I should add that evolution means things have to evolve to survive and there is evidence this species is starting to appear on old willow, i have found it once once on willow and know others have been reported elsewhere in the country.
Today i have been preparing a little experiment in that i would like to capture some images of native birds and knowing of an old oak that blew over a couple of years ago i have started a little feeding spot to see what wild birds may appear there over the winter. Of course an old oak has moss and some plants starting to grow on it, plenty of insects and fungi, and today these tiny plasmodial slime moulds.
And I was kicking myself on Saturday when I was walking near Castell Cilgerran and saw a great swathe of small orange toadstools growing out of a rotting log which was covered in bright green moss as well, but I didn’t have my camera with me. I’m half inclined to go back next weekend and see if they are still there.
Many thanks Dee, it would be nice to see other images appearing in this thread.
It has not been the best year for fungi but there is still time.
cheers J.P.
If only i had a motion sensitive camera to have left at this site, just maybe a conclusive answer to the question what is this star jelly, every day we just don’t know what we will see, i have seen this once before and know there is still debate about what it is, i think it was even discussed on Galwad cynnar last Saturday morning.
Hwyaden bengoch - Pochard.
Gwylan benddu (ifanc) - (young) black headed gull.
Love all the photos. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a star jelly before. Wish I had something to share, but all I see outside is my chatty neighbor who tends to ignore me when I say, “'Dw i’n trio mynd!” So I think I’ll stay inside and admire all y’all’s photos instead. (I’m obviously new here as you can probably tell by my limited vocabulary!)
Firstly, thanks for the interest folks, Australia and Texas seems like what’s outside international.
Limited vocabulary, that’s my problem as well.
for anyone who is not aware of the star jelly mystery (apparently hundreds of years old) just google star jelly and get a whole lot of information. The jelly in the photo was not there yesterday and is just laying on top of the moss.
Louis; excellent comments, ear fungus (ffwng clust) will photo some as soon as i see it. prefers elder here but can be found on other hardwoods.
There is a fungus that looks very similar to the jelly. Exidia thuretiana, this is much smaller and grows on bare dead wood (by bare i mean no bark).
I’m not sure i will be able to get back to that woodland tomorrow so it maybe Thursday before i see what has changed, as this has appeared on the tree where i have been putting food to hopefully attract wild birds for photo’s i know which theory about the jelly i think is probably correct but the mystery continues until conclusive proof is filmed, the chances of that are remote.
Rain changed this mornings plans so a little video of the star jellies progress.
Ffwng melog - honey fungus.
Terrible quality image of tatty old honey fungus with tiny new ones emerging (my finger used for scale).
The little ones look better in close up, given some reasonable weather these may develop into a pretty display of what is considered a destructive species.
Here’s a link to the Llennatur Bulletin issue 11 from the Cymdeithas Edward Llwyd.
Page two has a photo and a paragraph or two about star jelly, including a few names in Welsh -
“Ceir amrywiaeth o enwau Cymraeg arno: chwyd awyr, chwydredd sêr, godro’r sêr, llwtrach yr awyr, pydredd y sêr (pwdre sêr/wtre’r sêr), syrth (y) sêr, yn ôl T.H.Parry Williams, a tripa’r sêr [tripe?] gan rai o bobl Morgannwg.”
Weird stuff!
And thanks for filming the “poke it with a stick” method of investigation! Really gives an idea of it’s substance.
Many thanks for the above, (people like a mystery).
Today ffwng a gwlithen- heddiw, fungus and slug.
Exidia thuretiana i spoke of a few days ago.
Slugs often seen on fungi, and just to confound me this time the fungus appears to be growing through/on bark in places (yes i have much to learn in many fields of life).
Cheers J.P.
hewrop, you are far to kind sir, and yes the photo’s posted by me were taken by me (i use very basic equipment).
sometimes i feel maybe i post to much as i am using this as a way to work with Welsh to try and creep forward with the language, (substitute for anyone to practice with). (and thanks go to those who tolerate me on skype).
I hope the thread will develop into something much better in time, for now winter approaches but there is still something to see, next spring could be more colourful and i just hope i have the time that i would like to spend on moths and butterflies when they start to appear. (they can be remarkably variable and i have a much longer list of welsh names for them than fungi).
to a black-ear fungus (which is quite tasty, btw)
(I’m obviously new here as you can probably tell by my limited vocabulary!)
method of investigation! Really gives an idea of it’s substance.
