Yesterday I had a walk in the steep north facing woods east of Malvikbakk only 5 minutes by bike from home. I’d found a lot of edible fungi here on my last visit a month ago when we had a mini-drought (north slopes dry up last). It’s still very dry in the fungisphere despite recent rains and there’s not much winter chanterelle (traktkantarell) in the woods… No luck this time, but good to be in the woods for 2-3 hours….
I was surprised to find so many chantarelle and winter chantarelle in the woods this morning. It’s pretty dry here now in this unusually warm late September weather…so my hunch of going to a north facing wood payed off! I had to force myself to stop picking…these now need to be cleaned before drying!
During our PDC course here in Malvik yesterday, we found an “exciting” and “amusing” fungus which is quite rare in this part of the world, Phallus impudicus (common stinkhorn, stanksopp) at the witch egg stage! :)
I have found this “organic” fungi several times before, but it’s 8 years since the last time. I’ve found it in 3 places in my garden, first around 1998 on an edible bed built up like a Hugel bed! I often had to explain to folk visiting the garden why there was a sickly smell hanging over the garden ;)
Picture taken the last time this species appeared in my garden in September 2009
For a change I cycled to the shops at Sveberg rather than cycling to town…this also gave me the opportunity to check out the fungi in the woods…
The route involves a notorious climb up Vuluvegen. I haven’t cycled this for some years and having hardly cycled since I retired at the end of April, I wondered how it would be, but I’m pleased to note that it was pretty easy :) …and it took me about 35 minutes, so shorter than going to town but more strenuous!
Almost at the top of Vuluvegen….familiar Thomas Thomassen? Robin Arne Barstow? Avellana Wood
At the top!
View from the top of Vuuvegen over Malvik and my house :)
Into the woods…
Just a few minutes into the woods and there were a lot of young chantarelles (kantarell) on the way up…a good sign as it’s not often I find them this quickly…there were also a few hedgehog fungi (piggsopp)
…and a few chantarelles big enough to pick too
Cortinarius spp. (slørsopper)
Cortinarius spp. (slørsopper)
Russula spp.
Apricot Jelly / Traktgelesopp – Guepinia helvelloides – is apparently edible; see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guepinia
Brunsskrubb (birch bolete)? Leccinum scabrum
Rødskrubb (orange birch bolete)?
Lactarius spp. (hulriske?)
Russula spp. (mild tasting, hence edible)
Russula spp. (mild tasting, hence edible)
Alpine bistort / harerug
Back down Vuluvegen, lots of Angelica sylvestris (wood Angelica / sløke) on the verge
…and some with reddish inflorescenses
Flower buds and stems are the tastiest, but I didn’t pick as it’s next to the road
A small but tasty catch and the season has started!
…for an omelette for dinner with spring onions, Scorzonera flower shoots and buds and Malva moschata leaves and garlic…
Fjølstadtrøa Museum is a renovated “husmansplass” (the nearest we have in the UK is a croft) and I think the last in Malvik. I was lucky to meet the last husmann Sverre Saugen back in the 1980s, such a friendly soul who walked several miles each way to the shops at Vikhammer…those were better times…
Fjølstadtrøa with hops /humle
Karusdammen
Karusdammen
Karusdammen
Karusdammen
Black woodpecker / svartspett nest trees
Black woodpecker / svartspett nest tree
It’s been very dry with frosts for a week and reports were that there wasn’t much in the way of fungi in the woods, but after 1 hour walking there was one small area with a lot of hedgehog fungus, winter chantarelle and chantarelle…
As I was working from home yesterday and not doing my normal bike ride, I decided to do a longer ride over the hills to the post office to pick up the Japanese seeds (different post)…I arrived home 3 hours later with a haul of, mostly, winter chantarelles / traktkantarell….I just couldn’t not pick them when I saw them :( Guess what I’ll be doing tonight :)
Map of the area: I was mostly in the woods between Pedersborg and the bridge over the motorway where it says Øvre…
Woodpigeons / ringdue at Årli
Woodpigeons / ringdue at Årli
Woodpigeons / ringdue at Årli
Pedersborg and Forbordfjellet
Viewpoint over Malvikodden
Viewpoint over Malvikodden
Viewpoint over Malvikodden and Malvik cemetery
Narrow path
A lot of walking…
1 minute into the woods and a champignon (Agaricus spp.)
