East Bay Thanksgiving Fungi, Dryness on the Peninsula

Late post, but I did some fairly fruitful fungal exploring in the East Bay over the Thanksgiving weekend. Deathcaps were blooming everywhere, especially in Anthony Chabot, and I found what I think was my first East Bay Stropharia. I was also trying to pay more attention to the lichens, especially in Huckleberry, where there seems to be a great diversity growing on the oaks and manzanitas along the higher trails. Still at the very beginning of learning anything about lichens though.

Went across the bay to El Corte Madera and Wunderlich on Sunday, figuring if the East Bay was fairly wet, the peninsula should be soaking. So wrong. Both were bone dry, with very little in the way of fungi. El Corte Madera had some beautiful, huge tanoak stands that seemed perfect for a variety of fungi, but it was so dry there wasn't really much in profusion. We did manage to find garlic mushrooms, though, which was a treat. Their smell is so intense! Wunderlich was even sparser, mostly just old deathcaps.

Posted on December 6, 2009 02:10 AM by kueda kueda

Observations

Photos / Sounds

No photos or sounds

What

Ensatina (Ensatina eschscholtzii)

Observer

kueda

Date

November 27, 2009

Description

One little guy under a log. Didn't snap a pic.

Photos / Sounds

What

California Vole (Microtus californicus)

Observer

kueda

Date

November 27, 2009 01:50 PM PST

Description

I fear this vole is not long for this world. For some reason it just sat there as I got closer and closer. Pretty soon it's gonna be an owl pellet.

Photos / Sounds

What

Variable Wrinkle-Lichen (Tuckermanopsis orbata)

Observer

kueda

Date

November 27, 2009 02:10 PM PST

Description

I got a big book on lichens. We'll see how far I get on this one. Next time I need to bring a hand lens.

Well, the key wasn't terribly useful, but this seems like the right one. Definitely looks a lot like the greener specimens I've seen in photographs.

Photos / Sounds

Observer

kueda

Date

November 27, 2009 01:54 PM PST

Description

B. truncatus is the other possibility, as far as I can tell, and this definitely didn't have an immediate blue-staining reaction like that species is supposed to.

Photos / Sounds

What

Garlic Mushroom (Mycetinis copelandii)

Observer

kueda

Date

November 29, 2009 01:07 PM PST

Description

Kei was taking pics of some sulphur tufts when she said, "I think I might be crazy but I smell garlic." A bit of rooting around in the leaf litter and sure enough, we found the garlic mushrooms! They really are incredibly pungent.

Photos / Sounds

What

Shaggy Mane (Coprinus comatus)

Observer

kueda

Date

November 29, 2009 11:42 AM PST

Description

One of a couple we found. Charming mushrooms.

Photos / Sounds

What

Questionable Stropharia (Stropharia ambigua)

Observer

kueda

Date

November 28, 2009 04:17 PM PST

Description

First East Bay Stropharia for me!

Photos / Sounds

Observer

kueda

Date

November 29, 2009 12:10 PM PST

Description

Very beautiful black mushrooms, growing under tanoak in El Corte de Madera Creek Open Space Preserve in San Mateo county, CA, USA. Lens cap is 5.5 cm in diameter.

Photos / Sounds

What

Deathcap (Amanita phalloides)

Observer

kueda

Date

November 28, 2009 04:32 PM PST

Description

Althought they're an odd color, I believe these are deathcaps. These were probably the most abundant mushroom blooming in Anthony Chabot, or perhaps anywhere, this weekend

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