I was worried about their little paws on the cold, muddy, frozen ground, but as always, they seemed to know exactly how to handle it.
The ground was crisp underfoot.
I didn’t expect to find anything, yet as we passed by a pile of logs, Coco knew what I was after. She immediately leapt onto the logs and paused, waiting for me to check.
And there they were: clusters of Sulphur Tuft mushrooms.
The cold stressed some, their caps were wilted.
Another little cluster.
These ones had caps dusted with frozen crystals.
While I took photos, the kitties explored around me, climbing trees and getting up to their usual little adventure.
Beside the pile of logs was a bright mushroom on a twig. Witches Butter
A few were sprouting nearby.
They stood out so nicely, glowing against the winter colours.
We walked a bit more, and I was surprised at how well my kitties managed the tricky, icy ground.
Then we reached another pile of logs. Once again, Coco hopped up and waited for me to look.
This time, loads of Glistening Inkcap mushrooms peeked through leaf litter.
I uncovered them temporarily.
There were plenty of them!
Some were hiding underneath, looking cosy, with just enough sunlight reaching them.
Their caps were frozen too, sprinkled with delicate ice crystals.
On another log, I spotted something unusual, a jelly-like fungus, but in a new colour I hadn't seen before.
The Jelly Drops. Definitely not bird droppings, even though they look a bit like it at first glance.
The cold eventually got to us, so we headed back home. Coco and Blu got their well-deserved treats, and I warmed up with a cosy cuppa.
Hope you all had a lovely fungi hunt too!
Mariah 💕