brown birch bolete

this is my contribution to fungifriday by @ewkaw

Leccinum scabrum or brown birch bolete is a common summer to autumn mushroom here. though they are common there are seldom sufficient numbers growing together to fill a basket.

that's fine with me because it is not one of my favorites to eat

several other boletes have better flavor and texture

and they become almost black when frying

so on days when alternatives are plentiful i respectfully let these be

they are easy to spot and though it may be difficult to be 100% certain of the exact identification they can hardly be confused with any toxic species. as the name suggests they grow where there are birch trees

they are often quite handsome and very pleased to be photographed

instead of being cut and kidnapped only to find out that the thieves were actually out looking for somebody else and were only moderately satisfied with the few they were able to find

but such is life