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  Ah .. and I added Alt Text but can’t see it. Will try again. Any tips?

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  @millipede thank you!

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  Good to see Larry is on Mastodon @Number10cat

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  Alt text (apologies, I WILL get better at this) - a ring of large flat-topped pinky-brown toadstools growing in a ring almost 2m in diameter, on rough undulating moorland. The toadstools look slightly shiny, partly from the rain.

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  @salvaterra now that is really useful to know - thank you!

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  @laurenandcats Yes! A fairy ring or elven ring in folklore I believe, supposedly created by the fairies dancing in a circle (we didn’t see any, but it was raining). Fascinating how an almost perfect circle can be formed by the outwards growth of the fungal mycelium from a central point. I’ve never seen a circle as large or complete as this one.

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  @micotipo thank you, and according to my field guide the slightly chalice or goblet shape of the more mature toadstools would also be right for wood blewit?

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  A first try from me at a #WildFlowerHour post, sharing a lovely piece of writing (with the author’s permission) by Sophie Yeo. Her article is about the remarkable nonagenarian botanist, Dr Margaret Bradshaw, and a lifetime’s work dedicated to the plant assemblages of Teesdale. https://www.inkcapjournal.co.uk/meet-margaret-bradshaw-the-96-year-old-hero-of/ #UKWildFlowers #NaturalHistory

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  #ThickTrunkTuesday - a splendid pollarded ash tree in Cumbria, thankfully not yet showing any signs of ash die-back. Now in my list of top ten favourite trees.

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  #ThickTrunkThursday and another splendid venerable pollarded ash tree in Cumbria. This photo was taken after snowfall last week. These ancient pollarded trees are usually found in fields where sheep or cattle graze, and were used to provide additional fodder for the animals.

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  Almost exactly a year ago, I posted this photo of a ‘fairy ring’ of mushrooms growing on the moorland near where I live #mushtodon . I’m delighted to report that the ring of fruiting bodies has reappeared this year, a little larger and also a little later in development. I’ll post some recent photos shortly, and will try to photograph the ring again over the next few days to see how it develops.