The diary of an obsessive compulsive arborist

Tony Croft aka hamadryad · August 23, 2012

Some good info on Phytopthoras

http://www.forestry.gov.uk/pdf/fcin30.pdf/$FILE/fcin30.pdf

Tony Croft aka hamadryad · August 24, 2012

I had a little bimble again today, and so glad I did, saw my first what i think was a little owl a real in your face experience with a sparrowhawk as it flew straight through a hedge and nearly took me out! Finally bagged a dryadeus that I knew would give up the goods one year, this was the year! BUT now then, now then! I found a long long wanted RDL species of fungi on a veteran/ancient Oak, that fungus is the podocypha multizonata! its nothing much to look at currently but when its fully formed this one is another of those ultra rare ones that I craved for the old book! im going to be checking in on this bad boy many times over the coming week or so! whats special though, is that this tree though in an urban zone, is also very close to a find i made of another RDL species of oaks, Piptoporus quercinus also in a similar situation as this one. found a mahoooosive Ganoderma resinaceum on a VERY poorly Q cerris today. i was shooting it when the owner came out and said that her estate was not a tourist attraction nor even a public road, i didnt have the heart to tell her I had been walking the woods her house was built on since I was a boy! Oh I am a happy fung hunter today!

Will have to download images later as there appears to be an issue! :thumbdown:

Tony Croft aka hamadryad · August 24, 2012

Tony Croft aka hamadryad · August 27, 2012

I met up with Andrew Cowen today to collect a massive donation to my bookclub (Big up respect Andrew that was a VERY large and generous donation!) As you would expect when two of the elites of the arbor ecology set get together special is the name of the game!

We popped off for a mini bimble to west wickam common, well it was bound to be epic!

I had already stopped off at Knole house grounds as I do when out that way and had a great time, but then we went to West Wickem, and I could not contain myself, there she was, not one, not two but three trees holding the uba rare Oak polypore, Piptoporus quercinus!

AWESOME!

David Humphries · August 27, 2012

Good one

.

Tony Croft aka hamadryad · August 27, 2012

Good one

.

It would have been even better had you been with us too, get your but over there! think im going to check in on Beck row next weekend! you up for a beer and a catch up?

Tony Croft aka hamadryad · August 30, 2012

:lol:

Thanks Edward frank, that was proper funny:thumbup1:

Tony Croft aka hamadryad · September 2, 2012

I have had an awesome weekend walking around Epping forest, was in there sat and sunday, got there for 6.30 this morning and made a FULL day of it, even killed the camera battery with 806 photos, thats pretty hardcore even for me!

There isnt a great deal out at present, just the main warm loving species, the early fruiting Inonotus clan, The Aurantiporus fissilis is starting to show, and with fistulina in abundance it wont be long now before Epping will be its usual fungi festooned self.

I'm hoping to get in there ahead of the harvesters again like I did last autumn but they where hot on my heels I can tell you, they start early and work fast, I am certain the gangs will be back once more in just a week or, two at best.

The last tree in this series is fundamental in my paper, something you'll all no doubt get to see in the future......

Anyway, here is a few shots from the weekend.