Tag Archives: Mendocino County

•

Matsutakes, Tricholoma magnivelare, are just beginning to appear. They come up in the same place, year after year, near our property in Anchor Bay. The first three made an appearance a few days ago. They are growing in sandy soil underneath a mixed conifer forest with manzanita and huckleberry bushes nearby.

The Matsutakes found in our area, the Pacific Northwest, are also called White Matsutakes. They have a wonderful aroma...like cinnamon. There is no other mushroom like it. Yes, another wonderful gift in the forest from Mother Nature.

•

On Friday a Sandhill Crane was seen by Mel Smith just off Highway One by the Garcia River flats. Last year about this time two Sandhill Cranes danced in the air in front of my Anchor Bay home. I don't think people would have believed me, as I'm not the most experienced birder, except I got several pictures. Sandhill Cranes are rare visitors to the coast.

I felt very fortunate to see and hear them - a wonderful gift from Mother Nature!

• 2 Comments

•

Last night's sunset was epic. I call this kind of sunset a Biblical sunset. It evolved for nearly a half hour - just magnificent. Ron LeValley captured the sunset at its peak loveliness and has kindly allowed me to share it here. The light comes from the Point Cabrillo Lighthouse, which resides in the Point Cabrillo Light Station Historic State Park in Mendocino County .

To see much more of Ron's photos, here's a link to his website: http://www.levalleyphoto.com/home/

•

Peter Baye found this beauty in Mendocino County, specifically at the back of the beach at Alder Creek. It's Orobanche californica and its rather awful common name is California Broomrape. The color of the flower Peter found is unusual. Because of its extreme environment - salt spray from the Pacific Ocean and marshy sand - it has this lovely purple coloring.

Yes, it's a California native. And if you are a regular reader here you might not be surprised to learn it has medicinal qualities. A decoction of it can be used to treat colds and pneumonia.

 Thanks to Peter for allowing me to share this photo here.

•

With our early rains comes early mushrooms! On a walk in the forest yesterday Rick and I found Golden Chanterelles, Cantharellus cibarius, Oyster Mushrooms, Pleurotus ostreatus, and Turkey Tails, Trametes versicolor. Many tiny mushrooms appeared this morning and four round puffball mushrooms joined them. Boletus edulis, King Boletes, can't be far behind. Let the wild mushroom frenzy begin!

These Golden Chanterelles look almost white in this picture.

Growing on a Tan-Oak snag, these Oyster Mushrooms will get bigger in the warm days to come.
Perhaps you know the name of this mushroom? It's some type of puffball. Note the bite taken out of its side.