Certain mushrooms seem to appear at the same time each year, and yellow fly agarics (Amanita muscaria var, guessowii) are right on schedule. This one was about as big as my index finger, but was strong enough to push up through a mat of wet leaves.
I’ve never seen as many Indian pipes (Monotropa uniflora) as I have this year. Not only have their numbers increased but they appeared earlier than usual. Since they don’t make their own food and live as parasites, stealing nutrients from the mycelia of certain fungi, they don’t need chlorophyll. The lack of chlorophyll leads to another common name: ghost plant.
If you’re a gardener a fungal disease like leaf spot is the last thing you want to see in the garden but if you can get past the feelings of disappointment and frustration and see it for what it is, it can be quite pretty. Many fungal infections of plants are caused by high humidity, poor air circulation, and / or lack of direct sunlight. Increasing air circulation and the amount of sunlight reaching the plant by cutting back surrounding growth or moving the plant will often solve the problem.
I visited a web site that said the seed pod of a starflower (Trientalis borealis) was 6 to 8 millimeters in diameter, but I think they forgot a decimal point. .6 to .8 millimeters (.024-.031 in) would be more like it, and even that is stretching it. If the seed pods are that small, just think how small the seeds must be. Seeds of starflowers don’t germinate until the fall of their second year, which gives birds and insects plenty of time to move them around.
The dark eye mask makes this wood frog easy to identify. Wood frogs are the only frogs to live north of the Arctic Circle and they manage that by being able to freeze in winter. They produce a kind of antifreeze that prevents their cells from freezing. When it gets cold they just crawl under the leaf litter. Their heart stops beating and they stop breathing until the weather warms again in spring, when they mate and lay their eggs in vernal pools. This one was 2-3 inches long, which is big compared to a thumbnail sized spring peeper.
This caterpillar was just hanging around one day on a silken thread so fine that I couldn’t even see it. Much to my surprise the camera couldn’t either, so it looks like he is defying gravity. I think he’s an inchworm. I wonder what they get out of doing this.
I saw a flash of blue out of the corner of my eye and turned to find that this large, blue-black wasp (Ichneumon centrator) had landed next to me. He didn’t stay long though, and only gave me time for a couple of shots. This wasp is about 3/4 of an inch long and adult females hibernate under the loose bark of fallen trees in winter. This one pictured is an adult male. Thanks to the good folks at Bugguide.net for the help with identification.
Over the years I’ve noticed that the first mushrooms to appear are mostly white or brown, then come the red, yellow, and orange ones and after them the purples. Right now we’re in our red, yellow, orange phase. I think these might be one of the wax cap mushrooms, possibly the butter wax cap (Hygrocybe ceracea).
These small pinwheel mushrooms, (Marasmius rotula) none bigger than a pea, grew on a piece of tree bark. These mushrooms are fairly easy to see after a rain but when they dry out the whitish cap shrivels down to a dot at the end of a hair-like stalk and they become almost invisible-at least to my eyes.
I thought that this black and white spider on a hazelnut leaf had the longest legs of any spider that I’ve seen, and a tiny body that seemed out of proportion to its legs. Thanks to the folks at Buggide.net I learned that this is not a spider but a harvestman (Opiliones). The difference is that spiders have a two part body and harvestmen have a one part body. And this is indeed a daddy longlegs. What I thought were daddy longlegs all these years are actually spiders called cellar spiders (Pholcus phalangioides). Who knew?
As I’ve said before on this blog, fall starts on the forest floor and, even though none of us want to hear it, this false Solomon’s seal (Maianthemum racemosum) is a perfect example of how it begins.
Other signs that fall is on the way include the turning leaves on wild sarsaparilla plants (Aralia nudicaulis). Almost as soon as its berries ripen the leaves start to change to yellow, the deep rosy brown seen here, or a mixture of both colors.
Another sign of fall is of course, ripening berries. These are the unusual twin berries of American fly honeysuckle (Lonicera canadensis).
With all this talk of fall you might think that this is a dusting of snow in the woods but no, it’s just a drift of reindeer lichens (Cladonia arbuscula). I’m hoping that they don’t get covered by a snow blanket for a good long time.
Wildness reminds us what it means to be human, what we are connected to rather than what we are separate from. ~Terry Tempest Williams
Thanks for coming by.
What a lot of great mushrooms you found and I loved the little inch worm. You’d think he’d make a great meal for a bird hanging like that but maybe they don’t notice him because he’s not where they’re expecting him to be.
Another commenter thought they did that to get away from birds, but I don’t know for sure.
