Jaapiella veronicae, hogweed & shrooms

I noticed some fluffy buds on Germander Speedwell today. Turns out they are caused by Jaapiella veronicae, a kind of orange-bodied long-legged gall midge. I don't know if the boggybrae species is the same as this one recently discovered in Sweden but what a find! Looking at the map on the first link, this might be the first record of such on our little peninsula though there are others in Argyll.

Photo by M Jaschhof
from the page linked to above

I never really want to 'encourage' hogweed but it is pretty in its frothy flowering stage.

Elsewhere on the front bank where I was scything Cat's-ear and snipping plum suckers, there was a collection of tiny orange mushrooms.

my forefinger for scale

And further along on the same bank, the appearance of the second fungal fruiting body that I think is Amanita fulva though I am a bit puzzled by the dark edges of the gills as that is not mentioned in any of my books.

Amanita fulva, I think

dark edged gills

Finally for today, Downy Birch leaves have begun to fall. Autumnal signs start early on the boggy brae.