WET ELBOWS AND KNEES. (10/09/14)

I woke about half five this morning after an unusually good nights sleep. I drew the blinds at just gone six and I’m glad I did.

    The view up Glencoe and an airliner. It is a glorious late summer day.

I decided to take the 100mm macro lens and ring flash out for a walk. The dogs failed to find the deer but they did here a stag bellowing on the north side of the glen and a couple of Tawny Owls. They were close but I didn’t see them. I was out for a good two hours or three. It really was a wonderful start to the day.

     The two images above are Waxcaps. I’m going to go for Hygrocybe chlorophana as the gills are widely spaced. No point in doing a spore print as their spores are white and I don’t have any black paper.

     The spiders had been really busy. There were hundreds of those mat like webs about and I’ve forgotten what weaves them. I did find this Garden Spider. I could have sworn she was facing me when I started to take her picture. Such is life.

      This Flesh Fly was more accommodating. I suspect he was not up to temperature. I ought to have taken a tripod and focus stacked it.

       This is a young Fly Agaric the damn slugs have still had a nibble.

        This is Fly Agaric as well but an old one and about to fall over. I failed to find an in between one.

         Dewy Dandelion.

       Sulphur Tuft growing on a log. I broke a bit off so you can see it’s stalk. I was lying down, recumbent, sorting a good view of these when I was rudely interrupted by a lass from the National Trust for Scotland. It is the first time for a couple of years I’ve been caught prostating in public. She asked if I was alright. I was more than alright she was a film star. I did think of feigning collapse in the hope of her administering the kiss of life but then remembered that I only get one kiss for every five chest compressions. Lucky I remembered. That is my excuse for getting some out of focus fungi in this shot. She took some pictures as well but didn’t lie down. Just as well, I’m too old for such malarkey. She is convinced it’s Honey fungus. She has taken a bit for a spore print.

        I have been seeing these for a couple of days. I was sure that they are Scaly Brittle-head but the stalk is scaly as well. It should be but they should have a little white fringe round the edge of the cap. They are about 2 1/2”or 6cm in diameter.. Their spore prints purple-ish to black but I'm not sure.

  This print was taken using a 50% Glycerine spray on the paper and was exposed for 2.5hours. I was silly and smeared the top right as I couldn't find my tweezers and thought I’d risk it. Glycerine does the job. It’s amazing how far the spores go as the paper has a slight purple tint for inches about.

   This is the same print on a light box. I stuck the paper to the window..Same thing.

I’m going for a siesta as I think tonight may be the night for star trails.

Have fun.