Seeing signs of mushrooms

Here is a fallen hardwood trunk nicely covered with Oyster mushrooms in prime shape for eating, also on this trunk were 3 Ganoderma applanatum fungi, aka (Artist Conk) so I wrote on 1 of these and will bring it home as well to dry and later use as a tea ingredient due to having similar medicinal properities as its close relative the Reishi mushroom.

Some more young Oyster mushrooms.

The Oyster mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus) grows quite big here in eastern Canada with the largest ones in the photo measuring over 9 inches across the cap. Looks like a deer has nibbled on the mushroom in the middle of this group as they were around 4 feet of the ground. These larger Oyster mushrooms I like to dry and then powder to be used in medicinal teas or other foods like soups and baked goods.

More mushrooms and some fall colours for your enjoyment. ciao

lots of mushroom, when friends drop in

Nature is being very generous with the wild oyster mushrooms today, normally I do not forage this close to a trail but this one receives no ATV traffic and is rarely travelled by anyone as it is a small 1/4 mile loop running off a country road.

I collected 2 large baskets of mushrooms from this tree and half the mushrooms are still on the tree I suspect as I’ve seen no signs of other foragers in this area besides deer and squirrels. Some of the largest mushrooms in the clusters weighted a half lb and measured 10 inches across the cap.

Here are a couple new friends I meet yesterday which may not enjoy my wild oyster mushroom soup though these black-capped chickadees certainly would relish any insects which may live around the clusters which are few and far between at this time of the year.

Black-capped chickadees are the provincial bird of New Brunswick and if they decide you are their friend look out. Usually they will fly in towards you in small groups singing as they work their way branch by branch closer to investigate, then they will often decide to fly down to you from 5 to 10 feet away if you remain comfortably still.  Rarely one may fly straight towards you from a tree a hundred feet away at eye level which can be quite a surprise the first time they greet you like this. They are very brave little birds, even the flash from my camera a foot away in my other hand didn’t spook them and 1 of the 1o or so who flew to me yesterday even gave me a peck on the finger for not having a proper gift for him, he quickly flew away though I think we are still friends. ciao