I always learn something from reading your blog but I’ve never thought of Daddy Long Legs as spiders – I suppose because they don’t seem to have webs. Amelia
Thank you Amelia. Insects and spiders can be very confusing for me at times.
Some nice mushroom photos! Especially the pinwheels. I have come across several inchworms just hanging there. I never seem to get a decent photo though.
Thanks! That inchworm wasn’t easy to get a good shot of either. I just happened to get lucky after a dozen tries.
I meant to add to my comment that the caterpillars can save themselves this way if blown or knocked off their twig by the wind etc.
Some really beautiful photos. I have been noticing signs that the autumn isn’t far off too. I love the colour of the yellow fly agaric. One of the moth caterpillars in this country also dangles from a tree on a thread, the Oak Tortrix moth. If it is disturbed by a predator or a wood ant for example it will let itself down on a thread until the danger is past and then climb up again. Perhaps your inch worm/caterpillar does the same thing?
Thank you Clare. That reason for a caterpillar “hanging around” makes perfect sense and is something I’ve never thought of, so thank you for that, too.
I am constantly amazed at all of the variety of life forms out there and enjoy seeing what you have found.
Thanks Montucky. I am also amazed by what is out there. It seems as if you could never see it all.
I too liked the pinwheel picture a lot among your usual selection of interesting life in the woods. Just keep thoughts of fall as far away as possible please.
Thank you. I’m always happy to see those little mushrooms.
I’m not going to be the one to rush fall along, believe me. It seems like it was just last week I was taking photos of spring beauties.
After all the time that I’ve been following your blog, you are still finding new things that I have never seen or even heard of before! That goes double for the information you’re providing, it’s an amazing body of work that you’re assembling here piece by piece!
My favorite photo is the wood frog though, I missed one a few weeks ago, and I’m still kicking myself about that.
Thanks Jerry! I think you could probably walk in these woods for a lifetime and still find new things. I just saw an orchid today that I’ve never seen before.
I never would have seen that wood frog unless he had jumped. He landed and froze, so I had time for a shot or two.
Such an interesting outing. I’ve only seen Indian pipe once. The word “fall” sure isn’t in our vocabulary yet.
Thanks! I wonder if your lack of Indian pipes are because of your alkaline soil. You can’t walk through the woods without stepping on them here.
I’m in no hurry to see fall arrive, but I report what I see.
How hot do your summers get. We’ve had a cool summer, for a change. Our temperatures now is only 89 with high humidity, that puts heat index at 102. Ugh.
We can get into the high nineties and it might last for two or three weeks, but it usually doesn’t hang around long. We’ve had high humidity off and on for a few weeks now, and I won’t be sorry to see it go.
Lots of interesting critters. I like the color scheme of that wasp with the yellow antennae.
I like that one too. Blue and yellow has always been a favorite combination of mine.
Reblogged this on Dawn of Divine Rays and commented:
Yes, I can feel the energy of Autumn on the way here in PA. How time flies .. Namaste
Thank you Agnes, and thank you for the re-blog. Yes, if only winter went by as fast as summer does.
More wonders. I have added you to “Varying Vistas”.
I’m not sure what that is Ben, but thank you for doing so.
See towards the bottom of my front page. 🙂
Now I get it. Thanks!
No problem. 🙂
I always enjoy when you blog Things I’ve Seen, your pictures are incredible. your pinwheel mushrooms pictures is great, I bet you could win some contest with that one. Love the wood frog! The wood frog is one of the most fascinating frogs! Have a great weekend! 🙂
Thanks Michael. A lot of people seem to like these posts, but they are the hardest of all to do so that’s why they only come up every now and then. Thanks for the vote of confidence-those little pinwheel mushrooms are photogenic! I like the black mask that the wood frogs wear. It makes them easy to identify. I hope you see some sunshine this weekend!
Amen to no snow blanket for a good long time. 🙂
I hate to even say the word, but I hope our winter is a lot milder than the last!
Reblogged this on Writing Out Loud and commented:
It just keeps getting better.
I’ve never been able to get a decent picture of a daddy longlegs. There is a myth that they are highly venomous but humans are safe because their fangs aren’t long enough to break our skin. I’ll bet the myth was started by someone deathly afraid of spiders. Great images. I love the drift of reindeer lichen.
Thanks Laura. I’ve never heard that about daddy longlegs. Interesting. I was surprised to find out that I was wrong about both them and cellar spiders for all these years!
Interesting as always, I loved the frog.
Thank you Susan. Those black eye patches make him look like a little bandit.
Another wonderful walk …I’ve learnt so much…and again fabulous pictures 🙂
Thank you Sue. I’m glad that you enjoyed it!