Fungi, Lichen, Bryophytes & Birds. Park Wood. Hellingly. 05.11.22

Park Wood is a wood of mixed ancient trees owned by the Environment Agency, with Hornbeam, Oak, Birch and Ash and some coniferous trees with many epiphytes (mosses, liverworts, lichens, and algae and fungi); see Park Wood information page - Environment Agency - Citizen Space (environment-agency.gov.uk) and Park Wood, Hellingly | Sussex Bryophytes (wordpress.com)

I am becoming increasingly interested in the communities of trees, lichens, fungi, mosses and liverworts in Sussex woods. Their interrelationships are fascinating, and important for the future of the planet.

This post is simply an attempt to identify the fungi, lichens and mosses that I saw in a three hour visit to this fantastic wood.

I am very new to the identification of fungi, lichens and bryophytes (mosses and liverworts). Thus far I have only made tentative identifications on the fungi, lichen and bryophytes I saw. The identifications I have made of these species may be wrong! I will update this post as I learn more! This post is a work in progress: a few species I have not been able to identify at all yet.

I used these resurces:

Stefan Buczacki, Chris Shields, Denys W Ovenden (2013) Collins Fungi Guide

Frank S Dobson (2018) Lichens: An illustrated guide to the British and Irish species

Ian Atherton, Sam Bosanquet, Mark Lawley (2019) Mosses and Liverworts of Britian and Ireland; a field guide

I have also used the Obsidentify App Mission - Observation.org

I reached Park Wood by bus. The 12 from Brighton to Eastbourne and then the Stagecoach 1X from Eastbourne to Hellingly. 1X - Roebuck Park - Eastbourne – Stagecoach South East – bustimes.org There is a short walk from the stop (The Drive, one before the terminus at Roebuck Park in Hellingly, but it us up a road (Grove Hill), with no pavements. so extreme caution needs to be taken. Grove Hill takes you to the west entrance of Park Wood.

Walled Maze Polypore or the Blushing Bracket, Daedaleopsis confragosa

Possibly Common Feather-moss, Kindbergia praelonga

Candelsnuff, Xylaria hypoxylon

Bitter Oysterling, Panellus stipticus

Lichens - to be identified

Grey Wagtail

Rotting tree stump

Possibly Oakmoss Lichen, Evernia prunastri

Path through the woods

Dunnock

A moss of the order Hypnales Featger mosses?

Pond

Chestnuts

Candlesnuff, Xylaria hypoxylon

Bleeding Oak Crust, Stereum gausapatum

More low-lying water

Oak?

Birch

Possibly Oakmoss Lichen,Evernia prunastri,

Possibly Hypnum cupressiforme

Yellowing Curtain Crust, Stereum subtomentosum

Birch Polypore, Fomitopsis betulina

Roots of fallen tree

Tripe fungus, Auricularia mesenterica

Tiny Mycena sp, possibly Mycena adscendens

Fungreek Stalkball, Phleogena fainea

Turkeytail, Trametes versicolor.

To be idenitfied

Common Green Shield Lichen, Flavoparmelia caperata

Fenugreek Stalkall, Phleogena fagina

Oak Pin, Culdoniella acicularis.

Candelsnuff, Xylaria hypoxylon

Blackening Brittlegill, Russula nigricans

Birch Milkcap Lactarius tabidus

Unknow fungus, knocked off trees by rain, on chestnuts

Probably, Juniper Haircap, Polytrichum juniperinum

To be identified

Possibly Common Greenshield Lichen, Flavoparmella caperata

SewwtChestnuts

Turkeytail, Trametes versicolor

Small Stagshorn, Calocera cornea

Golden Curtain Crust, Stereum subcomentosum,

underside

Turkeytail, Trametes versicolor

udnerside

underside

Wolf's Milk or Groening's Slime, Lycogala epidendrum, a slime mould

Jelly Rot, Phlebia tremellosa

Small Stagshorn, Calocera cornea

To be identified

To be identified

Yellowing Curtain Crust, Stereum subtomentosum

underside

Scar on birch

Fenugreek Stalkball, Phleogena faginea

Jelly Rot, Phlebia tremellosa

underside

Candlesnuff, Xylaria hypoxylon

to be identified

Peeling Oysterling, Crepidotus mollis

Variable Oysterling, Crepidotus variabilis

Coral Spot, Nectria cinnabarina

Wood scenes

possibly Tree-moss, Climacium dendroides

Uprooted tree

Silver Birch

More Turkeytail, Trametes versicolor

Crystal Brain,Exidia nucleata

One of the ghylls

Blackening brittlegill, Russula nigricans

Blueing Bracket, Postia caesia

Not yet identified

Stumps