Dusty McDusterson (He/Him) 🍄

A still image of the same frog as seen on the video above.

Pacific chorus frogs are such a delight,
god's forbid I give them a fright.
I regret surprising this cutie patootie,
but thankful to witness nature's beauty!

Pacific chorus/tree frog, Pseudacris regilla.

#Nature
#Herps
🌱

A handful of Pacific Golden Chanterelle mushrooms collected in our usual hammock spot at Banner Forest in Port Orchard Washington.

Chanterelles be poppin'!

Found dinner's side dish on our hike today!
#CantharellusFormosus
#PacificGoldenChanterelle
#Nature #Fungi 🌱📸🍄

The underside of a chomped on dyers polypore fungus. Looks like some animals, or likely slugs went to town at the base. Last year's massive rotting fruiting bodies were found spread around ground in this predominant Douglas fir forest with evergreen huckleberries and salal dominated understory.

Another what I be live is a dyers polypore. The other end of the log had small growths of the same fungus.

These are gorgeous and surprisingly delicate, easy to accidentally leave a thumbprint on the fruiting body. I believe it's a Onnia subtriquetra. The bright yellow rims and graduated coloration really stand out. One of my favorites to find.

📸 1 & 2: I believe are both Dyers Polypore, Phaeolus schweinitzii.
📸 3: I believe is an Onnia subtriquetra
📸 4: Pacific Chanterelles are starting to pop! So happy for the rain we've been having, maybe this season won't be as bad as I had worried. This drought has been brutal!
#Nature 🌱🍄📸

Some of my favorite conks to find...you'd think I would remember the species. Don't think they're artist conks but I guess they could just be a different form and there were some of those growing in nearby stumps/standing trees.
#Fungi 🍄📸🌱

This one was an odd one.
It looks like a king trumpet oyster mushroom but outside of it being non-native it was also growing from a conifer stump.
Maybe another less mature velvet footed tap (Tapinella atrotomentosa)?
📸🍄🌱
#Fungi

These likely sprouted in the last week as we've gotten a fair amount of rainfall that's encouraged a little growth. Super fresh and ready to harvest, if not a bit early but I left these in place. Maybe with the forecasted rain they'll grow even bigger. We definitely need more rain.

A little lower on the 10 foot tall stump was this older Varnished Conk. Likely from last fall's flush. Beware of older ones of these as they smell horrific when decaying. Note the tree stem that was incorporated.

Western Varnished Conk or West-coast Reishi
(Ganoderma oregonense)
Found today on the same Douglas Fir Stump that was also covered in plentiful Artist Conk both alive and long dead.
🍄📸🌱
#Fungi

There are 2 surprises in this image. The fly poking its head under the cap of a gilled mushroom with a brown fuzzy cap is the first. The tiny flush-mate just peeking above the leaves and twigs to the right.

Peek-a-boo!
🍄📸🌱
#Fungi
#Flies
#AltText

A grouping of 3 mushrooms of some unknown gilled species are in different states of decay. The larger 2 have a predominant bright ocher coloration on their caps, gills and parts of their stem. They are covered in a white fuzz, likely another fungi parasitizing them, hopefully they got some spores off before the attack!

Shockingly shameful decay

#Fungi 🍄📸
#ALTText🌱 #Fern
#FungiEatingFungi

Velvet-footed Tap

The first picture is today's find & the last 2 are from 1 year 5 days previous on the same stump.

With this drought it's no wonder they're a little slower growing this year.

Found on our hike today at #McCormickForestPark in Gig Harbor Washington.
#FungiFriends #Nature #Fungi

Look at this gorgeous fella! And with some guttation! I was worried it had been too dry this year for them to return but was pleasantly surprised today on our hike.

Check out this young #Velvet-footed_Tap mushroom! (Tapinella atrotomentosa)

Another example of why it's a great idea to return to the same stumps where you've previously spotted interesting #fungi. More 🍄📸 👇 including last year's observation. #DyeingFungi
#ReturningToTheSceneOfTheCrime

A grouping of 3 fruiting bodies of potentially Pinelitter Gingertail,Xeromphalina cauticinalis. That graduating from light orange at the top of the stipe to deep purple toward the bottom was gorgeous to observe in person. Found growing on a decaying conifer limb.

I found a cluster of these tiny beauties growing on a decaying conifer limb while low-crawling through the huckleberry understory.

Possibly Pinelitter Gingertail,Xeromphalina cauticinalis.

Look at that stunning graduated coloration with the furry boots!!
#FungiFriends #Nature #Fungi

Low crawling through the huckleberries looking for mushies where I found some interesting beauties seen be ⬇️

Winston enjoyed the slower pace.
#Nature #TinyMushroomHunting

I hear the Bear Gulch Fire may have heavily damaged Copper Creek Trail, one of my favorites.💔

The trail starts out along a dry creekbed & after a steep mile you first smell the water, then feel the humidity change +extra greenery, then hear the thundering water before seeing it plunge underground.

I left this one in place. It was in the lowest intertidal area where there are permanent seagrasses and seaweed. They were only exposed for a matter of 10s of minutes. Look at those arm curls with the tube feet reaching out!

This one just looked so relaxed, but maybe was more just finally accepting its fate. Not to worry, I did move this still alive and supple starfish to the water.

Another flatter starfish just sprawled out. I imagine them stretching and curling their top-left arm in a restful spasm.

