Forest changes, some new locations for an endangered species, and lots of wave action

 This is the time of year when some of the more dramatic changes on the landscape occur. Late October through November is when the longest and strongest winds occur, and in combination with the continuing drop in temperature, the changes in forest vegetation are quite noticeable. As the chlorophyll in the leaves retreats up the stem, the normally less dominant colours of other elements in the leaves become visible. Red, yellow and orange will be more evident, until they turn brown, and then are blown off. 

It is one of my most favourite times of year, even with the shorter day length to contend with. Natural areas are preparing for their winter senescence. Natural areas are less crowded, and one can enjoy the changes.

I've been out to Rondeau and elsewhere a few times over the last several days. Most recently it was on one of the windiest days of the fall to date, and with a predominant east wind. Walking the trails, shuffling through some of the fallen leaves, and listening to the waves roar is inspiring, at least to me. This photo of the east beach was taken this past Thursday.

I had decided to walk some of the inland roads and trail where it wasn't all that windy, but the roar of the waves was in high gear. Birds inland were not plentiful, but included the normal inhabitants: Red-bellied Woodpecker, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Black-capped Chickadee, etc. Perhaps if I had spent some of the time 'scoping the waterfront, I might have come across some of the uncommon species that others saw from nearby shorelines. Maybe next time. 

The following photo was taken on Oct 28, showing a bit of change from the next photo, which was taken not quite three weeks earlier, on Oct 8. In some years, most of the leaves have already turned colour and/or fallen by now, but the warm, damp weather that has been the norm over the past few weeks has delayed that process. I expect much bigger changes in the next week or so.

As a further comparison, this next one was taken on Oct 26, 2015.

  These next two were taken along Harrison Trail, the first one being on Oct 28 while the second one was taken in late September at almost the same vantage point.

This is normally the best time of year to find an endangered species: Red Mulberry. Red Mulberry is mainly limited in its Canadian range to places like southern Essex County (Pelee Island and Point Pelee NP), Rondeau and some parts of the Golden Horseshoe at the east end of Lake Erie. There are very few individuals elsewhere, but a few. 

I hadn't been intentionally looking for them on this day, but always keep an eye open for them when the forest gets to this stage. I hadn't found any new ones in the last couple of years, so I was surprised to find not one, not two, but four and a half new ones! Yes, one was only a half a Red Mulberry in my opinion. While it showed very large leaves with some good drip tips, they were heavily lobed, as the next photo shows. Lobing does occur in Reds, but is more typical of the non-native White Mulberry, and there are quite a few Whites scattered around the park, especially on the east side. The lower leaves, also heavily lobed and much smaller, did not seem to have much in the way of pubescence on either the upper or lower surfaces, a sure sign of hybridization, although some of the pubescence may not be as evident as during the peak of the growing season. Most definitely I will have to take a closer look at this tree next year.

The leaves shown here are more typical of Red Mulberry: very large, almost small dinner plate size, with an occasional lobe but often none. Also they have quite obvious drip tips. It is my understanding that because the leaves of the Red Mulberry have pubescence on the surface, it holds moisture from any precipitation, and therefore can be more susceptible to mould and mildew. The weight of the moisture trapped by this pubescence causes the leaves to droop, and run off on the drip tip, reducing the likelihood of such mould and mildew build-up, and hence a healthier tree.

I also spent a bit of time at Erieau, as one never knows what might show up during the autumn migration. Perhaps the Harlequin Duck, scoters or Black-legged Kittiwake would make Erieau a rest stop. All of those have been here before. I didn't see any of those on this visit, but did encounter a small number of lingering Sanderling.

A Lesser Black-backed Gull, not a common, but regular species and probably about a third-cycle bird, was resting on the pier with the more abundant gull species.

On the windiest day of my periodic visits to Erieau, I purposely went in order to capture some photos of the waves crashing over the pier. It was well worth the effort, but took care trying to shield my camera from the spray of water and sand.

Some of the wave sprays must have gotten as high as 10 metres or more above the pier. It was not a time to be venturing out on the pier! Some had done this many years ago, and came to a tragic end.

 It isn't quite as dramatic as what Lake Superior must have been like when the Great Lakes freighter Edmund Fitzgerald went down to the bottom with all hands lost, but even this is certainly a demonstration of the power of moving water, and how it can shape the shoreline. Rondeau, as a sandspit peninsula, is all about such wind, wave and water currents that formed it over many centuries.

