Herons, Rats and Fungi (picture heavy)

[Too Much Kit To Carry]

I took yesterday afternoon off and went for a long walk exploring some paths and woodland near to my home that I had never visited before.

I walked out the front door and onto the footpath 100 yards down the road. As I went in to the first field, which has no pond, there were two herons. One of the herons appeared to be a juvenile. I was unable to get any closer to take a picture but managed to creep along the hedge line and take this before they flew off: -

Half a mile further on I had to use a footpath that went through a farmyard. To be honest I'm not a fan of rats. Several years ago when my son was a toddler we had lots of them in the garden of our house. Our two neighbours both have livestock including pigs, horses, ducks, chicken, rabbits, donkeys etc, etc. I've always made sure our garden is clean and tidy with no food sources or rubbish left lying around - but our garden was still being used as a rat run. Reading James Herbert’s "Rats Trilogy" as a kid prolly didn't help to endear the rodent to me either! Any way, in one corner of a field was some form of animal shelter which was vacant, as I got closer the ground around it seemed to move - it was alive with rats which, upon seeing me, scampered into the hedge row. I stood still for a while in the gateway and in not time at all they started to come back out to feed from some troughs: -

Eventually I had them running around within 3 feet of where I was standing. I must admit that I was amazed at their social interaction and found the younger creatures quite, dare I say it, "cute". What amazed me further still was they were climbing through the oak trees of the hedge row: -

As I went on my way I found in a corner of a field some beautiful parasol mushrooms, sadly I do not know the land owner, so I left them behind

As my walk progressed I had to go through several woods that were literally carpeted with fungi. I'm totally ignorant with what they were, could anyone please advise?

FUNGI 1

FUNGI 2

FUNGI 3

FUNGI 4

Any advise appreciated

Phil.

 

[Toddy]

Now that's an interesting walk and the photos enrich the whole thing

Herons will happily take frogs, snails and the like too, and that might be what they were after in the field.
If rats didn't breed so damned fast they'd be cute; they do make excellent pets though, intelligent, surprisingly clean if domesticated and quite affectionate. Not my cup of tea as a pet but I know two families who find them ideal.
The middle fungi on the fallen log is Piptoporus betulina and it's a goodie It's a good coal fungi when dry, it can be peeled to make a good elastoplast/blister plaster and you can chew it to ease hunger even if it does taste of nothing with a kind of chewy polystyrene sort of texture.

atb,
Toddy

 

[JonnyP]

Nice one Phil....Cheers for sharing.....

 

[Too Much Kit To Carry]

Now that's an interesting walk and the photos enrich the whole thing

Herons will happily take frogs, snails and the like too, and that might be what they were after in the field.
If rats didn't breed so damned fast they'd be cute; they do make excellent pets though, intelligent, surprisingly clean if domesticated and quite affectionate. Not my cup of tea as a pet but I know two families who find them ideal.
The middle fungi on the fallen log is Piptoporus betulina and it's a goodie It's a good coal fungi when dry, it can be peeled to make a good elastoplast/blister plaster and you can chew it to ease hunger even if it does taste of nothing with a kind of chewy polystyrene sort of texture.

atb,
Toddy

Hi Toddy,

I knew that the herons would be after frogs but was unaware that they'd eat snail and the like, but it does make perfect sense

Rats as pets Not my bag at all.


Regarding the Piptoporus betulina could you please explain what you mean by a "coal fungi" - could you please point me in the right direction for further information? I'd like to get a reference book for Xmas as I'm totally ignorant

Cheers,

Phil.

 

[JonnyP]

Hi Toddy,

I knew that the herons would be after frogs but was unaware that they'd eat snail and the like, but it does make perfect sense

Rats as pets Not my bag at all.


Regarding the Piptoporus betulina could you please explain what you mean by a "coal fungi" - could you please point me in the right direction for further information? I'd like to get a reference book for Xmas as I'm totally ignorant

Cheers,

Phil.

Phil.....Piptoporus betulinus, also known as birch polypore, can be dried and used as an ember extender, drop your glowing ember into it and it will slowly burn...Good to carry in your tinder pack.....

 

[Too Much Kit To Carry]

Phil.....Piptoporus betulinus, also known as birch polypore, can be dried and used as an ember extender, drop your glowing ember into it and it will slowly burn...Good to carry in your tinder pack.....

Thanks John,

A quick search revealed on Wikipedia "Birch Bracket (Piptoporus betulinus - also known as Razor Strop)" Click Here

Thanks for the info

Phil.

 

[JonnyP]

Thanks John,

A quick search revealed on Wikipedia "Birch Bracket (Piptoporus betulinus - also known as Razor Strop)" Click Here

Thanks for the info

Phil.

Yep....Found a good one meself this afternoon, it is now drying.....

 

[Toddy]

It is a good one for fires, as is Fomes fomentarius (Horse's hoof, Devils' hoof) and Daldinia concentrica (King Alfred's cakes)...........are there any others that are exceptionally good though?

atb,
Toddy

p.s. Inonotus obliquus, & Phellinus igniarius I know of but don't find to use around here.
M

 

[Biddlesby]

I'm wondering if the second (maybe the first too) is false death cap? Would be chuffed if I got that one right.

Some lovely polypores, and the last one is a jelly fungus.

 

[Too Much Kit To Carry]

Thanks for the ID's on the fungi.

I went back this evening (my it was darker than I expected) and managed to find the Piptoporus betulina in the dark

I grabed the two largest fungi - but what should I do with them now??

