Amherst Island

22 February, 2006

It wasn't one of our better days on Amherst Island. We saw one Snowy Owl in the field off Marshall Fortyfoot Road. We saw this Red-tailed Hawk catch and eat a mouse or vole. We also saw a Rough-legged Hawk and an American Kestrel. On the ferry ride home we saw a Glaucous Gull in amongst all of the Herring Gulls and Ring-billed Gulls. There were quite a few Great Black-backed Gulls as well. The Kestrel and Glaucous were lifers for me. We were disappointed not to find any Northern Saw-whets or Boreal Owls and not a single Long-Eared.

Spring-like day at The Point

Yesterday it poured rain. This morning it was plus 5C and partly sunny. All of the snow is gone from the woods and the rocks and trees are covered in fresh green moss. Many fungi that fruit on dead wood are abundant. I found three new species, posted below, and lots of Trametes versicolor (Turkey Tail). One Hairy Woodpecker tried to get my attention but today I am a mycologist and must ignore such distractions.

Polyporus elegans

Lemoine Point, Kingston, Ontario

4 February, 2006

This is a Stalked Polypore. The cap is 3 cm and was quite slimy (it was a very wet day).

Oligoporus fragilis

Lemoine Point, Kingston, Ontario

4 February, 2006

Commonly known as Staining Cheese Polypore this is a member of the Fleshy to Fibrous-tough, Shelf-like Polypore group.

Hymomyces aurantiacus

Lemoine Point, Kingston, Ontario

4 February, 2006

This belongs to the Carbon and Cushion Fungi group.