Close to the banks of Quinliven Creek on our Anchor Bay property, a group of colorful wild mushrooms caught our eye. They turned out to be the edible Red-capped Butter Boletes, Boletus regius. Another wonderful gift in the forest. Thank you, Mother Nature!
White Matsutakes are beginning to pop. Rick and I found several recently on a neighbor's property in Anchor Bay in Mendocino County. Lucky for us they have given us permission to mushroom there! Here's a photo of Rick picking a perfect Matsutake.
Here is a link to see what the Matsutakes looked like at this spot several weeks ago:
http://www.mendonomasightings.com/2011/11/01/the-first-matsutakes-are-peeking-up-from-the-duff-in-mendocino-county/
Ferruginous Hawks are migrating into the Mendonoma Coast where they will overwinter. They are our largest hawk. One of the best places to see hawks hunting is between Manchester and Elk in Mendocino County. Steve Wilcox enjoys "hunting" hawks with his camera. I thank him for allowing me to share his beautiful photo with you here.
The favorite food of Ferruginous Hawks is Rabbits and Ground Squirrels. If you'd like to hear their piercing call, here's a link to Cornell Lab of Ornithology: http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/ferruginous_hawk/sounds
There was great excitement in the birding world when a Northern Wheatear was spotted in the southern part of Mendocino County recently. Richard Kuehn was one of the lucky few to see the bird, which was on private property. Luckily Rich had his camera and took this picture, which he graciously has allowed me to share here with you.
What was this Northern Wheatear doing on the Mendocino Coast? There has never been a recorded sighting of one here...until now. They are seen in Alaska and over-winter in sub-Saharan Africa. Not much is known about Northern Wheatears as they nest where there are no disturbances from people. Its visit is a sweet mystery.
Over the past several days the Coccora eggs have blossomed into one of the most beautiful mushrooms on the coast. A dozen or so dot the forest at Rick's and my Anchor Bay home and many more are to come. Coccora, or Amanita calyptroderma, is an edible but only for the most experienced foragers. But you don't have to be experienced to enjoy its beauty.
Coccoras are found near red-barked Madrone, with which they have a mycorrihizal relationship - a relationship made in fungi heaven! To see the Coccora eggs, click on this link: http://www.mendonomasightings.com/2011/10/26/coccora-mushrooms-just-peeking-up-through-the-duff-on-the-forest-floor-in-anchor-bay/