Stephen Plummer
@stephenplummer.bsky.social
Life-long passionate learner (and woeful photographer) of all things wild & wonderful!
Some nice fungi on today’s Bucks Fungus Group foray: Violet Webcap, Olive Oysterling and Toothed Jelly Fungus (The Webcap was picked up from another site on the way).
November 2, 2025 at 9:37 PM
Some nice fungi on today’s Bucks Fungus Group foray: Violet Webcap, Olive Oysterling and Toothed Jelly Fungus (The Webcap was picked up from another site on the way).
2 weird, wonderful and rare fungus species from the BMS Autumn Foray: Squamanita paradoxa taking over the fruiting body of its host, and Hypomyces leoticola growing from the base of its ‘Jelly Babies’ host (the slimy green ‘tongue’)!
October 12, 2025 at 7:05 PM
2 weird, wonderful and rare fungus species from the BMS Autumn Foray: Squamanita paradoxa taking over the fruiting body of its host, and Hypomyces leoticola growing from the base of its ‘Jelly Babies’ host (the slimy green ‘tongue’)!
Clavaria zollingeri (Violet Coral), my 2001st fungus species, but the one that I was most hoping to catch up with during my time in Scotland .
Turns out it was on the lawn of the estate where we are staying…it also turns out that it should be called Clavaria violaceopulchre as zollingeri is in Java!
Turns out it was on the lawn of the estate where we are staying…it also turns out that it should be called Clavaria violaceopulchre as zollingeri is in Java!
October 10, 2025 at 4:02 PM
Clavaria zollingeri (Violet Coral), my 2001st fungus species, but the one that I was most hoping to catch up with during my time in Scotland .
Turns out it was on the lawn of the estate where we are staying…it also turns out that it should be called Clavaria violaceopulchre as zollingeri is in Java!
Turns out it was on the lawn of the estate where we are staying…it also turns out that it should be called Clavaria violaceopulchre as zollingeri is in Java!
The hall that we’re working in for the British Mycological Society’s Autumn Foray in Dumfries is cavernous!!
October 9, 2025 at 2:01 PM
The hall that we’re working in for the British Mycological Society’s Autumn Foray in Dumfries is cavernous!!
First evening at the BMS’s Autumn Foray based in Dumfries and the signs are already promising with lots of species of fungi just outside the front door of the lab. We were also treated to a show-and-tell by Thomas Lassoe
October 6, 2025 at 8:45 PM
First evening at the BMS’s Autumn Foray based in Dumfries and the signs are already promising with lots of species of fungi just outside the front door of the lab. We were also treated to a show-and-tell by Thomas Lassoe
It was a privilege to be a part of the #UKFungus day at College Lakes NR and to see the passion of the Bucks Fungus Group members and the enthusiasm of those visiting
October 5, 2025 at 7:30 AM
It was a privilege to be a part of the #UKFungus day at College Lakes NR and to see the passion of the Bucks Fungus Group members and the enthusiasm of those visiting
A mystery Bolete from Pullingshill Wood, Marlow, that’s causing some excitement. It will be DNA-sequenced and, hopefully, the species will be revealed!
October 2, 2025 at 10:21 PM
A mystery Bolete from Pullingshill Wood, Marlow, that’s causing some excitement. It will be DNA-sequenced and, hopefully, the species will be revealed!
An amazing foray in Pullingshill Wood, Bucks, this morning, including Rubroboletus rhodoxanthus and possible Suillelus mendax
October 1, 2025 at 2:12 PM
An amazing foray in Pullingshill Wood, Bucks, this morning, including Rubroboletus rhodoxanthus and possible Suillelus mendax
It was a privilege to spend a day with the renowned Libby Houston in the Avon Gorge, especially under her special Hornbeam: Sorbus x houstoniae
September 30, 2025 at 10:02 AM
It was a privilege to spend a day with the renowned Libby Houston in the Avon Gorge, especially under her special Hornbeam: Sorbus x houstoniae
Chuffed to have just found a Shieldbug species new to Bedfordshire: Southern Green Shieldbug at Clophill Lakes NR
September 29, 2025 at 12:55 PM
Chuffed to have just found a Shieldbug species new to Bedfordshire: Southern Green Shieldbug at Clophill Lakes NR
It looks like an Arrhenia that I found during the BMS's 2024 Autumn Foray may be new for Britain: Arrhenia glauca [Yew Tree Brake Cemetery, Cinderford]
September 26, 2025 at 8:34 AM
It looks like an Arrhenia that I found during the BMS's 2024 Autumn Foray may be new for Britain: Arrhenia glauca [Yew Tree Brake Cemetery, Cinderford]
Boletus satanus - Satan’s Bolete - at last!!😅
September 24, 2025 at 1:03 PM
Boletus satanus - Satan’s Bolete - at last!!😅
Black-footed Polypore, Rooting Shank and a frog at Clophill Lakes this afternoon!
