Autumn in Lower Woods

A mixed weather Sunday where we dodged the sharp showers and bathed in bright sunshine.  We enjoyed this sliding in the mud of Lower Woods in South Gloucestershire.

I was hoping to find fungi to photograph, but we ended up doing a quick circuit with little time to look.  Many of the tracks were quite hard going, especially where the ground was on a slope, and the stream to high to ford, but just it meant that we found a different path to take.

As its a native woodland there are no exotic red Japanese maples of the local magnet Westonbirt Arboretum, but the hazels (below) and the oaks were nevertheless beautiful, and we saw only 6 or 7 people all day in the woods themselves!

An ancient coppiced alder hanging over the stream was of particular interest as it played host to a field maple, ash, bramble, ivy, mosses and ferns - all protected from the ravishes of browsing deer.

I found one or two rather attractive toadstools:

(Amanita ceciliae?)

(Psilocybe fascicularis?)

 

We sheltered from the rain under an obliging holly, just having finished our lunch.

  
Waiting for the rain to stop I noticed quite a few puff balls (Lycoperdon excipuliforme)

This oak apple gall was an interesting find:

Back in Bath the rain passed over and the sun came out:

Finally off home for cake and a cup of tea.