Tag Archives: mushrooms

Blog, Just Because, Photo Wednesday, Photography

Where the newts live – Photo Wednesday

February 17, 2016 Andree Fredette

Above photo: hunting for newts in the pond, the photographer wore rubber boots…

There was a break in the rain. A little sunshine even… So I went for a walk in the forest, and headed for the pond.

On the path, I noticed some Black earth tongue mushrooms (Trichoglossum something…). Sorry about the fuzzy photo, forgot to bring a flash and it was very dark in the woods.

And very close by, an old White worm coral mushroom (Clavaria vermicularis Sporocarp), which looked like it had been stepped on… Life is tough in the forest.

And then, at the pond, I enjoyed the quiet surface of the water.

A forest pond = prime newt habitat.

Say hello to my little friend: Rough-skinned newt (Taricha granulosa). Here is a link with lots of information on this interesting salamander of the Pacific Northwest. Did you know that they have few predators because they are highly toxic?

There were a few in the water today, but the crowd will gather in a few weeks, when the sun warms up the water, for the big Spring Party. Reproduction involves a behaviour called “amplexus”, which – to the uninitiated – looks a lot like wrasslin’… Here is another link to inform the curious.

And to conclude this post, a slightly manipulated photo of the water that is quickly draining down the logging road, bending grasses as it goes, and creating a lovely abstract pattern in its wake.

Blog, Photo Wednesday, Photography, Wanderings

A walk in the woods: Lilliput world!

January 27, 2016 Andree Fredette

Above: one of the forests in which I wander, and its emerald carpet of mosses. A magical world…

I take a walk in the woods almost every day. These days, the air is moist, the ground is alive with mosses. And there are treasures everywhere!

A moss cushion in the afternoon sun, enjoying its position on a very wet rock.

That was a very wet spot, really. It was dripping in the late afternoon sun. I tried to capture a drop, about to fall off the moss, but not quite yet…

Above: a moss close-up. I have a new toy: a set of diopter filters (magnifier-like filters, in different strengths, and you can stack them to increase magnification). These are my first attempts are seeing how much of this mini-world I can get into focus.

Blooming club moss, above.

And then, there are the lichens… A whole new lilliputian world has opened up, through my lens.

Above: on a log, an entire miniature habitat where competitors reach for the moisture and nutrients. The tall ones are “pixie cup” Cladonia lichens, along with other lichens whose names are still a mystery to me, and some moss. (Note: I found a great lichen reference page here. Please have a look, if you are intrigued by lichens.)

Above: macro shot of Pixie cup lichen (Cladonia) and its “warts”… With the diopter filters, the depth of field is so shallow that hand-held shots are a “no breathing allowed” moment…

Once your eyes get used to the very diffuse light, you notice all kinds of details in the mosses. Above: a jelly tooth mushroom (Pseudohydnum gelatinosum), and it is a very gelatinous thing. Almost glows in the dark, that tiny one!

After the rains, there is a great deal of mushroom variety. Little ones, mostly. Like the orange guy above. Sorry, I have no idea about ID!

Above, in the darkest part of the forest, some coral mushrooms were peeking out of the forest litter. Maybe Clavulina cristata…

Delicate little “grey caps”, all lined-up for a dance.

Above: Witches’ butter mushrooms (Dacrymyces chrysospermus) on a fallen log.

And this lovely duo, basking in the afternoon light, in the clover…

To close this post, a shot of the seasonal creek that makes its way to the ocean, near my house…

Blog, Photography, Wanderings

Mushrooms on the trails

November 1, 2015 Andree Fredette

Beauty and variety. Those two terms sum up the fall mushroom crop on Saturna Island.

The Shaggy mane (Coprinus comatus) first show up along the road sides and … in my garden, in October.

Then, walks on the forest paths lead me to find a whole assortment of seasonal newcomers, like the little white ones above… Sorry, I have not a clue as to ID.

This ones looks similar, with intriguing texture. I am getting better at close-up shots.

Above, a new one starting to mature on a dead alder. Still all folded up, but promising to be a big one…

And then there are the flashy ones, bright golden yellow little tiny ones, standing in the moss…

And the Lilliputian mushrooms… really tiny, almost ghostly little ones standing in the fir needles.

Then, on twigs, little “tutu” mushrooms.

Another angle of the last little beauty, showing its underskirts. Lovely lines and texture.

And I close with the same shot as the header, a bejeweled mushroom about to open on a dead tree. Full regalia, rain diamonds.

Blog, Wanderings

Little Treasures in the Moss

March 27, 2015 Andree Fredette

Walks in the forest can be dark, around here. The trees are very tall, and they occupy the sky. Down below, little surprises are hiding.
Gold coral mushroom on an old stump. Photo © Andrée Fredette
The golden little “manos arriba!” mushroom, above, is probably a coral mushroom being born… on an old tree stump covered with moss. It was hard to miss, sunlight was caressing it in the middle of dark cedar and fir shade.
Mossy Treasure. Photo © Andrée Fredette

And this tiny white one (sorry, don’t know its name) was the one I saw because I had to bend down to tie a loose lace. There it was, next to the trail, a delicate and practically glowing treasure. Maybe 2 centimeters tall…

And then I turn my gaze up, and admire how tall the trees are around here. I am reminded of Terry Pratchett’s observation about the “race for the light”…

“There are no medium-sized trees in the deep forest. There are only the towering ones, whose canopy spreads across the sky. Below, in the gloom, there’s light for nothing but mosses and ferns. But when a giant falls, leaving a little space … then there’s a race — between the trees on either side, who want to spread out, and the seedlings below, who race to grow up. Sometimes, you can make your own space.”
– Terry Pratchett, Small Gods

Blog, Inspiration, Just Because, Wanderings

Mushrooms, Viewed with a Filter

February 8, 2015 Andree Fredette

Winter on the West Coast… To say that this is a moist time of the year would be an understatement. Wherever you go, the forest presents evidence of moisture.

After looking up, time to look down at my feet. Here is a very ordinary shot of tiny mushrooms, poking out of the mosses. A typical forest floor moment in the winter, on the BC Gulf Islands.

When I looked at this photo, I decided to play with some filters. See what would result.

It got interesting. I could see the various colourways…

How easy it would be to get fabric printed in contrasting colours, by playing with filters.

Why not go for brutal brightness? Indeed.

Or just go for the black and white classic…

Quilts and Photography