Fungi growing in popularity as subject for our watchers

MAKING fungi the focus of the September Wildlife Watch proved a huge success. Everybody obviously enjoyed the challenge, resulting in numerous submissions and some prime photography.

Four lengthy lists came back from fungi forays which had taken place over the survey weekend or the previous one. Two people from Perth said they joined fungi forays run by the Atholl Estate Rangers because of the Wildlife Watch challenge.

During the week leading up to the survey, a fungi identification course was run at Kindrogan, Scotland's Field Studies Centre in Perthshire, resulting in some 20 or so exceptionally rare fungi being recorded, including seven species new to the UK.

All fungi photos submitted to Wildlife Watch have been examined by fungi expert Professor Roy Watling.

Of the four target species, the ballerina (pink waxcap) was located at the Meldons and golden bootleg at Dawyck, both in the Borders. No earthstars, another target species, were reported to the survey. However, a woman from Comely Bank, in Edinburgh, later contacted Prof Watling about some "funny flower-like things" in her garden, which were, in fact, earthstars.

A most remarkable submission was a photograph of some tiny luminous fungi – about 5mm across – growing on an old pile of logs in the observer's garden. The photograph, showing the fungi in their own eerie light, had taken the observer four one-minute exposures to produce. An insert showed the fungi in torchlight, revealing them to be whitish and delicate. Prof Watling says that as far as he knows, this effect has never been photographed in Scotland – another first for Wildlife Watch.

Apparently there are several British luminous fungi, but these do not look like any that Prof Watling knows from this part of the world, though he has not had the chance to examine them in person. Luminous fungi are usually a tropical and subtropical phenomenon, where they illuminate the forest floor, and native bush people use them for night hunting.

In all, 196 species of fungi were recorded. Some of the images submitted were pure works of art, such as the fly agarics at Assynt, Sutherland, and at Tannoch Loch, Milngavie.

In the September postbag, after fungi, the birds still lead with 81 species spotted. Golden eagles were noted in Caithness and other parts of the Highlands, numerous sparrowhawks visited gardens all over Scotland, and a skua was seen killing gulls at Shawbost, on Lewis.

Flowering plants came next, with 48 records including some lovely photographs. These images sometimes include a wandering insect or two, adding to the interest. A photo of a sow-thistle from East Lothian included the tiny day-flying moth Anthophila fabriciana, which this autumn has been particularly numerous.

The records, including the splendid pile of observations from Campie Primary School in Musselburgh, have been forwarded to the appropriate local records centres or recording groups. On behalf of Brisc, thank you to all who took part.

• Anne-Marie Smout is the editor at Biological Recording in Scotland (Brisc).

Taking part in The Scotsman Wildlife Watch

WHAT DO I HAVE TO DO?

Take photographs or make written notes of the wildlife you see at the weekend and e-mail them to [e-mail] or post to Wildlife Watch, The Scotsman, 108 Holyrood Road, Edinburgh, EH8 8AS.

WHAT NOTES SHOULD I TAKE?

You should note down: the name of the species; the date you saw it; where you saw it (preferably including a post code or grid reference); and your contact details.

WHICH CREATURES SHOULD I LOOK FOR?

We want to hear about any species, from birds and mammals to plants flowering at unusual times of the year. We are interested in sightings from towns, countryside and coast.