The hunt for saffron milkcaps

It's been warm and very wet - wetter than for several years so we went on our regular fungi forage with high hopes.

First we tried the edge of Creswick township, a rich source in other years. We were looking for saffron milkcaps which flourish in the pine plantations all around our region.

Lots of broken and crushed fungi, and no saffron milkcaps. Too many careless picknickers have been here.

Next we tried the back of Creswick railway station. It's been unused since Jeff Kennett stopped the Maryborough train, but soon it will open again. Alas, more mashing of mushrooms - a clump of Slippery Jacks had been thoroughly stomped on.

On the way home we stopped at a place just off the road back to Ballarat.

It was full of puddles and marshy spots and little ponds.

Beautiful and very poisonous fungi flourished

We also found the saffron milkcaps.

We took only three baskets of them home, as it seems there has been a bit of a war on mushrooms in Creswick, and we would like to find them again next year.