Foxley: Which To Blip?

OVERSIZED ORANGE BRACKETS

Alternative choice: My shot of the undersides of THESE POLYPORES came out so well I really was hard pushed to choose which to blip - the orange brackets won - just! I'm still not sure I chose the right one ....

Today the weather was cold but mostly clear and sunny - just what I'd been praying for! So I grabbed the chance to take a run to the wonderful Foxley wood at last. On my way I stopped at Swanton Morley weir, as I figured with all the rain we've had it would be cascading well - I was right!

At Foxley the first thing to catch my eye wasn't good: signs saying that the horrible Ash Die-Back disease has finally reached the wood. VERY sad news. The last I'd heard of it locally was some months ago when it affected woodland at Ashwellthorpe, some 10 miles from me in the opposite direction to Foxley (so about 25 miles between the two places)
As I made my way around the area of the wood I'd chosen to go to there were indeed many fallen Ashes, many rotting and broken ones, and many being monitored by the Norfolk Wildlife Trust (discerible by oblong sections of bark and layers of heartwood being removed to check the degree of affiliction). Sadly there were also many uprooted and fallen Birches, which have obviously succumbed to the long, wet year and long spells of strong winds.

However in the three hours I was there, as well as the brackets I've blipped and the Polypores which I nearly did , I had some lovely fungal finds (one or two of which I've not seen before which was an added bonus):

Some cracking brackets: these chestnut and brown ones, a chestnut and cream one, and a beautiful green, grey and blue one.

There were many orange ones around - these wavy, tangerine ones and I loved this almost compete circle of orange ones on the end of a cut tree trunk.

I found another Polypore which I shot from above and also from below.

Two new ones for me were Orange Jelly (I'm pretty sure that's what it is) and yellow puffballs.

I spotted these Oak apples.

There were a few Lichens around - this lovely yellow/green one and a pale green, cabbage-like one caught my eye.

Whilst on my fungi hunt I saw these - a Hobbit hole perhaps? This one a faerie house?

I hate leaving Foxley, the place is like a magnet to me. I could stay there for hours and hours and hours .... but as the day started to fade I made my way back to the car park, and took this one last shot of the sun as it was setting.


I'll be back there as soon as I can ....