This pair, who I anthropomorphized into an adult with their young child. Even though it was a warm day this is giving me playing in snow sort of vibes. Can starfish make sand-Angles?

A smattering of supple sprawled-out #sunbathing #LeatherStars (Dermasterias imbricata) found this weekend at Sunrise Beach Park in Gig Harbor Washington.

I'm unsure if it makes a difference, but I did move the ones I found higher up in the #intertidal area back to the water.
#Nature #ALTText

Check out this #PimpleTree!

It's really a #DouglasFir sapling with resin blisters, that smelled amazing!

If you run across these, popping a few isn't the end of the world, but it's best to not pop an excessive amount as it can expose the tree to pathogens.
#Nature
#StickyFingers
#PoppingPimples

Look at this big-ol' Barred #Owl we came upon during our lunchtime walk.

They had been on the ground before our ruckus disturbed them. So sorry to interrupt lunch!

If only I had a Tootsie Pop, I might finally be able to answer an urgently pressing question from childhood...
#Nature #NeverFeedOwls

I was stoked to find them! I still need to break out my wetsuit and go snorkeling to see the sea grass where they came from. Apparently they're edible but that's one thing I'm definitely good just looking at and will leave and let be. Little forbidden sausages!

Right!? It's my new favorite, hahaha, my mom found it while thrifting just before she flew in for her visit, and sent me a picture jokingly asking what I thought. She was surprised when I told her I'd definitely rock it and even wear it to the office, which I did just the other week.

For sure! And it's usually not too busy either! I usually only run into 1, max of 4 other hikers on the 2.5 mile loop. There are a good number of side trails too that helps.

One of my favorite 5-hugger trees, it would take 4-5 people to hug this beauty. My mom who recently visited next to it for scale but the photo doesn't do it justice.

That's fantastic, I'm going to have to check it out!
Have you been to McCormick Forest Park yet? There are some pretty massive old growth Douglas Fir trees there along the trail. I love seeing what I call 5-hugger sized trees. It would take at least 4-5 people to hug those old beauties!

My grocery store growing up had free cookies for children they strategically placed close to the live lobster tank separating the Bakery & Meat/Seafood.
My first crawdad I assumed was our local version of the escaped alligators & ninja turtles famously found in New York City... At least 📺told me so.

I was super stoked to see this #SignalCrayfish, Pacifasticus leniusculus, in the main stream of McCormick Forest Park today!

I've spent 100's of hours along this stream & this is the first I've seen our only #Native #Crayfish. An indicator species demonstrating the vitality of that forest/stream!

This unfortunate jellyfish was captured by a few Plumose anemone, Metridium farcimen. Maybe an immature Lion's Mane Jellyfish. I'm not sealife expert so take that ID with a lump of salt.

A jellyfish flitting about the docks with beautiful clouds reflecting on the water making them appear as though they were floating on air.

Me, a white man wearing a super cool mushroom shirt that was a wonderful gift, filming a jellyfish trapped by some anemone's on the docks in Bremerton Washington.

A couple more pictures from the brief visit to the docks. Including a rare picture of me taking pictures! Usually a dedicated solo wanderer (+Winston) so that was unique!
#Nature #Jellyfish #SeaLife

I was stoke to find this scene while waiting on the #Bremerton WA ferry with my mom, who flew in for a weekend visit.

This unfortunate jellyfish was captured by a few #PlumoseAnemone, Metridium farcimen.

Did this gigantic snack of a #Jellyfish escape the anemone's clutches? Only Poseidon knows!!!

A clutch of freshly laid squid eggs. Each satchel has 100+ individual eggs that will eventually become squid.

I wonder if this is one of their clutches that became detached.

Before gently placing back in the water below the low tide mark I was fortunate to share it with some of the other beachgoers I overheard getting excited about the jellyfish and starfish finds. Hopefully at least some of them make it.

Another summer #beachday. Today I found this clutch of #squideggs at the lowest tide.

I ran into a shoreline fisherman in waders yesterday, who was telling me about the multitude of squid he saw shimmering and changing colors as they laid their eggs in the grasses that morning. Story continued 👇

2 stems of the Pinedrop, Pterospora andromedea, species standout from their otherwise green background of salal, fern, madrone and pine trees, where it's getting its nutrients from via a relationship, albeit maybe more take than give, with a fungal friend or 2 or more...

Closer jo the tops of the seed pods are a brilliant burnt orange that tapers down to a lighter orange yellow. They almost look like a bunch of pumpkins suspended from a stem.

The stem was super sticky. I didn't realize at the time that they also can get nitrogen from consuming insects that get stuck to their sticky stalks. Super fascinating!

Pinedrops, Pterospora andromedea.

Another of our super amazing plants that doesn't produce chlorophyll but instead relies on #FungiFriends to source food! It's also protocarnivorous, collecting insects on its sticky stems and consuming them for nitrogen! #Fungi #Nature #Plants

Did I just witness an attempted slug-o-cide!? The monster #PacificBananaSlug just slid right over the much smaller one that rightly fled.

That's after the slug-buddies slimed up the unlucky(?) Chocolate Tube #SlimeMold.

They're just soaking up all all the moisture they can get! #Nature 🍄📸

Pardon my interruption Dougie!

#Douglas'sSquirrel #Nature
#PineSquirrel #Chickaree