Parasols in the Rain.
24th October 2021
The weather in the Brecon Beacons is very unstable at the moment alternating between quite warm sunshine and vicious rain showers. On Friday of this week, however, the weather forecast predicted a fine day so Susan and I decided to walk up onto a local hillside near to where we live. The day started off bright and sunny as we walked up through an enclosed lane leading to the hill. We were on the lookout for fungi and the Jelly Ear fungus is just starting to appear on the elder trees with a few Sulphur Tufts also along the way, however, as we climbed higher Parasol mushrooms became apparent in some numbers and I stopped to take a few shots of these nice fungi.
Once we broke out onto the open hill the wind started to get really gusty with a few rain drops in the air. We decided to press on because it didn’t look too much like rain but the wind was now getting quite cold. As we neared the top of the hill quite a spectacle enfolded, a huge amount of much bigger Parasol mushrooms were evident throughout the unimproved grassland. There were literally dozens, some had gone over, others were just coming through, but many were perfect specimens standing a foot high and a foot in diameter – what a sight!
Suddenly on the rocks above we saw something move and although we didn’t have binoculars we could see it was a Northern Wheatear and it stayed quite confiding as we got nearer, it was a late migrating juvenile bird probably brought down in the storm.
We walked on amongst the mushrooms taking many photographs and marvelling at the spectacle.
A little further on, however, on a ridge that overlooks the Usk river valley I could see two mature mushrooms in a very photographic situation. I made my way over and set a tripod and lens up to try and take a shot which involved the two mushrooms and the valley in the distance. Typically just as I was about to take a shot a vicious gust of wind toppled one of the mushrooms over but I wasn’t going to let the wind spoil the shot so I re-erected it and packed some earth around the base for support. I’m sure the weather gods didn’t want me to take this shot because before I could set up again a lashing rain shower started so we had to run and take cover behind a stone wall – first the wind and now the rain!
Ten minutes later we returned and thankfully the Parasols were still standing but just as I was about to take the shot again we could see a nice rainbow starting and showing right through my intended shot, so I waited for it to intensify but it started to rain again and we were getting wet but I waited and took the shot.
We then ran for cover behind the stone wall again. After the rain abated again we quickly made our way back down to the sanctuary of the tree lined lane. So much for the forecasted fine day, but it was worth it for the Parasol spectacle.
Once we broke out onto the open hill the wind started to get really gusty with a few rain drops in the air. We decided to press on because it didn’t look too much like rain but the wind was now getting quite cold. As we neared the top of the hill quite a spectacle enfolded, a huge amount of much bigger Parasol mushrooms were evident throughout the unimproved grassland. There were literally dozens, some had gone over, others were just coming through, but many were perfect specimens standing a foot high and a foot in diameter – what a sight!
Suddenly on the rocks above we saw something move and although we didn’t have binoculars we could see it was a Northern Wheatear and it stayed quite confiding as we got nearer, it was a late migrating juvenile bird probably brought down in the storm.
We walked on amongst the mushrooms taking many photographs and marvelling at the spectacle.
A little further on, however, on a ridge that overlooks the Usk river valley I could see two mature mushrooms in a very photographic situation. I made my way over and set a tripod and lens up to try and take a shot which involved the two mushrooms and the valley in the distance. Typically just as I was about to take a shot a vicious gust of wind toppled one of the mushrooms over but I wasn’t going to let the wind spoil the shot so I re-erected it and packed some earth around the base for support. I’m sure the weather gods didn’t want me to take this shot because before I could set up again a lashing rain shower started so we had to run and take cover behind a stone wall – first the wind and now the rain!
Ten minutes later we returned and thankfully the Parasols were still standing but just as I was about to take the shot again we could see a nice rainbow starting and showing right through my intended shot, so I waited for it to intensify but it started to rain again and we were getting wet but I waited and took the shot.
We then ran for cover behind the stone wall again. After the rain abated again we quickly made our way back down to the sanctuary of the tree lined lane. So much for the forecasted fine day, but it was worth it for the Parasol spectacle.