With the pandemic causing a halt to our Out and Abouts, apart from the club meeting to Longstock Water Gardens a few weeks ago it has been months since we have been able to meet in person, so it was good to see 17 members and 2 guests attend the New Forest Fungi Foray on Sunday 18th October. It is very easy to socially distance in this beautiful place.
The Forest was just starting to put on its wonderful autumn display and with it some attractive fungi. The weather was dry with no wind and the overcast sky acted like a huge softbox, but in shady areas some off-camera lighting was needed. Initially the fungi seem difficult to spot, but once one or two are spotted, they then seem to be everywhere! The fungi varied from large bracket to very small ones, so we could use anything from a telephoto to a macro lens. Very often several different species could be found on one decaying log, so it was not neccessary to wander too far. We even spotted some wildlife in the form of ground beetles and small herds of fallow deer. The stags seem to be less timid at the moment as it is the rutting season and we were accompanied by some distant bellowing. Some images from the morning are below, Mary Gardiner.
