Dusty McDusterson (He/Him) 🍄 (@dustymcdusterson) — Bluesky Profile

9 hours ago

And the snow continues! But is slowly turning to a wintery mix.
I recorded this scene with my older DSLR with a good external microphone. Subpar video but the audio of the birds happily singing in the snow is magical. Unmute to listen to the cacophony of #BirdSong #Snow #SnowDay #Birds #Nature

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13 hours ago

An animation of the above picture and the ones preceding and following showing his realization it was just snow and nothing too interesting. #Dog

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13 hours ago

Winston, a 11 year old Great Pyrenees/German Shepherd mixed dog, perking up after hearing a chunk of snow fall from from the trees elsewhere in the yard.

Winston was finally in his element this morning with the heavy snow that is still coming down as I type this. #Dogs #Snowday #Snow #Nature #Photography

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2 days ago

For sure! Love your photos! ☺️

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2 days ago

I was so focused on the cute orange tuckus I didn't even notice the adorable yellow heart! Thanks for pointing it out. ☺️

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2 days ago

More signs of spring!

I believe this is an Orange-rumped Bumblebee, Bombus melanopygus. Found today, exploring the exterior of a Western Red Cedar with bore holes galore. #BumbleBee #Nature #Spring

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4 days ago

They're definitely very exposed at those low tidal stages, and with so many hungry birds about I don't envy their position. Beautiful shots!

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4 days ago

The scene, a blanket of bright green moss that's starting to go to spore. A white-ish mushroom with a streaky stem and a cap that turns tan near the apex and more creamy white toward the edges emerges. A fly, maybe one looking to lay some eggs, but possibly just resting their wings, perches on top. A composite of 48 images focus stacked.

A shot from this weekend. #MushroomMonday

A fly hanging out on what might be a Honey Pinkgill observed emerging from a bed of moss. #Fungi #FungiFriends #Moss

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4 days ago

Same here! Which is why I initially assumed it was just them holding onto something as the tide went out. Thanks! ☺️

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5 days ago

I might have to go to a higher end grocery store but I'll update you if I find some to compare.

I had no idea they now have pickle drinks! My sister was obsessed with pickle brine growing up, I'll have to see if any of those drinks end up being good enough filter down here for me to mail to her.

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5 days ago

They really are amazing! Such a unique mechanism to spread spores.

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5 days ago

Haha, thank you, fungi pun/jokes are always welcome! 😊

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5 days ago

A large Ochre Sea Star of the ochre coloration variety with their white spires covering their entire body. They're seen here hoarding their dollars. I'd initially assumed this sea star was just using these sand dollar as a holdfast as the tide went out. But on reflection, I think the sea star was eating them, as the broken sections of sand dollars appears to evidence. Brutal. A composite of 23 images focus stacked.

A Sea Star hoarding their Dollars....can't trust the sand bank!!!

I believe this Ochre sea star, Pisaster ochraceus, was actually making a meal of these sand dollars. Observed today at low tide at Kopachuck State Park, Washington State.
#SeaStar #Kopachuck #Beach #SandDollars #Photography

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6 days ago

Amazon.com

3/3...not seen here, that I use for lighting up gills and backlighting. They came with some great accessories that have come in handy but the best buy was those monopod 7" stainless steel spike stakes with a 1/4 screw mount I picked up on Amazon. I've even successfully used them with the DSLR.

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6 days ago

SmallRig RM01 Mini LED Video Light Kit (3-Pack) Buy SmallRig RM01 Mini LED Video Light Kit (3-Pack) featuring 3 x RM01 Mini LED Lights Included, 5600K Color Temperature, CRI 95, 800mAh Battery, 5-Hour Runtime, Tripods, Diffusers, 8-Color Filter Kit...

2/3...I really like them, with the only downside being they take seemingly forever to charge and don't last as long as I would like. They last for over an hour fully charged but I'm terrible at remembering to charge them until I'm headed out the door. I also picked up some SmallRig RM01 lights...

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6 days ago

U60 RGB Video Light | Pocket RGB & 2500-9000K CCT Compact U60 RGB video light with 2500-9000K CCT, 72 colors, 18 FX and 90min battery. Ideal for vlogging, selfies and streaming, View the full range

Thanks! The tripod is unfortunately no longer manufactured but was the brand Aukey bought on amazon 7 years ago although I've only recently been using it inverted.
I saw someone on here with those Ulanzi branded LED lights last year and made the plunge. I ended up going with the Ulanzi U60...1/3

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1 week ago

The fungi seen in the image above are located about 40% of the way from the tip of the lens to the edge of this photograph.

Behind the scenes shot. My canon 70D mounted to an inverted tripod focused on the fungi seen in the image above surrounded by a wired remote bulb and a pair of LED lights mounted on spikes.

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1 week ago

Having fun with shallow depth of field shots. This thin slice of fungi and moss is the combination of 55 images. The fungi have orangey-tan colored stems with lighter yellow orange caps and stripes that align with the gills. They're surrounded by bright green lush feathers moss.

