Chocolate Flake Anyone?

Another Friday, and another escape from the office - this time to the Lightwater Country Park with it's variety of habitats including open heathland, woodland, meadows and ponds.

The heathland is a protected Site of Special Scientific Interest (S.S.S.I.) due to the rare wildlife it supports. As I strolled through this area of the park I noticed a decaying trunk - always a good bet for insects and fungi.  Sure enough, this strange fungus, possibly a Xylaria longipes (Dead Moll's Fingers), was in residence. It looked to me like that well-known chocolate favourite - though I avoided the temptation, taking the hint from it's common name!