Random pictures maybe, but this weekend looks like the optimum time to get out there and capture (or collect if you are feeling brave) one of natures great free bounties.

Foraging for mushrooms is great fun. Poking around in the bushes and undergrowth for the hidden prey that grows at the edge of tree-canopies and fallen leaves at the beginning of Autumn.

Removing fungi can have a detrimental effect on the ecology of a forest or park so remember there may be bye-laws about collecting mushrooms in public places near you. Taking photos is perfectly okay though.

Mushrooming and picking your own pick wild food is becoming increasing trendy and in these hard economic times, could become a way of life. But do not put your health at risk. It is dangerous to pick mushrooms from the wild as poisonous mushrooms can be commonly confused with edible ones.

Please take a course in learning how to find, identify, cook and preserve edible fungi. This can be a fun hobby, but it can also be a deadly one.

Here is a selection of October fungi pictures from in and around the Preston area: