Fungi and birds in the botanical garden

This afternoon, fungi in the botanical garden.

They were rather old specimens of collared earthstar.

This is a collared earthstar video.

There was a sign naming this fungus’ vernacular and scientific names. Unusual for a fungus. Most botanical garden signs for perennial plants which will probably grow on the same spot next year. While fungi often come above ground unexpectedly, and may disappear after a few days.

A group of greenfinches.

A male chaffinch in one tree. A great tit in another tree.

Her rabbits are famous – Peter, Flopsy, Mopsy and company – but the world at large knows less about Beatrix Potter’s toadstools: here.

Beatrix Potter: bestselling author, artist – and expert on our native mushrooms. Potter’s science paper to be presented to society that rejected it in 1897 because she was a woman: here.

ScienceDaily (Apr. 16, 2012) — Chemists and biologists from the University of Bristol have finally cracked one of the longest standing chemical mysteries. In a paper published April 16 in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the team demonstrate exactly how an unusual class of compounds known as tropolones are synthesised in fungi: here.