causes less disturbance to the critters. While I was working by torch light, it occurred to me that the resident caretakers might challenge me and that I ought to have a phone number for them so that they could be forewarned of my activities. I’ll give the bees a couple of days to settle in before checking on them, in the mean time I have another colony to collect and be nurtured in our garden; Mrs TD, while not being a “bee” person has expressed the opinion that she would miss not having any and the lady next door leans over the wall to watch their comings and goings. It is nice to sit and watch them at their front door
and I have learnt a lot by doing so over the past few months. It has been my pleasant duty to arrange for a lady to travel down from Inverness to give our bee keeping club a talk on the subject in the autumn.

Edit: Doing a search in the book for "beech" took me to 100 species, the last ten of which were brackets but no match. A Google search quickly came up with the Beech plyporre (Meripilus giganteus) which is in the book but the picture isn't very good..
So there you have it, edible with a bitter taste - but I'm not trying it.