Friday 30 November 2012

The Knoll, Hayes

Beech trees with Meripilus giganteus (Giant Polypore) at the base of the closest one.  The Knoll, Hayes, 6 November 2012.
Beech trees with Meripilus giganteus (Giant Polypore) at the base of the closest one.  The Knoll, Hayes, 6 November 2012.
These are a couple of photos I took while recording the progress of the fungus around the base of the nearest tree, the Giant Polypore.  It's a pleasant aspect of the small park, and these photos show the difference in the mood of the place between sunlight and shadow.  You can see that both days were sunny, but the shot above was taken at about 12:30 pm, whereas that below was taken much earlier in the day, at about 10 am, when shadows were longer and more pervasive.

In the lighter photo, the well-lit and colourful leaves dominate the picture.  Beech leaves in Autumn are beautiful.  In the darker one, even though some leaves are brightly lit, the closer viewpoint, and the fact that the leaves weren't yet turning colour, ensure that the gloomy trunks loom up. 

The photo I linked to above records the fungus nicely, but it seems rather bland.  I like both of these shots much better, because they show what the park is really like.  It's a pity that the big tree is doomed by the root-rotting fungus.

Beech trees with Meripilus giganteus (Giant Polypore) at the base of the closest one.  The Knoll, Hayes, 17 October 2012.
Beech trees with Meripilus giganteus (Giant Polypore) at the base of the closest one.  The Knoll, Hayes, 17 October 2012.

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