September 22, 2025 at 10:26 PM
Black-footed Polypore, Rooting Shank and a frog at Clophill Lakes this afternoon!
Subclytia rotundiventris - a Tachinid fly at Clophill Lakes this afternoon
September 22, 2025 at 10:21 PM
Subclytia rotundiventris - a Tachinid fly at Clophill Lakes this afternoon
The best photo I can get of Sorbus proctoriana - I think it’s the only known one in the world! (Avon Gorge)
September 21, 2025 at 3:39 PM
The best photo I can get of Sorbus proctoriana - I think it’s the only known one in the world! (Avon Gorge)
Cinnamon Bracket at Clophill Lakes NR…..and a Common Lizard on a football!😅
August 28, 2025 at 8:15 AM
Cinnamon Bracket at Clophill Lakes NR…..and a Common Lizard on a football!😅
I returned to try to obtain a specimen of the Stomaphis quercus aphids. Even at gone 10.30pm the ants (Lasius fuliginosus) were extremely protective, swarming up my soft forceps whenever they had the chance. I finally got hold of one: look at that rostrum!! The last photo is Alan Outen’s
August 27, 2025 at 10:00 PM
I returned to try to obtain a specimen of the Stomaphis quercus aphids. Even at gone 10.30pm the ants (Lasius fuliginosus) were extremely protective, swarming up my soft forceps whenever they had the chance. I finally got hold of one: look at that rostrum!! The last photo is Alan Outen’s
If you come across a column of 🐜 🐜 🐜 🐜 it’s always worth following them to see where they may lead….in this case the rare Great Oak Aphid (Stomaphis quercus), though they’re hard to make out amongst the hundreds of frenzied ants!😃
August 26, 2025 at 6:36 AM
If you come across a column of 🐜 🐜 🐜 🐜 it’s always worth following them to see where they may lead….in this case the rare Great Oak Aphid (Stomaphis quercus), though they’re hard to make out amongst the hundreds of frenzied ants!😃
Hymenopellis radicata demonstrating why it’s called ‘Rooting Shank’ in Ampthill Park this morning!😃
August 25, 2025 at 2:36 PM
Hymenopellis radicata demonstrating why it’s called ‘Rooting Shank’ in Ampthill Park this morning!😃
Our friends took us to their allotment today to show us their spectacular Maize Smut. It was also nice to catch up with some beautifully flowering Treacle Mustard.
August 24, 2025 at 6:19 PM
Our friends took us to their allotment today to show us their spectacular Maize Smut. It was also nice to catch up with some beautifully flowering Treacle Mustard.
This Morophaga choragella moth was on the wall above our bed as we turned in last night. I notice that it's called the Large Clothes Moth on iRecord. I didn't tell Carole that!😅
It's more correctly called the Great Fungus Moth elsewhere, the larvae feeding within bracket fungi.
It's more correctly called the Great Fungus Moth elsewhere, the larvae feeding within bracket fungi.
August 21, 2025 at 11:22 AM
This Morophaga choragella moth was on the wall above our bed as we turned in last night. I notice that it's called the Large Clothes Moth on iRecord. I didn't tell Carole that!😅
It's more correctly called the Great Fungus Moth elsewhere, the larvae feeding within bracket fungi.
It's more correctly called the Great Fungus Moth elsewhere, the larvae feeding within bracket fungi.
Large White larvae on wild Garlic Mustard plants. The mustard oil glucosides in the leaves give them a bitter taste that dissuades potential predators from eating them. Garlic Mustard is the only Cabbage family plant to smell of Garlic…maybe that takes the sting off the taste for a hungry Sparrow!😃
August 21, 2025 at 7:00 AM
Large White larvae on wild Garlic Mustard plants. The mustard oil glucosides in the leaves give them a bitter taste that dissuades potential predators from eating them. Garlic Mustard is the only Cabbage family plant to smell of Garlic…maybe that takes the sting off the taste for a hungry Sparrow!😃
My first Deathcap (Amanita phalloides) of the year growing on the wooded verge outside our home
August 20, 2025 at 10:46 PM
My first Deathcap (Amanita phalloides) of the year growing on the wooded verge outside our home
When you feel something crawling on the back of your hand and look down to find what turns out to be one of the UK’s rarest Sawflies mistaking you for a Willow leaf it’s helpful to be standing a few feet away from a local and national Sawfly Recorder: the beautiful Arge enodis (Clophill Lakes, Beds)
August 7, 2025 at 5:05 AM
When you feel something crawling on the back of your hand and look down to find what turns out to be one of the UK’s rarest Sawflies mistaking you for a Willow leaf it’s helpful to be standing a few feet away from a local and national Sawfly Recorder: the beautiful Arge enodis (Clophill Lakes, Beds)
It was nice to see half a dozen or so Alder Sawflies (Eriocampa ovata) out and about this afternoon. One of my favourites.
August 6, 2025 at 4:55 PM
It was nice to see half a dozen or so Alder Sawflies (Eriocampa ovata) out and about this afternoon. One of my favourites.