Those garden 'shrooms again ! Just what are they?

Remaining somewhat frustrated by my continuing inability to ID the fungi sp. growing on the garden lawn. I will be taking today's record shots along with a single fruit body to Swanwick Lakes nature reserve tomorrow to ask a local "expert" mycologist exactly what they are?

Shaggy Ink Cap

Coprinus comatus

highlights of another slow wildlife weekend

A single chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita heard calling, then seen in the tamarisk Tamarix aphylla at Southsea Rock Gardens pm

In the garden a scarlet pimpernel Anagallis arvensis displaying both a single withered flower and an optimistic new bud.

The fungi which reached a peak count of 18 by mid week, continues to defy positiive ID confirmation due to a severe lack of fungi field skills (poss. Galerina mycenopsis). Some individual fruit bodies have reached widths of up to 20mm, but most have remained below 5mm in width - these smaller caps are now shrivelled - although new fruiting bodies are still appearing at the soil surface.

Time for real wildlife experience seems meagre at the start of this college term.

little beasts and garden 'shrooms

With no time this weekend for any lengthy wildlife expedition, a quick trip to the back garden produced albeit a limited opportunity for some natural history blog activity: with two female (European) garden spiders Araneus diadematus staking claim to the south facing shrubs, soaking up today's sunshine after yesterday's downpours.

I also noticed for the first time the appearance of fungi within the lawn, with up to 8 small brown caps all less than 1cm wide poking up through the distressed sward - after a hasty thumb through Paul Sterry's "A Photographic guide to Mushrooms of Britain and Europe" - my best guess being that they are possibly Galerina mycenopsis a fungi associated with mossy lawns and grassland? I will have to keep an eye on them to see how they develop.

fem. Araneus diadematus

fem. Araneus diadematus

Poss. Galerina mycenopsis

The Lizard, Cornwall 3rd and 4th October 2009

The Lizard, towards Kynance Cove and Asparagus Island

Dyer's greenweed Genista tinctoria

Genista tinctoria

Fox moth caterpillar Macrothylacia rubi

Bloody Cranesbill Geranium Sanguineum

Geranium sanguineum

Burnet rose Rosa spinosissima

Cornish heath Erica vagans

Clockwise from top left: Erica vagans, (European) Gorse Ulex europaeus, Western gorse Ulex gallii