ABOUT ME

I live in a camper van with a West Highland Terrier for company.
My passion is creating images but it is a work in progress.
I am always willing to share what knowledge I have and can be contacted through the comments on this post or e-mail ADRIAN
ALL IMAGES WILL ENLARGE WITH A LEFT CLICK

Friday 24 October 2014

MUCH THE SAME. (24/10/14)

_V0G7554   Yesterday I posted this mushroom and guessed it was an Orange Birch Bolete. TREVOR suggested I check out Brown Birch Boletes. I went out and walked the half mile there and back to collect it. It was raining. Thanks Trevor. It took me ages to find as it had been kicked over. Out of interest or to add interest if you click and enlarge it just to the right of centre at the top of the stalk there are a couple of tiny aphids.

Got it back and taking up my trusty metronome, that should read microtome; not to worry it was neither it was my kitchen knife. I cut it in half or as scientists say, bisected it.

_V0G7560   I left it a while but it didn’t bruise purple.

_V0G7558

_V0G7557    I am going for Brown Birch Bolete, Leccinum scabrum.

I then left the other half on a bit of paper for a spore print but it was empty and left nothing much at all. It was microscope time.

20141023171701      It’s pores or tubes at 500X.

20141023172133      The bit where the tubes join the cap. They are empty.

20141023171101        Tubes on their own.

This morning we have been out after more fungi and I found a colony of Common Earthballs. They were all long past their best.

_V0G7572       This is one of the best. I’m going to guess Scleroderma citrinum. What the green stuff is I don’t know but have seen it on them before. I have lots of pictures of these but will have a look and see if they are worth posting.

I’ll finish off today with these.

_V0G7577      Spangle Galls under an Oak Leaf. These are part of the life cycle of the Gall Wasp which part I’m not sure. I brought one back and had a look under the microscope.

20141024110004      This is the outside that you can see in the first picture at 500X. Beautiful, I’m glad I had a look.

20141024110107       This the other side. Very pretty for a backside.

That’s all for now, have a great weekend. Tomorrow I’m heading north to Moffat.

31 comments:

  1. I can see now why you brought the microscope thingy, the level of detail we miss out on with our eyes is truly fascinating. The spore/tubes is interesting but the Gall wasp is equally interesting too

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    1. Douglas, it is an entertaining bit of kit. It took a bit of getting used to as there is a couple of seconds delay between telling it to take a picture and it doing so. I have to keep everything very still.

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  2. Sorry you got wet Adrian! Still, it was worth going back for it as you've got some Interesting images with the microscope, it's fascinating to see things in ultra close up, especially the detail of those Spangle Galls....They each contain a single larva of the asexual generation of the gall wasp Neuroterus quercusbaccarum (it's name must be the biggest thing about it?) The gall will eventually fall from the leaf and overwinter in the leaf litter and in the spring the adult gall wasps will emerge to lay their eggs in the oak buds where the sexual generation of gall, known as currant galls, will develop on the male catkins until the adult insect emerges during the summer when the mated females will lay their eggs on the leaves to start the whole process over again.

    I think the green on the Earthball is just one of the varied colour changes that they go through as they age.

    Have a safe journey tomorrow...[;o)

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    1. Thanks Trevor, It passed an interesting evening on, I'm pleased with the USB microscope. It has plenty of resolution and was very reasonable at £70.00p.
      I knew the Gall Wasp business was very complicated and have seen the wasps they aren't very big.
      There must have been a dozen Earthballs. It's a pity I didn't find them earlier but then I wasn't here earlier. Not all of them have the green. I'll look into it.
      I will take it steady, it's not far.

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  3. You should present a TV show for kids - "Fungi with Dr Adrian". You'd be saying "No kids, I am not sure what this mushroom is and I am not sure what this one is either. It could be psilocybe semilanceata so I am going to add it to my soup. Michaela Strachan could be your assistant - like Paul Daniels with Debbie McGee.

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    1. Excellent idea. I'll get onto the BBC. I'd be sure then what things were as I'd be reading from an auto-cue. It's a very complicated business is nature. I just enjoy taking the pictures.

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    1. R.Mac, it's because I don't have a television. I have to find something to do.

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  5. Adriaan you have hidden talents.

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    1. Bas, not any more i don't the microscope does it all.

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  6. Your microscope is working well.

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    1. John, I am very happy with it. I wonder if the quality could be improved by using a proper microscope objective lens and a webcam. Probably not worth it as now I glue the specimen down to a bit of card and nothing moves around the quality is acceptable.

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  7. Your fascination with the anatomy of mushrooms is admirable Adrian.

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    1. It's the long dark nights that are to blame Carol.

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  8. Great work Adrian. I often struggle with fungi ID but looks like you've gone the extra mile on this one.

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    1. Adam, it's a problem. Fungi are very variable even when they are called the same thing. Then they age and look different again.

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  9. Beautiful photos of the Mushies Adrian.

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  10. I have just got myself a cheap ring flash, so i may have a go at doing the fungi.

    peter

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    1. Peter, good luck with it. I rarely use mine on manual. I do set the power to full one side and a quarter the other. f you can set it to ETTL. I have the camera on full auto. Aperture to f11 to f16, exposure to sync speed usually 1/200s to 1/250s. If the camera can see use auto focus if not focus manually and just rock the camera click and pray.
      I find it great for insects with an extension tube or two. The flash doesn't bother them any more than the camera does.

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    2. That should read camera on full manual

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  11. Adrian I love mushrooms so much, but seeing the picture nr 10 it's scary

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    1. Laura, #10 is a little wasp lava. You don't need to eat them.

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  12. You have some very interesting shots today. i really like the one on the Gall wasps. There is so much that we miss with our limited vision.

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    1. Red, the USB microscope was a good buy. I am fascinated by things I've never seen before.

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  13. Amazing and fascinating photos and info. A photo and scientific lab combined ~ super microscopic detail. Also enjoyed your cinegraphs on previous posts :)

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    1. Glo the microscope is a cheap USB one. about middle of the range. Once I sorted the lighting and got everything stable it works fine.

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  14. I feel as though I've been intimate with a fungus....Not that I'd know how that might feel. FANTASTIC stuff, Adrian!

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    1. Thanks Bill. The USB microscopes are very good for the money.

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