dried below 40% moisture and wliicin are only viable for a limited time. Tfiese include Sweet Chestnut 

 and Oak. 



Sunday 11 November 



Autumn colours were mucin in evidence for the walk at Wokefield Common and Starvale Woods, 

 between Burghfield Common and IVIortimer, on Sunday 11 November. The Beeches, Larches and 

 Sweet Chestnuts were a glorious mixture of yellows, oranges and gold but the leaves on the Oaks, 

 Hazels Corylus avellana and Alders were still predominantly green. The field trip, attended by 16 

 members, was a joint enterprise between Jan Haseler, who navigated, and Gordon Crutchfield, who 

 identified the fungi. The walk started from the pine plantation next to the pond at Wokefield Common. 

 Around the car park were rings of Clouded Agaric Clitocybe nebularis and many Common Earth-balls 

 Scleroderma citrinum. At the base of a pine tree were several specimens of Cow Boletus Suillus 

 bovinus which were orangeish pink and sticky on top, with a complicated sub-cell structure on the 

 pores on the underside. Some fungi are best identified by taste. Gordon invited volunteers to test (and 

 then spit out) small bits of The Sickener Russula emetica, which was initially bland, but then gave a 

 fiery chilli sensation on the tongue. A second species, R. sardonia, was so unpleasant that all Gordon's 

 subsequent tasting suggestions were politely declined. Fortunately, a tube of strong peppermints was 

 produced to remove the after-taste. Small pale-yellow gelatinous spoon-shaped fungi growing out of 

 a dead pine twig were identified as Pale Stagshorn Calocera pallidospathulata. This was first 

 discovered in Yorkshire in the 1980s and has subsequently been widely recorded across the country. 

 Other species in the pine plantation included Common Yellow Russula, Bay Boletus Boletus badius, 

 False Death Cap Amanita citrina and the slimy olive-brown wax cap Herald of Winter Hygrophorus 

 hypothejus. 



The route then led southwards across a steep valley into Starvale Woods. Back in the summer. White 

 Admiral, Silver-washed Fritillary, Comma and Peacock butterflies had all been seen on sunny bramble 

 blossom a little further down the valley. At the side of the wide grassy ride were Wood Spurge and 

 Wood Sage, and Herb Robert and Creeping Buttercup Ranunculus repens were still in flower. The 

 next track led through a Sweet Chestnut plantation to a row of magnificent old Beech trees. On a fallen 

 Beech trunk were the flattened lumps of Black Bulgar Bulgaria inquinans and the lines of small pale 

 purple jelly-like lumps of Ascocoryne sarcoides. One of the standing trees had a curving column of 

 shiny white Porcelain Fungus Oudemansiella mucida and grey Oyster Mushrooms Pleurotus 

 ostreatus. Growing out of the bank below the Beeches was a single specimen of Boletus luridus. The 

 pores underneath were bright red with a yellow rim. Gordon split open the cream-coloured stem and 

 it immediately began to stain a dark blue-green. Several specimens of the slimy greyish brown Beech 

 Milkcap Lactarius blennius were found amongst the fallen leaves. 



The next stage of the walk was the open heathland across the road. The invasive American rush 

 Juncus tenuis was growing on the tracks. Both Gorse Ulex europaeus and Dwarf Gorse were seen - 

 the latter had noticeably smaller prickles. IVlost of the heath was covered by a blanket of heather, but 

 the Pixie Cup Lichen Cladonia pyxidata was spotted in some of the gaps. Re-crossing the road, the 

 route then led through another pine plantation. Finds here included the False Chanterelle 

 Hygrophoropsis aurantiaca, Collybia maculata and Cortinarius semisanguineus. The next footpath 

 went through Hazel coppice and for the first time there were signs of a rich herb layer, with leaves of 

 violets, Wood-sorrel, Sanicle, Bugle Ajuga reptans and Wood Spurge. The path dropped down through 

 the wood, then ran alongside a small stream. Ferns were growing on its steep shady banks, including 

 Broad Buckler Fern Dryopteris dilatata, Male Fern D. filix-mas and Hart's-tongue. At the edge of the 

 wood was a small flowery meadow, with Betony, Devil's-bit Scabious and Marsh Thistle. The light was 

 beginning to fade during the return walk to the car park. 



Saturday 1 5 December 



Chris Bucke found a brief window of good weather on the morning of Saturday 15 December for a 

 circular walk in the valley of the Thames near Henley. The walk, which was attended by 10 members, 

 started from the car park at Mill End, crossed a very full River Thames at Hambleden Mill, then 

 followed the Thames Path in a south-easterly direction. Great Crested Grebes, Tufted Ducks Aytha 

 fuligula and a single Dabchick Tachybaptus ruficollis were seen here. The path turned away from the 

 river and went through a small patch of wet woodland. A Song Thrush Turdus philomelos was 

 disturbed from the undergrowth and a Red Kite perched on a branch above the side of the track. The 



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