A moss bell duo. Having some fun playing with shallow depth of field. #FungiFriends #Fungi #Moss #Photography

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1 week ago

Three bell fungi of the same species spring forth from the moss covered forest floor. Their stems start out a dark reddish brown graduating to a lighter reddish brown before finally turning reddish-tan. The caps are amber colored with darker coloration stripes extending from the cap related to the gills growing underneath. The edge of the cap is rippled and lighter in color. iNaturalist things they're Galerina vittiformis but I don't have enough info to comfortably confirm that. Image is a composite of 55 images focus stacked. I accidentally posted the low resolution "thumbnail" instead of the actual picture.

Today was spent mostly exploring fungi in beds of moss. Check out these moss bells. #FungiFriends #Fungi #Moss

Repost with higher resolution picture.

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1 week ago

A pair of birds nest fungi with their "egg" spore satchels largely still in the "nest". At least one has spilled out and can be seen on the shadowy side of the larger fungi. They're surrounded by at least 2 species of moss ranging from a feathery lighter color species and the darker green towering with spikey leaves. Image is a composite of 29 images focus stacked.

A pair of bird's nest fungi
nestled amongst the mosses.

#Fungi #Photography
#FungiFriday #BirdsNest
#FungiFriends #Moss

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1 week ago

A picture of a red capped gilled fungi with a white stripe. The gills are a lighter coloration compared to the cap with an almost pinkish hue. This image is a composite of 85 images focus stacked.

A grouping of 5 tiny gilled fungi with mostly white features other than a brown spot located in the center of their cap. This is a composite of 33 images focus stacked to make this single image. These fungi were found growing on a decaying log located just 1-2 feet (0.3-0.6m) to the right of the mica cap fungi seen in today's earlier posts.

A couple more focus stacked shots from today's visit to the forest. #FungiFriends #Fungi #Photography

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1 week ago

A large grouping of Mica cap fungi with the mostly intact specimens to the front and the ones further deliquesced in the back. The rotting of the cap occurs along the rim and spreads upward and apparently aids in spore dispersal as the spores further up have are less sheltered by the cap so when they mature they have a better chance of catching the currents. Composite of 54 images focus stacked into one.

The same grouping but a closer shot of the ones toward the back getting their spore dispersal on as they deliquesce. A composite of 40 images focus stacked into 1.

A couple more shots of another section of the mica cap fungi found today.

These shots better exemplify one of my top 3 favorite words, #Deliquesce, or to become liquid, related to decomposition. Which is what the inky caps are known for & aids in spore dispersal. #FungiFriends #Fungi #Photography

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1 week ago

A photo of a group of mica cap fungi found today on our afternoon walk. The rims of these are just beginning to deliquesce. This is a composite of 150 images focus stacked. I finally found my good macro lens!!! Thus the 150 vs what typically would have only been 20-ish.

Todays fungi group photo is the mica cap, Coprinellus micaceus. #EdibleFungi

The species is great at #Bioaccumulating heavy metals so while they might be delicately tasty, if you plan on consuming be mindful of where you collect. #FungiFriends #Photography

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1 week ago

A field of black slime mold with shiny black heads and quick transition between head and stem similar to a martini glass. Note the 3-4 white ones that I'm wondering if they're possibly a variant or a different species. I didn't get a better closeup shot than this unfortunately but will be back by soon to check up on them and hopefully get better shots.

Hold the line! A line of black slime mold follows a split in the cut end of this log.

A pair of tiny eyelash cup fungi on the cut end of the log. Note a couple of grey disk fungi seen near the top as well.

Same log, same slime mold as before but this time also what I believe to be some Wolf's Milk slime mold.

The log that keeps on giving. All of these were found on the same log that always has something interesting going on.

Today at least 2 distinct species of slime mold and 2 fungi, including a pair of tiny eyelash cup fungi, Scutellinia scutellata. #FungiFriends #SlimeMold #Fungi

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1 week ago

The final 3 Leather Stas from tonight's beach visit.
#SalishSea
#SeaStar
#LeatherStar
#Intertidal

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1 week ago

Another 4 Leather Stas from the visit to the beach tonight.
#SalishSea
#SeaStar
#LeatherStar
#Intertidal

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1 week ago

The Leather Star, Dermasterias imbricata.
Found in typical dramatic pose while contending with a retreating tide.

#SalishSea
#SeaStar
#LeatherStar
#Intertidal

7 more cuties seen 👇

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1 week ago

Pacific Banana Slugs are known to eat slime mold, so these round brown Wolf's Milk Slime Mold could be a snack for this massive solid dark green specimen when they wake up from their nap.

A Pacific Banana Slug napping while guarding their clutch of #Round Wolf's Milk slime mold.
#PacificBananaSlug #Slug #Nature
#BlueSkyArtShow #SlimeMold

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1 week ago

A colony of Aggregating Anemone, Anthopleura elegantissima, found growing prolifically on a boulder at Sunrise Beach Park, Washington State just before sunset. #Anemone #Nature #Surf
#Intertidal #SalishSea

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1 week ago

Leather Star, Dermasterias imbricata found along the seashore at Sunrise Beach Park Washington State tonight just before sunset.
#SeaStar #Nature #Surf #Intertidal #SalishSea

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