Purple Jellydisc

The warm wet conditions over the past four days have brought out a new flush of fungi on the commons. Walking the spaniel this morning I found nine new species. One hundred species by Christmas is now looking distinctly possible. Most spectacular was a mass of Witche's Butter at least a metre long. I've blipped Witches Butter before (8th October) but may return to this new emergence next week.

I'm convinced that this is the Purple Jellydisc fungus, it has the characteristic colour, is on dead deciduous wood (though this is birch rather than beech) and appears in several brain-like clumps. Its actually on the same fallen trunk as the Hypoxylon from Wednesday (2nd November). Incidentally, rather than turning brick-red in colour the Hypoxylon has is now brown-grey, perhaps due to the phenomenal amount of rain on Thursday.

Off to London later this afternoon. Last year I was runner-up in the London to Brighton Veteran Car Run photographer of the year. My prize is a place on the 2011 Run which means getting to Hyde Park by 06.30am on Sunday. I decided to stay overnight instead.