R: Mushroom Nirvana.
Today I ventured out to find a new Slime Mold Trail that I learned about in GGPark. A Fungi Nerd that was part of my surprisingly popular Fungi Walk in the Presidio program yesterday (!!) told me about it. I didn’t find it, but I found so much MORE.
I was accompanied by Ren, who was into seeing what the West side of the park was up to, as well.
Despite not finding said trail, we managed to see numerous treats in the Disc Golf Course area we were in. Like Brittlestems (?) and Turkey-tail or Hairy Curtain Crust, INCREDIBLE designs by a Beetle (TBD!), and a fertile patch of Red-cage Fungus. With the sun shining on pretty old specimens, I was finally able to SMELL their aroma!
On our way to the next spot, Ren spotted a Monarch fluttering along 30th Avenue. It kindly stopped to pose for us, aw. Have I never seen a Monarch in GGPark before?
We ventured into the Chain of Lakes Portal, where False Chanterelles and Chip Cherries and maybe Red Edge Brittlestems and Scurfy Twiglets were RIDICULOUSLY EVERYWHERE. And maybe Milking Bonnets and maybe Cyclone Psilocybe (??) were also in the area. A couple crying Red-shouldered Hawks also kept us company out there.
All was quiet at the Chain of Lakes Garden. Though, there were a few treasures, like maybe Bicolored Bracket and maybe Gilled Polypore and definitely Red-flowering Currant and likely Black Witches’ Butter and possibly Yellow Fieldcap. A Woodpecker-sounding bird was nearby, too.
Over at North Lake, the West side of the trail was closed off. Which sucked. And it was relatively quiet on the East side. With a Ring-necked Duck and a Lesser Scaup being the notable birds at Mallard Beach. Both were female. And I imagined they were best friends, having adventures together.
Upon leaving the area, I spotted what looked like an Amanita mushroom coming up from the base of a Coast Live Oak! Kinda looked like a Panthercap? SO EXCITING. I don’t think I’ve seen one with a Coast Live Oak before?? It was too small to pull, so I left it. But I’m tempted to visit again tomorrow and see if it might be ready… Hm! Definitely need to look up what Amanitas have associations with those Oaks.
After delightfully finding two Black-crowned Night-Herons hiding in the Northwest corner (as usual), I spotted GINORMOUS Agaricus-looking mushrooms as big as TOADSTOOLS. Nutso.
After a pause to inhale some divine Cherry Laurel and take photos of a tiny Lichen (possibly Hooded Rosette Lichen?) on a tree trunk log, we were done. It was time to head out and part ways. But the sheer amount of FUNGI that we came upon today made me forget we were hoping to find anything else!
