Fungi, Lichen & Slime Molds 2

I just thought this was a nice mix of lichens (no doubt very common ones) growing on this dead wood. Seen at Keith and Sandy Logan's acreage near Bottrel, north west of Cochrane (which is north west of Calgary). We spent a good part of Friday recording the plants, birds, insects, etc. that we saw there.

This is such a brilliant green Lichen and it almost glows : ) This beautiful specimen was found in the forested area of Janel Butler's farm a few days ago, when we botanized their acreage. "Wolf lichens are so named because of their common use as poisons for wolves and foxes in Europe centuries ago. The lichen, with its toxic vulpinic acid, was mixed with ground glass and meat, apparently a deadly combination. The lichen was also used as a source for making a yellow-coloured dye, which is not difficult to imagine." By Daniel Mosquin, on Botany Photo of the Day. www.ubcbotanicalgarden.org/potd/2005/05/letharia_vulpin.php Went on a morning's walk at Inglewood Bird Sanctuary this morning. We saw one of the Harlequin Ducks sitting on a log in the middle of the river and the male Hooded Merganser was on the lagoon. I had really hoped the Merganser would be swimming in an area where I could get a close view and shot - out of luck again, LOL. Wasn't sure if my legs would work today, after our very long day of hiking yesterday, but I was glad I managed to get in a walk today.

I can never resist photographing a beautiful display of lichens when I see one : ) They are such beautiful growths, in their colour and their patterns. This display was found at the Nodwell Sanctuary, south east of the city. "Lichens are amazing living entities, in that they are not a single organism like plants, animals or fungi. Instead every single lichen is the result of two or more separate organisms living permanently together. All lichens are made up of a fungal partner and either/or an algal partner or a cyanobacterium partner, or both. Lichens first appeared about 400 million years ago so they have been around for a long time. Some individual species such as Hypogymnia physodes have been around for at least 25 million years and maybe for as long as 70 million years. Obviously the lichen symbiosis is a successful strategy." www.earthlife.net/lichens/intro.html

I had really hoped that we would botanize a property somewhere this spring, where we could find some nice new Morel mushrooms. I was looking for something last night and came across this image that didn't get posted last year. Found in North Glenmore Park on 14th June. Gotta start getting ready as I have an exciting trip this afternoon - to the dentist, lol - just when the sky is finally blue and the sun is shining after too many overcast, snowy, rainy, cold days!

Friend Doug found this fungus for us yesterday, on a day hike to Marston Creek, Kananaskis. At first, it was thought it might be an old mushroom, but a closer look at it on the hike down the hillside revealed that it might not be. Thanks to Doug for identifying this as a Brain Mushroom, Gyromitra esculenta, a "spring morel look-alike" which is poisonous. Later: thanks to ressaure for the correct ID! The weather was beautiful - we felt maybe half a dozen raindrops as the day wore on, that's all. The trees were such an amazing, brilliant green. One word about the "Creek" here - when we did this hike a year ago, the creek was just a little trickle. Yesterday, it was a fast-flowing stream that we had to cross somehow. People crossed at a couple of different places - I ended up crossing at what was described as the "best" place to cross, i.e. inching my feet across a slippery log from bank to bank, holding on to a long, sturdy stick that I pressed into the water, and grabbing so tightly to my backpack that a very helpful friend was carrying across for me, LOL. Thanks SO much, Arnold, for all your help! Would not have made it on my own, that's for sure! And thanks, David, for carrying my camera safely across for me - it would have been a sad thing if I had fallen in along with my camera! A great source of information at Tom Volk's website: botit.botany.wisc.edu/toms_fungi/may2002.html

Lots of Lichens to see on our full-day hike at Marston Creek in Kananaskis Country yesterday. I liked this bright orange one growing on a dark brown rock. Mother Nature is so artistic : )

I thought the surrounding moss was pretty in this image, even if the mushroom itself is falling apart. Still like the tan colour of the fungus, though, with its gills displayed.

A friend found solitary Morel mushrooms in three different locations on a walk in North Weaselhead a couple of days ago. This one was the best shape of the three. Unfortunately, the surroundings were far from photogenic and the sky was dark and ominous that evening, so most of my photos came out blurry - wonderfully, though, the rain held off until I was in my car driving back home. Another grey, rainy day today : (

Once again, I'm posting really late today. I'm having such a crazy few days at the moment, out almost all the time, but trying to add the occasional photo in case friends might want to see them, friends who were out on the same hikes/walks as I have been on. Was on a long walk in Weaselhead called Dawn Chorus, from 3:30 this morning till roughly 7:15 a.m.. I called in to get a sandwich locally for "breakfast" and then repeated the walk with some birding friends from 9:00 a.m. till about 12:00 noon. I was then very fortunate to be invited to go along with a friend to do her Mountain Bluebird nesting box route this afternoon, outside the city. Thanks so much, Sue! We saw a mixture of Bluebirds and Tree Swallows and anything from an empty box to a box with nest, eggs, babies and even a couple of adults inside them. Just like yesterday, I will be going on a long, full-day botanizing hike tomorrow. Then, on Monday, I can totally collapse and hopefully get some sleep!!! Saw this Lichen yesterday, when I went with friends to botanize a wonderful area of rolling, virgin prairie grasslands, home to Raymond Nadeau and his wife. This property lies west of Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump, down towards the border between Canada and the US.