Bertie the Brown Birch Bolet - Diary entry No.2

It would have been nice to have a strict starting point for this experiment, however the bolets are not abundant and often quite difficult to find. I have often paced my way slowly through a forest oblivious and unaware of some quite large bolets, but for some reason as you work your way back you surprisingly find them close to your trail, and often wonder why you did not see them earlier. Their subtle colouring is part of the problem, and they readily blend into the leafy forest floor. Furthermore, it is often the case that once you find one you see a few more because your eyes become adjusted and in tune to the colouring.

Bertie the brown birch bolet

As predicted the barograph began its sharp decline with the arrival of the weather front from about 21.30 yesterday evening; it currently reads 1000 millibars. The thick cloudcover keeps temperatures quite mild. There has not been too much rain in the vicinity of the birch forest, and despite two hours of rain this afternoon the ground was not waterlogged. Hence, I believe growing conditions should remain quite good.

The strong south westerly wind could be a factor in Bertie's development as the southerly aspect of the forest is somewhat exposed to this wind direction, but as yet the wind has had no adverse effect. I reached Bertie today at about 1500, an hour long hike from where I live. He appears to be doing well and unharmed. He has grown a little; the cap now measures 22mm in diameter and he is about 40mm high.

Slugs are in the vicinity which could be a problem for Bertie; I discovered another birch bolet closeby, which had been eaten into and was not in a healthy state. I noted this afternoon that Bertie is not without friends. About two meters away I found his brother who is a little more developed; the cap measures 27mm in diameter, and he is about 50mm high. To avoid confusion I have named him "Maurice". Maurice may become important if Bertie is assassinated by the slugs, nameless thugs who appear to have annexed land to the south and in doing so have attacked another bolet.

For now Bertie survives. But for how long? Can he avoid being consumed by the slugs? Will Maurice be the ultimate survivor in these tense and pressurised times?

leccinum oxydabile

While making my way home, I had a short foray into another forest where I had found a few good specimens on previous occasions. This short diversion yielded results, and within a very short space of time I came across a young oxidised birch bolet or leccinum oxydabile. Unfortunately this guy and his friend had also come to the attention of the slugs!

Cross section of the leccinum oxydabile revealing the rich white flesh of the stalk and cap and subtle colouring of the pores beneath the cap.