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Assorted Bob Dog Bob Leaf Litter MycoBob

Meet the AKC registered Turtle Dog

Althea has become obsessed with box turtles and manages to find and harass them every time we go out. I know she’s found one when I hear her barking, at which point I go over, right the poor turtle that she flipped, and pull her away, leaving the turtles in peace. No turtles have been harmed thus far.
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Assorted Bob Leaf Litter Tree Bob

Where in the world is Sydney the Cockatoo …

Can you spot the invasive species in this beech tree? It’s the umbrella cockatoo (Cacatua alba), also known as Sydney the escapee. His flight feathers came in, allowing him to soar off into the forest when Althea made a run at him last Sunday. He landed in a beech tree in a steep, difficult to access part of the forest, and he spent the night there. I finally managed to retrieve him the next morning. At some point during the night, he’d moved to a smaller tree, a young sugar maple, and I followed him as he went to a succession of small maples, eventually ending up on the forest floor. He was shivering in fear when I finally retrieved him and I think he was glad to view the forest through a large glass window again after his night on the lam …
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Assorted Bob MycoBob

Found while foraging …

A few of my finds from recent foraging expeditions … which yielded this bumper crop of black trumpets, chanterelles, and common puffballs. I’ve also found a great spot for pawpaws but didn’t take photos … I was too busy eating them for breakfast every morning.

From bottom, common puffballs, black trumpets, chanterelles

Fairy Fingers (Clavaria fragilis)

Lots of coral fungi coming up recently, but this is the first time I’ve found fairy fingers …

Ghost Pipe – pink form (Monotropa uniflora)

I harvested some of the regular white monotropa during the summer to turn into a tincture that I use for pain relief, but this is the first time I’ve found the pink form.

American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius)

There’s some ginseng, but it’s all at least 5 or 6 years away from harvest. That’s why wild ginseng is endangered throughout Appalachia. Ginseng hunters have devastated the wild populations.

Black trumpets (Craterellus cornucopioides)

I’ve found these only once before, but this week they were at the base of almost every beech tree, giving me a newfound love of beech trees. Delicious mushrooms, vaguely truffle-like.

Eastern newt (Notophthalmus viridescens)

A friend spotted this little guy among the leaf litter. First newt I’ve found in my rambles, probably due to Althea’s romping about during our walks. This is the red eft (juvenile) stage.

Common puffballs (Lycoperdon perlatum)

I generally find these in the leaf litter or grass, but this fruiting is on a dead hickory (I think).

Crowded parchment (Stereum complicatum) ????

Not certain of this ID. It’s some sort of stereum … definitely a polypore.

Not sure what this is. Some sort of coral fungi? First time I’ve found it.

Think this might be ink caps.