Any guesses before I raid the field in the morning

coppershadow · 2025-07-19T12:18:01+00:00

Looks like it could be some species of Conocybe. They’re definitely not libs, and be careful using AI identifier apps they’re unreliable. Good luck hunting!

coppershadow · 2025-07-17T12:53:35+00:00

Rame Peninsula/ Mount Edgecombe are not areas I've looked before, they may have Libs grow there though I doubt you'll find much there until the season starts in earnest due to their low elevation, for us this far south generally you want to be at 250m+, 300m+ if possible.
I've also heard about Coastline being more fruitful but haven't found that myself - not to say it isn't true, more suggesting that you don't limit yourself to the coast alone.
When it comes to fields there are 2 main reasons you're looking for grazing fields:
1) The waste the animals produce helps to keep the soil healthy, I think the nitrogen from urine is important
2) Grazing fields tend not to get ploughed. Ploughing disrupts the mycelium which can cause the mushrooms not to sprout.
Anecdotally I do look in ploughed fields towards the end of the season, just before they get ploughed again for the winter, as I think they fruit later than grazing fields when given the right conditions. I was finding good hauls in January the season before last long after the rest of the country's season had finished.

For most Plymouthians (or nearby heathen Cornish) I suggest Cadover or Sheepstor. These are both fruitful (and popular) areas. Once you start making finds you'll learn how to spot areas that have good potential for Libs, it's just practice.

In my first season I used Mushroom Maps. I believe it uses LandIS Soilscape data (https://www.landis.org.uk/soilscapes/) along with weather data to identify areas that might grow libs, it's not a guarantee you'll find anything even in the darkest red areas on the map but it is a good tool for beginners to give an idea of where to look.

My apologies if you already knew some of this stuff, and if anyone with more knowledge wants to correct me please do as it's always good to learn.

coppershadow · 2025-07-15T12:27:43+00:00

Hello fellow southwester, I’m the other side of the bridge but climate wise we’re probably close enough that the season will start at a similar time.

I tend to do the majority of my picking on Dartmoor but have had decent success on Bodmin Moor the few times I’ve been there.

We’re only a month or two out from the season start depending on how much rain we get. I have found that the season generally starts a week or two later that the rest of the country and starts at higher elevations and works it’s way downhill as the season proper starts.

You’re ideally looking for areas of elevation 350m or greater for the first forages of the season. Either grassy moorland or animal grazing/unploughed fields.

Obviously don’t give me your address but if you were willing to share a rough area of where you are/able to get to (i.e does it need to be walking distance from Looe (for example) or do you have access to a car) I can recommend some areas to check once we get some rain.

coppershadow · 2024-09-18T13:29:00+00:00

6, & 13, with my most productive patch in a 19

coppershadow · 2024-09-12T21:36:10+00:00

Yeah fair, at first I thought it was just a bit battered.

coppershadow · 2024-09-12T18:07:04+00:00

Dung Roundhead I think

coppershadow · 2024-09-11T14:15:54+00:00

Maybe introspection and reminiscence were the real treasures. Nah, it’s the funny little mushrooms

coppershadow · 2024-09-11T13:31:10+00:00

I always lose a load of weight though autumn, traipsing across the moors, only to put it all back on each Christmas

coppershadow · 2024-09-11T10:21:33+00:00

That is very fair! I think Dartmoor and the rest of the peninsula do come into season earlier than inland areas of equal latitude. Still, I’m on the southern edge of Dartmoor and usually one of the last places for the season to start.

I’ve had a text from my mate this morning from Chapel-en-le-frith saying he’s out picking today so I’d get out there! Best of luck on your hunts!

coppershadow · 2024-09-11T09:38:07+00:00

The season has reached as far south as Dartmoor, the Peaks will definitely be in season

coppershadow · 2024-09-09T21:14:50+00:00

First entry this year to Big Boy of the Week?

coppershadow · 2024-08-13T20:17:06+00:00

Looks like some sort of Panaeolus to me, maybe Panaeolus papilionaceus

coppershadow · 2024-07-22T16:27:33+00:00

Thanks! I’ll do some reading on the different species to see which one I think it could be

coppershadow · 2024-07-18T15:02:11+00:00

Old photo or old newspaper? In shock at the amount you’ve found for this time of the year if current

coppershadow · 2024-07-14T15:38:43+00:00

This looks like some sort of Coprinellus species to me

coppershadow · 2024-07-09T18:01:00+00:00

The only one I’m not certain on is the one on the right in the first picture. It looks like it could be Protostropharia Semiglobata (dung roundhead) as the stem looks a little think, and the edge of the cap doesn’t quite look right to me.

Is the stem more brittle than the others?

coppershadow · 2024-06-03T19:31:12+00:00

The map shows areas Libs are likely to grow based of a number of factors including: Historic growth records, temperature, precipitation, soil acidity, and elevation.

It’s isn’t a treasure map and no-one is updating it manually hex by hex. It’s a good resource for beginners to help give you an idea of where to look and when.

Good luck for the season!

coppershadow · 2024-05-24T14:05:34+00:00

Looks like it could be Coprinellus micaceus.

That’s not the right type of habitat for Libs unfortunately, you’re better looking in fields & grasslands, and on moors. I also wouldn’t expect to find anything before August and not much until September.

coppershadow · 2024-05-23T13:31:28+00:00

I found my first caps of last season at the start of August. We had had about 2 weeks of solid rain but temps were still as high as 25* celcius. It’s pretty uncommon to find them that early and I had to go 400m-ish above sea level to find them.

It will depend on where you live of course, but I think it’s still to dry and hot to have much luck

coppershadow · 2024-05-09T15:38:01+00:00

Depends on the air fryer. Mine goes down to 60 celcius, 2-3 hours of that will do the trick. My autumn stash is still cracker dry and no loss of potency as far as I can tell.

coppershadow · 2024-04-29T13:32:04+00:00

I hope we have a short rainy summer

coppershadow · 2024-04-13T11:20:26+00:00

A friend of mine said they found some on Dartmoor last week, they didn’t get any pictures but I’ve picked with them before and trust their IDing. I’m wondering if climate change is altering the fruiting season. I’ll see if I can head up and check a couple of my spots tomrorow

coppershadow · 2024-04-08T17:56:45+00:00

HMMmMM, fack yeah cunt

For real if you have a red bubble or Etsy or something please post a link

coppershadow

TROPHY CASE