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APRIL SHOWERS MAY BRING FLOWERS,
BUT JUNE RAINS MAKE MUSHROOMS

It's fulfilling to remember names of many plants and animals that occur at Hilton Pond Center, but the number of local organisms we CAN'T identify far exceeds those we can. Sometimes its just nice to sit back and enjoy looking at things without worrying about taxonomy, and that's the approach we tend to take when it comes to fungi--especially since some can't be positively identified without a microscope or chemical tests. Sure, we've given mushroom identification a shot, but we're honestly bewildered at the tremendous individual variation within a given fungal species--and we'd certainly never trust our skills enough to choose a wild mushroom to eat.

All text & photos © Hilton Pond Center

Considering the massive crop of fungi springing up around Hilton Pond, pleading benign ignorance about identifying mushrooms seems acceptable--even if it does sound like a cop-out. For this week, we've decided to just display photos of diverse, intriguing, and unnamed fungi that have appeared along the trails, undoubtedly as a result of three-inches-plus of precipitation we've had so far in June. Should you wish to send an E-mail with a common or scientific name for any of the fungi herein, please feel free; if our field guides agree, we'll add the species to our slowly growing--but not mushrooming--Checklist of Fungi at Hilton Pond.

One thing we were reminded of this week as we sought out fungi: It's almost impossible to take decent photos of mushrooms without getting wet and muddy--especially after several consecutive days of rain. About the only way to fully appreciate most fungi is to get down to their level and eyeball them through a camera lens, which means lying flat with either tripod or elbows in the dirt.

A beach towel is a permanent part of our photography gear, and we simply spread it out and plop down close to the fungus. Water from the wet ground soaks through, but at least the towel keeps our Operation RubyThroat T-shirts clean. (We suppose we could stay dryer by using plastic tarps, but they rustle and make too much noise while we're meditating with the mushrooms.) We also carry a can of insect repellent on our picture-taking jaunts to the woods; otherwise, lying still on the substrate in damp habitats makes the photographer easy pickings for every mosquito within buzzing distance.

Sometimes it's easier to find mushrooms with your nose rather than your eyes. That's because lots of fungi emanate strong, pungent odors reminiscent of roadkills, which explains why photos of them so often include a fly or two. Mushrooms imitate the odor of carrion, attracting not only flies but also Carrion Beetles and even Turkey Vultures--all of which help fungi by transporting spores to new locales. (In addition to our beach towel, we also have a couple of spring clip clothespins in our photo gadget bag, one of which we sometimes use to clamp our nostrils shut as we take pictures of particularly stinky fungi.)

Flies aren't the only things we've seen dining on a fungus at Hilton Pond Center. In fact, so many organisms eat wild fungi that in our woods it's often hard to find a "perfect" mushroom--one that's unblemished by tooth marks from Eastern Chipmunks, White-footed Mice, or Eastern Gray Squirrels. Eastern Box Turtles also have a penchant for fungi; we frequently encounter one of these shelled reptiles along our trails while it's tearing into (albeit slowly) a mushroom--and with what appears to be a somewhat satiated look on its scaly little face.

Another animal group that munches down on mushrooms is the Pleasing Fungus Beetles, tiny insects that vary from 1/16" to 3/8" in length. Although brightly patterned--usually black with red, orange, or yellow highlights--these beetles are seldom seen except by inveterate mushroom or insect enthusiasts--especially since they often hide between gills beneath the mushroom cap. Each beetle species is believed to feed on a particular fungal genus; these insects have very fast life cycles that correspond with the short lives of specific mushrooms.

. .

And so, that's it for "This Week at Hilton Pond," where--thanks to a relative abundance of rainfall and high humidity--we were able to find all these magnificent mushrooms (or phenomenal fungi) on just ONE mid-June afternoon. It matters not that they all remain anonymous--to us.

NOTE: Last week's poll, which focused on whether folks most liked available light or flash as a lighting source for our Flower Spider photos, has since the start been running 3:2 in favor of the former. We personally prefer natural lighting ourselves, which is what we used to take all of this week's fungus photos--even though the days have mostly been overcast.