Treat of the day - Black Morel

The Morel of the story is ... "good things come to those who wait", LOL! I was ecstatic when friend Karel came across this beautiful Black Morel mushroom during a walk through the forest at Square Butte Ranch. There was just the one to be seen. I very rarely see any kind of Morel fungus, so this find really made my day. On the final list, this mushroom was named as Morchella esculenta (Yellow Morel), but was identified as a Black Morel under a photo taken by a very knowledgeable mushroom person who was there. My thinking is that Black Morel is more accurate. Morels are very popular edible mushrooms and are sought by many mushroom hunters. Warning, though:

"Morels contain small amounts of hydrazine toxins that are removed by thorough cooking; morel mushrooms should never be eaten raw. It has been reported that even cooked morels can sometimes cause mild intoxication symptoms when consumed with alcohol.

When eating this mushroom for the first time it is wise to consume a small amount to minimize any allergic reaction. Morels for consumption must be clean and free of decay." From Wikipedia.

The day started very early for us on 3 June 2016, as a few regulars had been invited to visit the Square Butte Ranch for the very first time, to do a Bio-blitz. We had to be at the meeting place for 7:00 am for a day of exploration SW of Calgary. The sun was shining all day and the temperature was around 24C or 25C.

Our leader creates a highly detailed list of all the plants, birds, insects, fungi, lichen, mosses that were seen during the few hours we were there. Can’t forget to include wildlife seen – one Red Squirrel : ) This list is sent to the person who invited us there as well as to the participants. This was a new place for us to explore, though over the years, we had been to several other acreages not too far away. We strolled over grassy meadows with ponds, and through forest covered in deep, soft mosses. Everywhere was a carpet of Dandelions in bloom and in seed.

A few bird species were seen, including a Belted Kingfisher which landed at the top of a very tall coniferous tree, looking rather out of place so high up.

List of birds seen, compiled by our leader:

Canada Goose-4 ad/10 juv
Mallard-1 f/1 juv
Common Merganser-1 m
Swainson’s Hawk-1
Red-tailed Hawk-1
Killdeer-1
Spotted Sandpiper-1
Great Gray Owl-reported by residents
Belted Kingfisher-1
Pileated Woodpecker, evidenced by extraction of Carpenter Ants
Gray Jay-2
Common Raven-2
Tree Swallow-4
Cliff Swallow-100+
Barn Swallow-6
Boreal Chickadee-1
Red-breasted Nuthatch-2
Ruby-crowned Kinglet-2
Winter Wren-1
Mountain Bluebird-8
American Robin-3
Tennessee Warbler-4
Chipping Sparrow-2
Clay-colored Sparrow-5
Savannah Sparrow-2
Song Sparrow-1
Brown-headed Cowbird-4
American Goldfinch-1 m

“In the 1990’s, developers started transforming 480 acres of rangeland in the Foothills of the Rockies into a recreational ranch property operated as a bare land condominium. Architectural guidelines ensured that all buildings were designed in a rustic, western style featuring log and timber structures with large front porches, wrap around decks and hitching posts. The vision was one of owners being able to enjoy the fun and excitement of a western ranch living without the headaches.”

www.squarebutteranches.com/