2 mins. into the woods and I had to pick these winter chantarelles / traktkantarell…I’d heard rumours of large amounts, but hadn’t planned to pick until later…
Winter chantarelles / traktkantarell
Winter chantarelles / traktkantarell can be almost black coloured and difficult to spot…
Lactarius scrobiculatus (svovelriske) can be large. This milkcap is considered inedible here and is very acrid..
Lactarius scrobiculatus (svovelriske) with the white juice that turns yellow when exposed to the air.
Lactarius scrobiculatus (svovelriske) – its white juice turns yellow when exposed to the air.
Bispelue / hooded false morel or the elfin saddle
Stor kragesopp / luxuriant ringstalk or lacerated stropharia
It was actually bilberries that were the evening’s objective, but when you see several ceps / steinsopp in the woods and hedgehogs/piggsopp and saffron milk caps / matriske (almost all surprisingly in good condition without fly larvae) and chantarelles / kantarell, then there’s a change of plan….and there was still time to pick more than enough bilberries for drying another ovenfull!
Steinsopp / porcini / cep
Steinsopp / porcini / cep (but I can’t see any characteristic net / reticulation on the stipe)?
Amanita rubescens / rødnende fluesopp / the blusher
Amanita rubescens / rødnende fluesopp / the blusher
Some pictures from yesterday evening’s trip to the woods looking for fungi!! After several years with almost no ceps / porcini, I found about 10 in good condition together with chantarelles, hedgehogs, slimy spike caps, saffron milk caps and puffballs and the woods were full of inedibles!
I also found yellow bird’s nest (vaniljerot) for only the 3rd time here! Who would believe it would be classified in the blueberry family (Ericaceae). It lacks chlorophyll, and gets its food through parasitism upon fungi (that form a myccorhiza with trees), rather than photosynthesis…
Paxillus involutus / Brown roll-rim / Vanlig Pluggsopp? on the ant hill
Who is she???
Russula spp
Rødgul piggsopp / Hydnum rufescens
Porcini / cep / steinsopp
Olivenbrun vokssopp / Hygrophorus olivaceoalbus
Saffron milkcap/matriske
Puffballs / røyksopp
Hypoxylon spp. ??
Hypoxylon spp. ??
Porcini / cep / steinsopp
Fly agaric / rød fluesopp
Joined at the hip.. Hedgehog mushrooms / piggsopp
Succisa pratensis/Devil’s Bit Scabious/Blåknapp
Succisa pratensis/Devil’s Bit Scabious/Blåknapp and a bee pair!
Succisa pratensis/Devil’s Bit Scabious/Blåknapp and a bee pair!
Succisa pratensis/Devil’s Bit Scabious/Blåknapp and a bee pair!
Succisa pratensis/Devil’s Bit Scabious/Blåknapp and a bee pair!
View down to Malvikodden and Malvikbukta with Forbordfjellet
View down to Malvikodden and Malvikbukta
View from the mushrooming area towards Stjørdal and Trondheim airport
Porcini / cep / steinsopp
Porcini / cep / steinsopp
Gomphidius glutinosus/ Slimy Spike Cap/ Vanlig sleipsopp It’s edible despite the English name…would anyone like to come over for some Slimy Spike Caps?
Only the 3rd time I’ve seen this species here :) Monotropa hypopitys ssp hypophegea / Yellow Bird’s Nest / Snau Vaniljerot ?
Only the 3rd time I’ve seen this species here :) Monotropa hypopitys ssp hypophegea / Yellow Bird’s Nest / Snau Vaniljerot ?
Only the 3rd time I’ve seen this species here :) Monotropa hypopitys ssp hypophegea / Yellow Bird’s Nest / Snau Vaniljerot ?
Only the 3rd time I’ve seen this species here :) Monotropa hypopitys ssp hypophegea / Yellow Bird’s Nest / Snau Vaniljerot ?
