There are jellybabies in the park!

Words and pictures by Simon Knight

There are Jellybabies growing in the Country Park! The Jellybaby fungus (Leotia lubrica) can be found under trees in the more damp areas of the park. There are plenty of them around, although they can be a bit tricky to spot and photograph amongst the leaf litter unless you get down to their level. 

Fly Agaric was on my list of species to find and photograph this year and I never could have imagined that I would find some so close to home!

I had spent a while looking for Fly Agaric  (Amanita muscaria) at Savernake and Longleat, but the specimens that I had found were never in great condition. So imagine my surprise when I found them in Southwick Park. I returned to the location every day for three days and got lucky with a break in the weather and finding one that was in good condition.