Autumn is generally the peak time for fungi, but a recent walk along the River Devon near Tillicoultry brought wonderful encounters with several colourful winter specialists.
Low-down on a tree branch, a glorious, gold encrustation shone out.
It was yellow brain fungus, so aptly named, for its various tucks and folds do indeed resemble a brain.
It is one of the classic fungi of winter that delivers dazzling vibrance during the season of austerity.
Also known as witches’ butter, according to folklore, if this fungus appeared on the gate or door of a house it meant that a witch had cast a spell on the family living there
Also catching my eye was velvet shank, prospering in orange-glistened tiers upon a tree stump.
It is a true winter survivor and is immune to frosts and can even withstand being frozen solid.
In Japan, a species closely related to velvet shank is cultivated for food and is known as Enokitake
Another fungal find was a cluster of scarlet elf cups that glowed like sun-sparkled rubies in among a decaying jumble of wind-tumbled branches.
Sometimes known as ‘fairy baths’, folklore has it that wood elves and fairies drank morning dew from their bright red cups, sparking wonderful depictions in the mind of the imaginary little people that inhabit the forest floor.
In woodland near Dollar, I have been hearing a male blackbird in full song most mornings at dawn.
I don’t recall ever hearing blackbirds singing in January before and it is, no doubt, a sign of our warming climate.
The song has wonderful, flute-like qualities and is completely mesmerising
The poet William Henley was certainly full of praise for the musical elegance of the blackbird’s song when he wrote: “The nightingale has a lyre of gold/The lark’s is a clarion call/And the blackbird plays but a boxwood flute/But I love him best of all”.
On the other hand, Thomas Hardy was more of a passionate enthusiast for the rich melodies uttered by the song thrush, which he described as that 'ecstatic sound' and the 'evensong of joy unlimited'.
Often at daybreak, both song thrushes and blackbirds sing at the same time, and when they duet with one another, it is like listening to an avian orchestra, each note so beautifully crafted that one’s senses become completely enthralled by the timeless beauty of nature.
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