Friday, 17 December 2010

Life in a Cow-Pat

It was bitterly cold today so I thought, for this short piece, I would transport myself back to a sunny day in late July when ...

... returning home from another rewarding afternoon at Sidwood, crossing the high moor below Padon Hill, I paused to take-in this view north, to the remote steading of Dargues Hope, standing in splendid isolation at the foot of Blakehope Fell, and beyond, across the Rede valley towards the Cheviot hills and the border with Scotland.


As I turned away from the view to continue homewards, I glimpsed a number of fungi growing on cow-pats in a field to my right. The fungi were Egghead Mottlegills (Panaeolus semiovatus). This Mottlegill has distinctively shaped, cream-coloured caps and a short-lived, white-fading-to-yellow ring on the stipe.

9 comments:

abbey meadows said...

I have never come across Egghead Mottlegill. Lovely photos Emma.

holdingmoments said...

Fascinating Emma. I wouldn't have thought they'd grow there lol

I imagine that view looks very different at the moment.

ADRIAN said...

An unusual find. Lovely pictures. It seems a long time ago.

Sarah Knight said...

Interesting! I pine for summer too, particularly the weather.

I read an article in Time or Newsweek some time back about picking truffles and wild mushrooms, and the author related some anecdote about having to pause for a moment to decide whether or not to pick the ones growing on the carcass of a dead animal — he passed on the opportunity, fortunately
;)

Have a Merry Christmas!

PCF said...

One of my favourite roads in the county. I guess not so much at this time of year and I suppose Dargues Hope is named for that reason being a mile or so uphill from Dargues. I've always wondered why or who named Sundaysight and when I win the lottery I'll be in with an offer for Highgreen Manor.

All the best

Anonymous said...

Thats a good idea Emma, its always good to look back like that, especially with our current weather.

Emma Anderson said...

Thank you everyone for your kind comments. The weather has turned again on Sunday with four to five inches osf snow falling in two hours!

Unknown said...

To your dog question re:the header: He's an Alaskan Malamute named Boomer. You can read his story on my blog. Great mushroom photos. Boom & Gary Of the Vermilon River, Canada.

kirstallcreatures said...

Lovely post Emma, great observation, Linda