Absolutely stonking start to the mushroom season

[Geoff Dann]

WOW! What a stunning start to this year’s mushroom season. I have seen it start with a bang in early September before, but I have never before seen anything like what I’ve seen today. Penny Buns a-plenty, loads of other boletes including two I’ve never found before, masses of Russulas (Brittlegills), all sorts of members of the Agaricaeae, plenty of Amanitas and a lovely selection of other stuff including some that don’t normally fruit until the start of October. I have no idea why things have gone so crazy so early – perhaps something to do with two unspectacular previous years, or perhaps the fungi just like this year’s weather. The plants are early too – things like blackberries and plums in fruit earlier than normal. What this indicates for the coming autumn I do not know. Maybe it is going to be an absolutely storming year for mushrooms. Or maybe this is a flash in the pan and it is all going to go very quiet in the autumn. Either way, NOW is the time to get out there if you want to find some good late summer fungi. The situation in Kent and Sussex is better for fungi than I have seen it at any time since the peak of the 2014 season in October that year.

Loads of photos of today's finds here: http://www.geoffdann.co.uk/?p=2041

I also found two rare boletes I have never seen before: Old Man of the Woods and Bilious Bolete

 

[Nice65]

Penny Buns and Horn of Plenty, wow! Too much giant puffball gives me the grumpy guts, but I do like a few slices fried with butter, parsley and rough chopped garlic.

You're the expert, but I find fungi have seasons that don't run to ours. We've had very mild and wet years recently, but not great years for mushrooms. Then, all of a sudden, they're everywhere, living to their own time. I must get out if Sussex is in fungal bloom, I want the Ceps and Chantrelles.

 

[Geoff Dann]

I must get out if Sussex is in fungal bloom, I want the Ceps and Chantrelles.

I have found quite a lot of both of those in the last 48 hours.

 

[JamPan]

Sounds like I'll be taking a look at my key mushroom spots this weekend.

Here's a question. Does anyone know if deer eat mushrooms? I find it strange that I've only ever seen one very tiny cep, and another half eaten one in my local forest. I've also seen lots of stalks of other mushrooms.
All the russulas have always been left. I also see loads of other types. Plenty of oysters and some chanterelles.

I haven't seen any foragers and I tramp around that place quite a bit so I should have seen at least one other doing what I do.

 

[Macaroon]

I got a nice first basket of Ceps this morning; earliest I've ever known them by a good three weeks and I've been collecting here for many years. Let's hope it's an extended season as well as a long one

 

[Robson Valley]

Analysis of deer stomach contents demonstrates that they brows a list of some 400 species here (McTaggart-Cowan/UBC) with no fungi on the list.
I have witnessed only the occasional squirrel taking the occasional nibble. Lots of colonization with insect larvae (Diptera?)

 

[JamPan]

Hm. I wonder what's eating the mushrooms then?
There are plenty of grey squirrels about, but there's also plenty of tree fodder for them to eat.

 

[Geoff Dann]

Here's a question. Does anyone know if deer eat mushrooms?

Deer eat everything edible within their reach, including mushrooms. They can even eat Deathcaps with impunity.

 

[Mafro]

They can even eat Deathcaps with impunity.

That's quite the statement Geoff! I thought anything with kidneys and a liver would be effected by the toxins from the death cap. Hence why slugs are ok to eat them. I would assume that squirrels, deer, rabbits etc... would all die if they ate one.

What evidence is there to back this up Geoff? I would love to read some more on it.

 

[Geoff Dann]

That's quite the statement Geoff! I thought anything with kidneys and a liver would be effected by the toxins from the death cap.

Deer (and rabbits) have an enzyme in their stomach that breaks down amatoxins, so the toxins never enter the bloodstream in the first place in any quantity.

What evidence is there to back this up Geoff? I would love to read some more on it.

I cannot remember where I first heard this, but if you type "can deer eat deathcaps" into google, you will find plenty of people claiming that they can. I am too busy to research it any more than that right now...

 

[Nice65]

Christmas years ago now, but we'd leave the usual glass of tipple for Father Christmas and a carrots for the Reindeer at the edge of the hearth.

My uncle, who lived in Canada told us the deer would much rather some mushrooms than carrot. We have a deer park near here with signs prohibiting picking with the explanation that they're for the deer to eat.

 

[Mafro]

Deer (and rabbits) have an enzyme in their stomach that breaks down amatoxins, so the toxins never enter the bloodstream in the first place in any quantity.



I cannot remember where I first heard this, but if you type "can deer eat deathcaps" into google, you will find plenty of people claiming that they can. I am too busy to research it any more than that right now...

Thanks Dan, first I have ever heard of this so will do some reading myself and report back. Should be interesting.