Life on the Outer Coast

Saturday
Met the Mushroom ID. class at the Mosquito Cove trail head this morning. I periodically wander to another spot, but Starrigavan is still one of the best for variety of fungi. The weather was not spectacular, but the collecting was very good. It must have rained for the entire 5 hours, but I was comfortable in my rain gear. The temperature was cooler, it was the first time since last spring that I wore a turtle neck and hat all day. At least the long underwear hasn't made an appearance. Maybe I have been here too long, I honestly didn't notice the weather until the class insisted on having the show-and-tell discussion under the picnic shelter.
The list of fungi: Cantharellus cibarius, Craterellus neotubaeformis (winter chanterelle), Clavariadelphus caespitosus, Clavulina sp, Ramaria sp., `two Cortinarius spp (the very slimey, purple stemed one and the somewhat fibrillose orange one), Hydnum repandum, Hydnellum suaveolens, Pseudohydum gelatinosum, Naematoloma sp, Collybia acervata, Amanita pantherina, A. vaginata, Helvella lacunosa, Helvella sp (it left with a student), Coprinus atramentarius, Lactarius deliciosus, L. rufus, L. lignyotus, and the Lactarius that is orange with a zonate pattern and white latex, the usual suspects in the Russulas, Hygrophorus sp (bright red cap and stem, not previously found), Laccaria laccata, Pleurocybella porrigens, Tricholomopsis rutilans, Cystoderma sp, Inocybe spp, Rozites caperata, Chroogomphus tomentosus, Chalciporus piperatoides (formerly Boletus, PNW key council includes this although Arora doesn't),Ganoderma tsugae, Nidula candida, Scutellinia scutellata, Elaphomyces muriatus, Rhytisma arbuti (tar spot on Menziesia) and an large, fleshy Polyporus that I haven't seen before. There were of course many Mycenas and little brown mushrooms left behind in the forest.
Hopefully most of the unidentified will be dealt with this week. I'm sure that I omitted some species that went home with people.
Most remarkable is the number of Chroogomphus tomentosus found this year, usually they are an unusual creature. Equally remarkable is the lack of A. muscaria.

On Friday I treated the Sorbus sitchensis seeds with sulfuric acid. It was a bit of a mess. I had almost enough 1N acid to cover the seeds, but had to add a little straight sulfuric acid. It reacted noticably, but not dangerously. Glad I had the safety googles, gloves and apron...The mess came when it was time to pour off the acid. I decided that tongs should be used to tip the beaker, the other hand could then administer the baking soda. There was enough liquid that I decided to use the baking soda liberally (in the sink) before rinsing with water. I did remember the high school chemistry mantra "pour the acid in the water if you want to sing your alma mater". The bubbling and sizzling went on for awhile before I gingerly started rinsing the sink with water. Meanwhile, I did rinse the seeds several times. I'm glad that there weren't witnesses, it looked more than a little crazy. The acid treatment seperated the fruit into what looked like individual seeds. I planted the seeds in the newly empty vegetable bed below the strawberries. We'll see.

The lupines I planted last Monday were starting to germinate today (Sunday). I'll plant the rest of the lupine seed out in the park this week.
I did go up to the near muskeg on the Indian River trail this afternoon when the sun came out. Brought home some Hydnum repandum for dinner. Found a very dark Amanita vaginata under a stump across from the first Icmadophila stump. The cap was the color of rootbeer and the stem had a brown wash over the white. I found one that wasn't quite as dark another closer to the beginning of the trail. Also walked through the east side of Totem park, found a handful of Chroogomphus tomentosus in the old Boletus spot. Looked like widgeons near the mouth of the river, but I had grabbed the submerged binoculars which didn't focus too well.

Robins, Varied thrushes, Hermit thrush parent and juvenile, song and fox sparrow in the garden.