After two surprisingly lovely fall days, the promised wind & rain have started. I've spent every morning working on the rhizosphere project at Mt. Edgecumbe and the afternoons looking for birds and the occasional mushroom.
Tuesday we ran a second level of amplification on our PCR products to make sure that we actually captured some DNA. One primer was a repeat (ITS-4) and the other was an additional fungal primer (ITS-1F). The gel of the results of this amplification looks good. Today we had space to run the gel of the results from Trichophorum, Triantha, Coptis and Rubus chamaemorus. Each had at least one strong band, Trichophorum had 5. If we have enough BSA we can start to look specifically for va mycorrhizae tomorrow. We should also be able to run a gel of the results of Carex livida, Sanguisorba, Cornus suecica and Gentiana. Although I can see microscopic evidence of the fungi, it is exciting to see the PCR detect it as well. If we can clean up the extracted DNA, we can get the creatures sequenced and identify them. Identifying these fungi through cultural characteristics is alot more difficult, especially because they are reluctant fruiters.
The cultures are growing well, we made more media today to continue the clean up process on the isolated fungi.
Monday afternoon took a quick walk through the park to check on the Amanitas and birds. The Amanitas were looking good given the lateness of the season. Both the yellow form which I am still waffling on as to subspecies and the red form are both fruiting, but I didn't find any many young ones as the last time I saw them. I collected one of each color, unfortunately, my collections turned to mush in the car. I would have thought it was cold enough to keep them. I'll have to try again very soon. Also collected a Clavariadelphus which I haven't managed to look at yet, fortunately it seems a little tougher than the Amanitas.
I find myself constantly looking for grouse when I walk through the park these days, the controversy is vaguely settled except for one hold-out for the spruce grouse. It was pronounced a probable sooty/blue grouse because of its markings and because this species hasn't previously been documented on Baranof island. I agree that because of the range extension, the evidence should be more indisputable, but I'm not so comfortable with the markings. I still think it looks more like the spruce, but am quite willing to accept more experienced opinions. It will be fun trying to find another one, or not trying to find one, since I wasn't looking for anything in particular when it appeared. It is always the way, stop looking and something will come along. Did see a hermit thrush, a robin, several varied thrushes, and winter wrens in the forest.
Tuesday afternoon went to Moller park to find a wind sheltered and sunny spot to catch up on my drawing assignments. I had spent the morning in the lab and it seemed criminal to go back inside when it was such a beautiful fall day. The little bridge was the best spot for basking, lots of juncos around the area, but nothing exotic. Heard a kingfisher on the lake. Wanted to check out the park again so decided to spend the rest of my alloted drawing time in a sunny spot by Indian river in the park. It was high tide, but I found a little bit of river front in the sun on the east side of the park. Managed to finish my homework and see teal, widgeons, one pintail, scads of mallards, mergansers, and harlequins on the river and at the mouth. It was warm enough that my coat was unnecessary. Walking back to the car found a young gray striped tom cat (or it found me) near the river. It was causing alot of vocal alarm in two winter wrens. The cat followed me and wrens flew off. It was a rather beautiful cat, almost tempted to take it home. This temptation only lasted a second or two, the birds in the yard don't need a cat and neither does the garden.
Stopped by the lake on the way back to UAS. The coot, cackling goose, scaups, and mallards were in residence. Was doing almost anything to avoid going inside, so as a last gasp took a look at the channel before going in to my cubbyhole of an office. The gulls were extremely thick, as many as the during herring and longline season in the spring. There was one pair of longtails that I could see in with the gulls.
Tuesday night and tonight was chased home by a couple of storm petrels.
The goldeneyes were by the dock again, more mew gulls and kittiwakes on my morning path.
Ian saw two mink in the garden this morning and I spot-lighted one on the way home tonight. We looked at eachother for awhile on the boardwalk until I moved my head and it scampered off.
Tuesday we ran a second level of amplification on our PCR products to make sure that we actually captured some DNA. One primer was a repeat (ITS-4) and the other was an additional fungal primer (ITS-1F). The gel of the results of this amplification looks good. Today we had space to run the gel of the results from Trichophorum, Triantha, Coptis and Rubus chamaemorus. Each had at least one strong band, Trichophorum had 5. If we have enough BSA we can start to look specifically for va mycorrhizae tomorrow. We should also be able to run a gel of the results of Carex livida, Sanguisorba, Cornus suecica and Gentiana. Although I can see microscopic evidence of the fungi, it is exciting to see the PCR detect it as well. If we can clean up the extracted DNA, we can get the creatures sequenced and identify them. Identifying these fungi through cultural characteristics is alot more difficult, especially because they are reluctant fruiters.
The cultures are growing well, we made more media today to continue the clean up process on the isolated fungi.
Monday afternoon took a quick walk through the park to check on the Amanitas and birds. The Amanitas were looking good given the lateness of the season. Both the yellow form which I am still waffling on as to subspecies and the red form are both fruiting, but I didn't find any many young ones as the last time I saw them. I collected one of each color, unfortunately, my collections turned to mush in the car. I would have thought it was cold enough to keep them. I'll have to try again very soon. Also collected a Clavariadelphus which I haven't managed to look at yet, fortunately it seems a little tougher than the Amanitas.
I find myself constantly looking for grouse when I walk through the park these days, the controversy is vaguely settled except for one hold-out for the spruce grouse. It was pronounced a probable sooty/blue grouse because of its markings and because this species hasn't previously been documented on Baranof island. I agree that because of the range extension, the evidence should be more indisputable, but I'm not so comfortable with the markings. I still think it looks more like the spruce, but am quite willing to accept more experienced opinions. It will be fun trying to find another one, or not trying to find one, since I wasn't looking for anything in particular when it appeared. It is always the way, stop looking and something will come along. Did see a hermit thrush, a robin, several varied thrushes, and winter wrens in the forest.
Tuesday afternoon went to Moller park to find a wind sheltered and sunny spot to catch up on my drawing assignments. I had spent the morning in the lab and it seemed criminal to go back inside when it was such a beautiful fall day. The little bridge was the best spot for basking, lots of juncos around the area, but nothing exotic. Heard a kingfisher on the lake. Wanted to check out the park again so decided to spend the rest of my alloted drawing time in a sunny spot by Indian river in the park. It was high tide, but I found a little bit of river front in the sun on the east side of the park. Managed to finish my homework and see teal, widgeons, one pintail, scads of mallards, mergansers, and harlequins on the river and at the mouth. It was warm enough that my coat was unnecessary. Walking back to the car found a young gray striped tom cat (or it found me) near the river. It was causing alot of vocal alarm in two winter wrens. The cat followed me and wrens flew off. It was a rather beautiful cat, almost tempted to take it home. This temptation only lasted a second or two, the birds in the yard don't need a cat and neither does the garden.
Stopped by the lake on the way back to UAS. The coot, cackling goose, scaups, and mallards were in residence. Was doing almost anything to avoid going inside, so as a last gasp took a look at the channel before going in to my cubbyhole of an office. The gulls were extremely thick, as many as the during herring and longline season in the spring. There was one pair of longtails that I could see in with the gulls.
Tuesday night and tonight was chased home by a couple of storm petrels.
The goldeneyes were by the dock again, more mew gulls and kittiwakes on my morning path.
Ian saw two mink in the garden this morning and I spot-lighted one on the way home tonight. We looked at eachother for awhile on the boardwalk until I moved my head and it scampered off.
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