Am I Blue?

There are certain forest tracts that I only walk in the late fall when the undergrowth dies back and the path is wider, and I can convince myself that every errant blade of grass does not have a ninja tick awaiting my arrival. Today there was blue in the sky and I was feeling intrepid so I set out to explore. 

The small gravel area where I parked was surrounded by a thick carpet of vinca minor, or periwinkle, a low growing ground cover that has a pretty blue flower in the summer. The leaves are a lovely deep and glossy green and remain so almost all year. Vinca is however not native and considered invasive, its thick mat choking out less aggressive native wildflowers. 

These purple leaves caught my eye. They belong to bittersweet nightshade which you will probably find climbing a fence somewhere in your neighborhood. The flowers and berries are gone but it makes a pretty garland. There is a deadly nightshade in this plant family, which is of course deadly, but other family members include the tomato and potato. I read that this plant is called bittersweet because when first tasted it is bitter on the tongue, but then unpleasantly sweet. I also read that ingesting of the berries should be considered a medical emergency. Believe I will just look.

There is a lot of downed wood, some courtesy of the County, but the wood that has fallen naturally and been on the ground for a while has some interesting surprises. This is Leafy jelly fungus, appropriately named for its shape and texture. Its was attached to a small hardwood branch and the cluster in the centre would probably fit on a loonie.

And then I found Orange jelly on a conifer log and

a huge cluster of Lemon Drops.  This species is one of  

the commonest woodland cup fungi, but despite being a vibrant yellow, they are really tiny, measuring 3mm or less, and could be easily overlooked.

This photo on the cut end of a tree trunk, has a lot going on in it. There is a cluster of purple cup fungus on the right and a tiny slug with a stripe in the centre. At least I think it is a slug because it has no shell, and he was obviously very busy so I didn't disturb him by plucking him off to have a look.

The most exciting thing though, (well, I think its exciting), is the small blue fungus. There were several prone sections of the same tree and on each cut end, there was a little bit of this turquoise fungus. Its botanical name has some 26 letters so we will call it Blue-Stain fungus. My reference book says it is "widespread and common", but as I have only seen it only once, I will remain a little skeptical. These cup shapes are the fruiting body of the fungus which appear when there is a lot of rain, but in their absence the fungus remains as a blue stain in the wood, hence....   

 As I walk along in a happy glow, I am scared startled by a snake. I don't know why I always see snakes; I don't want to and they should be able to feel my approach and absent themselves. Yes, I know it is just a garter snake. But he was about an inch at his widest, so one of the larger ones that I have seen, and he had attitude! I thumped my foot on the path and rustled the grass, but he just pulled his body back into a striking posed and glared at me, so I ventured off the path and made a wide berth around. So now that I know the snakes are awake and prowling, every time I step on a long branch that in turn stirs the leaves beside the path, I levitate slightly. 

I find fungus interesting as there is such a variety of shape, size and colour. I also find that they are almost impossible to identify. I think that what I have seen is unique enough that it should be easy to put a name to, only to find that it matches no photo in my reference guide, and that a photo is not enough.  What tree is it growing on, what colour are the spores, does it have gills etc. Generally the answer to all of the above is "I don't know". However, I live in hope and snap away.

 This one is like tiny whiskers and look like they are growing along the growth rings.

 Slimy, and growing at the base of evergreens.

 Delicate little porous fans.

Poisonous?

This one I know. It was a large example of the Shaggy Mane, being about 6 inches tall.

My eyes were drawn from the floor of the forest up to a high branch where someone was not happy at my presence in their neighborhood. Sorry, I come in peace.

The understory of smaller maples and beeches is a colourful contrast to the looming upper story of conifers. A noise on the path caught my attention and I turned just in time to see the white flag of a deer. It paused a safe distance away to look back and I could see that it was a buck, but he was not interested in allowing me a photo opportunity.

The pond appears to be uninhabited by waterfowl. I imagine it would be a good spot to see turtles in the summer. Shagbark hickory trees display their unique bark. Their trunks look like someone has torn random vertical strips all around their circumference.

As I finish my walk I notice a small and delicate pink Herb Robert still blooming in a patch of sunlight.  It is the only flower that I have seen today in this bit of forest. It seems tiny and too frail to have survived the recent frost but there it is, a small thing of loveliness in contrast to the grandeur of the oaks and conifers.

Beauty in the big and the small.