Dark-eyed Junco

Despite their name, Juncos are members of the sparrow family, though perhaps more distinctive than the other sparrows we have looked at lately.

Mckenzie Creek

Here's another photo from the archives - this one's from January 2011. It's Mckenzie Creek in Thetis Lake Park. When I took this photo I was very pleased with myself because I finally was able to get all the variables right in order to capture that silky water effect. I confess that I still like this photo and hope you do too.

One More From Thetis Lake

Benjamin is most gracious in his description of our wonderings in woods, leaving out the part about getting lost and almost dying! Well, maybe that is a bit of an exaggeration but it was pretty close and if he hadn't of brought a couple of emergency granola bars we might've collapsed out there from exhaustion. Next time I'm definitely bringing an inflatable canoe and a flare gun. - Fern

Arbutus

One of the most distinctive trees on the west coast is the Arbutus (Arbutus menziesii) - a tree that doesn't shed its leaves in winter and but sheds its paper-thin park all year round. It's native to our coast here and southward to Northern California where it is more generally called Madrone or Madrona. Whatever the name, it's nice to see those green leaves throughout the winter months.

Comb Hericium (Hericium ramosum) (?)

I mentioned yesterday that Fern and I did not see the many mushrooms we were hoping for on our walk around Thetis Lake. However, we did see the small fungi pictured above and it was a first for both of us. I've put a question mark after the title of this post because my identification of this as a Comb Hericium (Hericium ramosum) is very tentative. Many photos of this fungi are of much more vigorous growths, but I suspect this may be a young one.

Thetis Lake Regional Park

Despite storm warnings yesterday morning was brilliantly bright and clear when Fern and I took a long walk in Thetis Lake Regional Park. We didn't find many of the mushrooms we were looking for but walking in the woods is always a pleasure and even moreso with good company. I find it hard to capture the feeling of the deep forest because so often, like in the photo above, there is a brightly sunlit spot in the midst of near darkness.

One More Mushroom

Well the cold weather has arrived early this year - it's freezing every night now and I doubt I'll see many more mushrooms popping up this year. But before I bid the season adieu, after last week's posts of weird-shaped fungi I thought I would post this mushroom-shaped mushroom. It looks good enough to eat though I have no idea whether it is edible or not.

Coral Fungus (Clavulinopsis corniculata)

To continue the theme of weird shapes of mushrooms or fungi, here is another one I always enjoy seeing at this time of year, a Coral Fungus. They are not related to those little organisms that make reefs but are named because of their similar appearance to some oceanic corals. There are about 30 different kinds of fungi loosely grouped as Coral Fungi. This one is distinctive enough so that I will venture to identify it as Clavulinopsis corniculata.

Toothed Jelly Fungus (Pseudohydnum gelatinosum)

I mentioned in yesterday's post about the wide variety of shapes and colors of mushrooms. As an example, here's another favorite fungus of mine, the Toothed Jelly Fungus (Pseudohydnum gelatinosum). It looks more like some kind of super-modern lighting fixture than a mushroom. In the gloom of the deep woods they seem to gather in what light there is and glow like tiny lamps They are not very big - I've seen a few as big as a silver dollar but most are about half that size. Apparently they are edible though rather tasteless.

Mushroom Season 2

Beside Mount Douglas Park, another favorite hunting ground for mushrooms is the forest surrounding Thetis Lake. I went out there last week to see how the mushroom season is progressing. While I was able to find a few beauties like the one above, I think we still need a few more autumn rains before the woods bloom with our fungoid friends.

Thetis Lake Calm

There are so many evergreens on the shores of Thetis Lake it hardly looks like autumn. Aside from that, our deciduous trees have only begun to change color. While the weather has been cooler we have yet to have any frost.

Fledgeling

While strolling through the forest that surrounds Thetis Lake I came across this Robin fledgeling. He was not quite able to fly yet and looks as if he wishes he'd never left the nest. His parents were still bringing him bits of food but their encouraging calls made it clear that junior was expected to take care of himself soon.

