Anne Elliott's photos with the keyword: micology

I found this beautiful mushroom growing in Bragg Creek Provincial Park yesterday, just west of Calgary. A handful of us were there all day, to record all flora and fauna that we found. Or I should say that I keep busy taking photos and trying (in vain) to keep up with my friends. I was thrilled to bits when I noticed this fungus, and I love both the colour and the wonderful texture of the cap. It may have been something like 3" across.

Sometimes, it's easy to almost overlook these amazing fungi, they can be so small. I'm always so glad when a small splash of white near the end of a fallen branch catches my eye. Found these little beauties at Shannon Terrace, Fish Creek Park, on September 11th, during our very brief fungi season.

This was a funny little mushroom growing on a tree stump at Brown-Lowery Provincial Park on September 27th. No idea if the fluted edge of the cap is typical of this species of mushroom, or maybe it was just beginning to dry out? It was close to the end of our fungi season. We are having some comparatively mild weather at the moment, but snow is in the forecast. I'm just not getting out, but it sure feels good not to have icy cold air blowing in through all the gaps in my windows, ha!

Two of the tiniest mushrooms you could imagine, but I thought they were so pretty. The caps must have been less than a quarter of an inch! Tiny mushrooms are one of my favourite kinds of fungi to photograph : ) Found at Brown-Lowery Provincial Park on September 7th. More blurry than I like, but I love the colours. I wanted to thank four of my friends for such an enjoyable, fun lunch yesterday - the yummy Festive Meal at Swiss Chalet! Joan, Suzanne, Margit and Sheila are not birders or botanizing friends - which, I am ashamed to say, has meant that it must be about a year since our last get-together. Tells what good people they are to not forget about me and to put up with my constant absence due to nature walks and day-trips in spring, summer and fall!!! Thank you, ladies, for such a lovely time yesterday. And thank you, Joan, for taking the time to check my Flickr photostream - means a lot to me : )

This was one of the many wonderful species of fungus that we discovered while botanizing the 152-acre property of Rod Handfield, south of Calgary, west of Millarville. Just loved the grooves and the light : )

A friend pointed out this beautiful specimen of Comb Tooth fungus when we were doing a repeat botanizing trip on the Handfield property, west of Millarville, south of Calgary. I had seen this kind of fungus before, but maybe only two or three times, so it was exciting to come across it again.

This very small Puffball was seen on our Pocaterra Cirque hike on 25th July. Puffball sp., Lycoperdon sp. I love the texture of its surface.

Hope I didn't do a 'happy dance" when I saw these on Monday, but I sure felt like doing one, LOL! They were growing in a corner of a fallen log in the forest along the Marston Creek hiking trail, in Kananaskis Country. I'm always delighted when we find a little cluster of shrooms! Most of our hike was either up or down the mountain side (we climbed about 1,200'), but the forested area was a break from open meadows and rocky areas. I tend to take close-ups of fungi, but this time I thought I would include their forest setting. It kinda makes me feel as if I'm actually there still.

Sorry, folks, I have so many fungi photos to eventually upload. These two mushrooms were growing along the Marston Creek trail (southeastern edge of Kananaskis, off Highway 40) three days ago. Today, I was in mushroom heaven again (with five friends), this time northwest of the city, west of Sundre, at the Bentz Lake Natural Area. Left home about 6:45 a.m. this morning and I have just got home around 8:00 p.m. this evening. A full day of walking and exploring forest and bog - in fact, my feet have been soaking wet for maybe nine hours, LOL! However, we saw so many amazing things, everything from a Police Car Moth to tiny Wood Frogs, and from a few new plants including Yellow Pondlily to beautiful, brightly coloured mushrooms and slime molds. I'm tired out (even more so as I got practically no sleep last night) from so much fresh air, exercise and excitement. I'm so glad no one tape records all my oohs and aahs, LOL!

One of the lovely fungi we came across yesterday, when a handful of us botanized the Bentz Lake Natural Area, north of Calgary, west of Sundre. These ones are Oyster mushrooms, growing from an old, rotting log. They almost glow in the dark of the forest.

I was thrilled to bits yesterday when friends called me over to see this beautiful, red mushroom! We don't usually see a sight like this, so it was an extra special surprise when we were exploring and botanizing the forest at the Bentz Lake Natural Area, north of Calgary and west of Sundre. And, yes, in case you are wondering, this really IS its colour : )

A really "cluttered" photo taken in low light, but I was just delighted to finally find some refraction in SOMETHING, LOL! Saw this colourful Polypore growing on a tree in Bragg Creek Provincial Park three days ago. Occasionally, one of these Polypores will have droplets of some kind of liquid around the lower edge and underneath and I'm not sure just what that liquid is, but the droplets look so pretty. Thanks to Gorpie for telling me that the droplets are caused by guttation! Much appreciated!

Sorry ... but I just HAD to post this : ) This small mushroom looked absolutely gorgeous in the forest at Bentz Lake Natural Area (north of Calgary, west of Sundre) last week. The cap just seemed to glow and the colour was amazing.

Silly title, I know, but this gorgeous mushroom almost looks to me like it is waiting to catch the purple blossoms (Wild Bergamot). Seen on the Marston Creek hike (Kananaskis, off Highway 40 at the Ptarmigan Cirque parking lot).

I love seeing puffballs - they are only small, so my photo is many times enlarged. This one was growing on the Marston Creek trail (Kananaskis, off Highway 40 at the Ptarmigan Cirque parking lot area).

Just about did my "happy dance" on a hike at Marston Creek, Kananaskis, when we found this and other quite large Bolete mushrooms just off the hillside trail.

This mushroom was taken on 20th July at the Handfield's acreage, west of Millarville (southwest of Calgary).

This small fungus growing on a tree stump in Bragg Creek Provincial Park a week ago caught my eye because of its attractive blue colour. And, Doug, no spray can involved, LOL!