I'd love to have a go at taking an ember from camp to camp and I'd also like to use one as a strop.

Any pointers would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers,

Phil.

 

[JonnyP]

Thanks for the ID's on the fungi.

I went back this evening (my it was darker than I expected) and managed to find the Piptoporus betulina in the dark

I grabed the two largest fungi - but what should I do with them now??

I'd love to have a go at taking an ember from camp to camp and I'd also like to use one as a strop.

Any pointers would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers,

Phil.

Just put it on a windowsill to dry out, or the airing cupboard if you are in a hurry...

 

[British Red]

Beautiful pictures TMTC, you have rep!

I'm embarassed to say that your rat pictures had me reaching for my rimfire. I know everything has its place, but I really, truly and unchangeably cannot abide rats. We live on a farm that is part pheasant shoot (think lots of grain to feed the birds) and part wheat / barley. Rat heaven. No chance of using poison due to the game element (which I'm fine with - poison has its place in pest control but not near the food chain).

This does mean the joys of country living do involve a constant rodent war and I'll never win against the rats - just "disuade and control". I know I should know better, however "pass the hollow points"

Red

 

[Too Much Kit To Carry]

Beautiful pictures TMTC, you have rep!

I'm embarassed to say that your rat pictures had me reaching for my rimfire. I know everything has its place, but I really, truly and unchangeably cannot abide rats. We live on a farm that is part pheasant shoot (think lots of grain to feed the birds) and part wheat / barley. Rat heaven. No chance of using poison due to the game element (which I'm fine with - poison has its place in pest control but not near the food chain).

This does mean the joys of country living do involve a constant rodent war and I'll never win against the rats - just "disuade and control". I know I should know better, however "pass the hollow points"

Red

Hi Red,

Thanks for the rep. Glad you enjoed the pictures. BTW i was incorrect with the compression the C/S2 gave - it was from 366kb down to 16kb for the web - still a good size/quality playoff. Wish I had the webspace and bandwidth to host the full file size pictures as they look so much nicer

As for the rats - i'm a NIMBY got a 5 year old son that loves to play in the garden. Having small holdings to the rear and side of our house and a stream at the bottom means we're gonna get them - but I do nothing to encourage them and to add to the lack of encouragement I've just zero'd the .25 I bought from Hunter_Zero

Phil.

 

[Too Much Kit To Carry]

Here's a pic of the two piptoporus betulina that I pick up today.

Would they dry out better if placed upside down as in white side up. The white/cream underside, as it grows, appears to be more liable to shed the water than the brown side.

Red: - A little better picture quality for the sake of file size to show my lense wasn't dirty, still well compressed though

Phil.

 

[Freds Dad]

The first two are false death caps at various stages of growth. They should smell of raw potato. they are not poisonous but not edible either.
the second is good old birch polypore. Found only on dead birch. can be used as a razor strop or as a field dressing.
The last is crested coral fungus, these just look pretty, but maybe the fairy folk who live in the woods have a use for them.
It's pretty naff here in suffolk for fungus. I have found lots of amythest decievers about this year though.
Remember...Don't eat any fungus unless you are 100% sure you know what you have. If you are desperate for mushrooms then the co-op is the safest bet.

 

[Too Much Kit To Carry]

The first two are false death caps at various stages of growth. They should smell of raw potato. they are not poisonous but not edible either.
the second is good old birch polypore. Found only on dead birch. can be used as a razor strop or as a field dressing.
The last is crested coral fungus, these just look pretty, but maybe the fairy folk who live in the woods have a use for them.
It's pretty naff here in suffolk for fungus. I have found lots of amythest decievers about this year though.
Remember...Don't eat any fungus unless you are 100% sure you know what you have. If you are desperate for mushrooms then the co-op is the safest bet.

Thanks Freds Dad for the info. The uses for the birch polypore seem to be getting more and more interseting, first a coal/ember carrier, then a strop and now a field dressing! Where will it all end?

I've been amazed this autumn at how many fungi I've noticed but then again my reticular activating system has been kicked into gear with some of the great posts I've read on the forums :You_Rock_

BTW -I'd never eat anything I was unsure of, that's the job of Mrs. Too Much Kit To Carry

Phil.

 

[Toddy]

Thanks Freds Dad for the info. The uses for the birch polypore seem to be getting more and more interseting, first a coal/ember carrier, then a strop and now a field dressing! Where will it all end? :lmao
Phil.

Well, I can get dye from them too

Cheers,
Toddy

 

[Too Much Kit To Carry]

Well, I can get dye from them too

Cheers,
Toddy

And.... There must be more uses

What colour dye do you get and what do you use it for Toddy?

Phil.

 

[dommyracer]

It is a good one for fires, as is Fomes fomentarius (Horse's hoof, Devils' hoof) and Daldinia concentrica (King Alfred's cakes)...........are there any others that are exceptionally good though?

atb,
Toddy

p.s. Inonotus obliquus, & Phellinus igniarius I know of but don't find to use around here.
M

Artist's Conk - Ganoderma applanatum is a good ember extender, and apparently can be used as a hearthboard for friction firelighting.

http://wildwoodsurvival.com/survival/fire/tinder/tinderfungus/spolypore/index.html

 

[Biddlesby]

Storm has a few pictures of this on wildwoodsurvival.com.

I'm sure there's a good one where a depression is drilled into what I think was artists' conk and an ember forms around the edge - no notch needed! But I can't find it....then again I'm not looking all that hard.