Walking through my local woods lately, with the rain lashing down and the trees above thrashing around in the wind, has been quite hard work. Underfoot, the ground is so sodden that each step taken is difficult, as the chances of slipping over is quite high.
The signs of spring are abundant though, with masses of bluebell leaves springing forth and here and there, the big, broad leaves of Lords and Ladies standing proud, resembling the green sail of some hidden yacht lurking beneath the ground.
But, apart from one very battered primrose, there did not appear to be much spring colour in the woods as yet.
That is until you look a little more closely.
How about this wonderfully vibrant fungi! Known as yellow brain fungus or sometimes "witches butter" - it positively leapt out at me with its vibrant splash of vivid yellow! I thought some young girl had lost the pretty scrunchy from her hair!
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| Yellow brain fungus or witches butter - what great names! |
A little further on I came across a branch across the path, that had obviously been blown down from the tree above by the storms. Closer inspection revealed a series of pink blotches with a surround of white. Another rather gaudy fungus, with once again an excellent name - pink disco!
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| Pink Disco - a rather peculiarly coloured fungus to come across
Not to be outdone, the Lichen family wanted to show me that they too can add some colour to a miserable February day! This lichen looks as though it had originally been squeezed out of a toothpaste tube - it looks so fresh and minty!
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| Phlyctis argena (I'm fairly sure that I have identified this correctly, although I'm no great expert on Lichens!) |
So it just goes to show; look more closely and nature always has a delightfully colourful display for you - even on a dull, dull day.
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