Cladonia sp. - a photo on Flickriver

Cladonia sp.

            Sunday, 23 August 2020: our temperature just before 1:00 pm is 19C (windchill 19C), and it is supposed to reach 22C this afternoon.  Sunrise is at 6:36 am and sunset is at 8:39 pm.  A mix of bright and overcast.

Poor lighting was a challenge in the forest the day before yesterday, 21 August 2020, but, certainly for me, seeing a handsome Spruce Grouse male was the highlight of the morning.  Thank you SO much, Angela, for pointing out where it had flown to, and for your kindness throughout the morning!  It was so good to see you guys.

We were so lucky with the weather.  It was sunny, but not as hot as it had been on many previous days.  A small group of us met up for our first (socially-distanced) fungi foray of the year.  Last winter was extremely cold and early summer was very wet.  More recently, we have had very hot, dry weather.  Unfortunately, these weather patterns seem to have resulted in very few fungi to be found, unlike last year, which was an absolutely amazing season for fungi.  We still have September left, so maybe a few more mushrooms and other fungi will appear before the first snow arrives.  Last year, 2019, our first snowfall was on 28 September.

Despite the lack of fungi, there were other things to catch our attention.  As well as the Spruce Grouse male, we saw Butterflies (Mourning Cloaks and an Anglewing/Comma) and Bald-faced Hornets that were feeding on the sap from the holes/sapwells created by a Sapsucker on the trunk of one of the trees.

A few of the wildflowers we came across included Hooded ladies tresses and Grass-of-Parnassus.  There were lots of Asters everywhere, too.

After a most enjoyable morning with friends, I stopped at a different forested area, just to quickly check if there were any fungi.  Last year, there were lots of beautiful ones (some of which I still haven't posted).  However, practically nothing. other than several polypores - at least, so far.  As I was driving into the parking lot, a female Mule Deer and her still-spotted fawn crossed the road in front of me. Always a joy to see.

Closer to home, I drove into Priddis and called in at Jane's Cafe/Water's Edge Pub to pick up a tub of their chili and a tub of mushroom soup.  Both delicious.

Taken on: August 21, 2020

Tags:

Alberta

Canada

West Bragg Creek

nature

lichen

Cladonia sp.

green

sunlit

forest

outdoor

summer

21 August 2020

Canon

SX60

Canon SX60

annkelliott

Anne Elliott

Sets appears in: • Fungi Foray W of Calgary, 21 August 2020 • Canon SX60 more » • Fungi, Lichen, and Slime Molds 5 • West Bragg Creek « less

Groups appears in: • Lichen • PHOTOGRAPHERS OF CANADA more » • Moss and Lichen • Forest Floor • N A T U R E [no limits] • Cladonias of the World • PBWA - Photography By Wandering About « less

Camera: Canon PowerShot SX60 HS, f/5.6, 1/160 sec, 192.1mm, ISO 200 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	Canon PowerShot SX60 HS
Lens:	3.8-247.0 mm
Aperture:	f/5.6
Exposure Time:	0.006 sec (1/160)
Focal Length:	192.1mm
ISO:	200
Exposure Bias:	0 EV
Flash:	Off, Did not fire
Exposure Mode:	Auto
Metering Mode:	Multi-segment
White Balance:	Auto
Color Space:	sRGB
Software:	Adobe Photoshop Elements 12.0 Windows
Show full info

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