Chicken-in-the-Woods

I noticed what appeared to be a large bathroom sponge attached to a very old oak tree (probably 250 years old).

On closer inspection it turned out to be a fungus. Research of the googling kind indicates it is the bracket fungus known variously as chicken-in-the-woods, crab-in-the-woods, sulphur shelf, and sulphur polypore. Laetiporus Sulphureas is the taxonomic name.

It is a bizarre alien looking thing.

Apparently when young it can be edible. I know that appearances can be deceptive, but I’ll take some convincing on that score.

Our “garden bird count since lockdown” has now reached 41. A V shaped skein of geese high in the sky to the west today. Pink foots.