Thetis Lake

I never, ever tire of this lovely spot. - Fern

Mycelium

Some mushrooms pop up and seem qute happy as individuals (right) but other seem to prefer to erupt in clusters (above and below).However, chances are that the clusters are all from one mycelium just like a plant can bear many flowers. The mushrooms that we see above the ground are the fruiting bodies of large underground networks known as mycelia. Here is what Wikipedia has to say about mycelia: Mycelium is the vegetative part of a fungus, consisting of a mass of branching, thread-like hyphae. The mass of hyphae is sometimes called shiro, especially within the fairy ring fungi. Fungal colonies composed of mycelium are found in soil and on or within many other substrates. A typical single spore germinates into a homokaryotic mycelium, which cannot reproduce sexually; when two compatible homokaryotic mycelia join and form a dikaryotic mycelium, that mycelium may form fruiting bodies such as mushrooms. A mycelium may be minute, forming a colony that is too small to see, or it may be extensive: Is this the largest organism in the world? This 2,400-acre (9.7 km2) site in eastern Oregon had a contiguous growth of mycelium before logging roads cut through it.Estimated at 1,665 football fields in size and 2,200 years old, this one fungus has killed the forest above it several times over, and in so doing has built deeper soil layers that allow the growth of ever-larger stands of trees. Mushroom-forming forest fungi are unique in that their mycelial mats can achieve such massive proportions. —Paul Stamets, Mycelium Running[1] It is through the mycelium that a fungus absorbs nutrients from its environment. It does this in a two-stage process. First, the hyphae secrete enzymes onto or into the food source, which break down biological polymers into smaller units such as monomers. These monomers are then absorbed into the mycelium by facilitated diffusion and active transport. Mycelium is vital in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems for their role in the decomposition of plant material. They contribute to the organic fraction of soil, and their growth releases carbon dioxide back into the atmosphere. The mycelium of mycorrhizal fungi increases the efficiency of water and nutrient absorption of most plants and confers resistance to some plant pathogens. Mycelium is an important food source for many soil invertebrates.

Colorful Fungi

Above is the first mushroom I spied on my walk around Thetis Lake Park earlier this week and its extraordinary color was only a hint of the wide mycological palette I have experienced over the last few days. Had anyone told me I would be seeing blue or maroon mushrooms this week I would have doubted them. But here's proof. The hobbity mushroom below was photographed in Mount Douglas Park (Pkols).

Bumper Crop!

Apparently in this part of the world the rains came at just the right time to bring out a massive crop of wild mushrooms. I've been checking in the woods for a few weeks now but was overwhelmed when I went to Thetis Lake Park yesterday. There are mushrooms all over the place - in fact if you leave the main pathways it is difficult to walk without crushing some underfoot. Not only are there many mushrooms but there are many varieties. I photographed at least a dozen different kinds yesterday in many colors, shapes and sizes. The lovely little sulphur-colored ones above are just a hint of the riches that are scattered throughout the forest right now. I'm heading out to Pkols (Mount Douglas Park) today to see if there are others out there. I hereby declare that for the rest of the week this blog will be devoted to fungi.

Lttle Landscapes

Much as I love to photograph birds, it is often frustrating since they are shy and hop around a lot, often in locations that are difficult for one reason or another. Thus I always welcome mushroom season since mushrooms are small, stable and close to the ground. It also means I can focus down and wander around in the extraordinary micro-landscapes that they inhabit, especially the smaller mushrooms such as the one above. We are also seeing larger mushrooms popping up now, such as those to the left.

Mushroom Season

Mushroom season has only just begun now but there are already a few of the smaller kinds of fungi visible on the forest floor, Above is one of my favorites, the Toothed Jelly Fungus (Pseudohydnum gelatinosum). I don't know if these guys glow in the dark but they certainly glow in the daytime. I think I also like them because they are one of the few fungi I can identify. The brown mushrooms on the left belong to that much larger class of fungi that I cannot identify. If there are any mycophiles out there perhaps you can suggest what kind of mushroom they are.

Webby

Another seasonal aspect of the forest that I noticed on my last trip out to Thetis Lake is that there are more spider webs at this time of year. I guess all the baby spiders that were born during the summer are now grown up and making their own webs. Whatever the reason, walking through the undergrowth means regularly picking the webs off one's face and clothing. It's a shame because often, like the web pictured above, they are beautiful, intricate structures.

Victoria's Second Spring

I went out the Thetis Lake on the weekend to see if the recent rains had encouraged any mushrooms to pop up. And indeed, there were a few but all I saw were very tiny ones like those above. However, while strolling through the forest I was reminded of Victoria's particular weather pattern that gives us a second "spring" in the autumn. This area tends to dry out seriously during July and August and everything turns brown and crackles underfoot. The rains of September and October, though they cannot stop the leaves turning, nevertheless bring back the green to lawns and undergrowth, especially the mosses and ferns that inhabit the lower reaches of the forest. All this fresh new green always makes me think of spring and the mushrooms that will be coming soon are like spring flowers.