I've always had a thing about mushrooms and fungus.... For more than a few years I've walked the forest and found a few examples.
(Some of these pictures may be in other PhotoStories)
One tree that always catches my eye is what is left of a once proud maple tree. It hosts a number of bracket fungi.
There are many ways to look at the fungi...
There is a different look to them in the winter.
One tree each year supplies more mushroom-like structures, although they tire and wilt, unlike the bracket fungus that are hard and wood-like.
Another favourite tree is a dead pine that has been gone over, close to the ground, by pileated woodpeckers. It has a collection of deep red/gold coloured hard fungus. They start out with a bit of a gloss to them, but over time lose their shine.
They too offer a shelf for winter snow.
In the fall of 2020 there was a small profusion of 6 puffballs. I thought descendants might appear in 2021, but no luck.
One of the puffballs was described as the size of a "pillow". Two times I went looking for it, and in hindsight I must have come very close to it, but I didn't find it. The third time looking I finally did locate it. (After the original finder put trail tape markers out for me🙄). By then it was well past its prime, but certainly was the size of a pillow!
The other six close by were all about 8-10" in diameter. Over a period of 2-3 months they deteriorated, becoming dry brown fibers and dust.
During my many visits to the forest, I have collected photographs of a wide range of mushrooms and fungi.
Morel mushrooms
This group of oyster mushrooms were growing in a crack between two sheets of plywood on a shed floor.
I was inspired by an Australian photographer, that I met on line, to try something new. Using two flash units to make more unique images of the mushrooms.
Lastly, my favourite mushroom/fungus that isn't.
I always thought it was a mushroom, but it is a flowering plant related to blueberries. It has no chlorophyll, doesn’t depend on photosynthesis and has this ghostly appearance.
Indian Pipestem
