A field of mushrooms near Windy Nook , Gateshead

On a lunchtime stroll from work (QE Hospital, Gateshead) I found an open access field covered in clusters of at least 4 different mushrooms.

Common Inkcaps (Coprinus atramentaria). This is the one all the books warn about. Technically it is edible, but if you have any trace of alcohol in your system this muchroom will cause very unpleasant symptoms. It inhibits your body's ability to deal with alcohol.

No need to worry though, the field was also covered in another of the Coprinus family, the Shaggy Inkcap (C. Comatus). Here pictured in all stages of growth, from the small white egg shapped excellent edible younger specimens, to the taller, black, inky older ones.

There were also many patches of 2 other species that need to be identified. That'll be for tomorrow lunch time!

Update: One of the species I didn't recognize appears to be Field Blewit, Lepista saeva.  Will check spore print colour tonight, and head back to collect the young ones tomorrow to be made into Chicken and Blewit pie, recpie curtesy of Rogers Mushrooms