Scarlet Elfcup

I make no apologies for featuring this beautiful fungus again. The cups of this exotic ascomycete fungus, Sarcoscypha austriaca, are now swelling to a more impressive size. They are showing all along dead Willow and Ash branches that are half buried in the woodland leaf litter. In the best area on the nature reserve they are at the bottom of a heavily shaded old chalk pit that is currently half flooded. They clearly love the very dank, humid conditions around the edge of the pit, as long as the flood water doesn't completely overwhelm them. I'd really hoped for a photograph of them protruding from crisp snow, but it looks like I'll have to wait for that.