Chucky in town

I was surprised on our visit to Burley Old this morning to see an abundance of Chicken of the woods (Laetiporus sulphureus); a glorious sight to behold. Of course, it is the proper season for them, though we'd only been walking here last Thursday and then there were nought about; so to find over a dozen good sized, firm, fresh and vibrantly coloured clumps had appeared, was unexpected. Nature doesn't hang about though; the wheel turns, after all. A good, and always popular, edible fungus, Chicken of the woods' distinctive orangey hues make it hard to miss or misidentify. As always though, remember care should be taken when collecting wild foods, and if in ANY doubt...then don't; of particular note with this species is that they have been known cause stomach upset in some people.