 In some of my other travels of late, I came across a couple of new locations for Pawpaw. It is officially a Very Uncommon species in Ontario and Canada, although for some reason, Chatham-Kent has a significant segment of the overall population. These two clusters were fairly close together in the vicinity of Clear Creek Forest Provincial Park.

I also came across this rather large individual of Black Gum, another officially Very Uncommon species in Ontario and Canada. This is the only naturally occurring one that I know of in Chatham-Kent and is located a bit southeast of Thamesville. Using a clinometer, I measured it to be about 25 metres high. I didn't try and measure the diameter at breast height with my diameter tape, as the trunk was covered with many poison ivy vines, but I estimated it to be almost a metre in diameter. I had checked on this tree a couple of weeks ago, and although there was some nice deep red colour in the leaves, the sky was very bland, so I waited for a sunnier, brighter day. Alas, many of the leaves by this time had fallen off.

Enjoy the autumn colours while they last!

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More fungi and bird migration highlights

 There have been some recent good winds from time to time, resulting in lots of raptor migration activity. Sometimes even close to home! On more than one occasion, Marie has drawn my attention to Turkey Vultures spiraling in good numbers visible from the front patio. 

These Turkey Vultures were circling over Paxton's Bush, which is less than a kilometre away from our house. I suspect they roosted there over night, as this was around 9 in the morning when the temperatures were getting to the level where there was some 'lift' for the birds to use. Occasionally there were hawks mixed in, usually Red-tailed, although on one occasion a few weeks ago Broad-winged Hawks were the main raptor.

Blue Jays have been showing some daily movement, and sometimes almost right overhead. I captured this photo of one flying over the driveway.

On another occasion we went out to Morpeth Cliffs, just a few kilometres east of Rondeau, which has been known as a good vantage point to observe migrating raptors when the wind is correct. Back in the day when I was working at Rondeau, I spent a few lunch hours over the course of each autumn, with my eyes to the skies looking for raptors. It is still a good spot, although doesn't get quite the same notoriety as places along the Lake Erie shoreline farther to the southwest, where any raptor movement is bound to be more concentrated as the birds search for a location where there is the least amount of water to pass over.

As usual these days, Turkey Vultures....not really a raptor in the true sense, but have similar migration habits....are the most abundant migrant.

Some pass by quite low. This photo is not really cropped; I just couldn't get the whole bird in it was so low.

Red-tailed Hawks, shown next, were regular in small numbers, and an occasional Red-shouldered Hawk, Northern Harrier, Sharp-shinned Hawk and American Kestrel, were also seen, but were not close enough for a good photo.

I had 5 Bald Eagles go by, with the occasional one close enough for a photo, albeit a cropped one. I also had a Golden Eagle pass by, but too far away for a photo.

sub-adult Bald Eagle

Another migrant species, although not an avian one, was this Monarch, sipping away at some late-flowering dandelion flowers right close by.

While at Rondeau visiting some friends, there were a few kettles of vultures noted, as well as a few small birds hunting for something near a patch of tallgrass prairie. There were at least a couple of Eastern Bluebirds, although only one stuck around long enough for a photo. As it was in a tree, there were more shadows than clear views. It was the first one of the fall for me.

I stopped at Erieau on one occasion, hoping to catch up to the Purple Sandpiper on the pier that had been reported somewhat irregularly. No success with the Purple, but I did have 38 quite cooperative Sanderlings flying by, or landing on the pier quite close by. At one point they let me walk within two metres, too close to photograph with the lens I was using. I often find Sanderling to be fairly tolerant of humans, so I wasn't overly surprised.

Later that day, I went to Keith McLean Conservation Lands, in hopes that the ibis sp. that was there earlier in the day was still around. It may have been, but I didn't see it, nor did the other birders that were there more or less at the same time. But I did have some success with other birds.

A young Long-tailed Duck was in the largest pond. It isn't the typical place, or time, one would expect to see this species here. They are much more likely a bit later in the season, and on the open water of Lake Erie.

Great Blue Herons are still regular, and likely will be until freeze-up.

I checked some productive weedy patches for sparrows, and saw lots. There were several Savannah Sparrows, shown next....

.....as well as a few Swamp Sparrows, below. It was nice for them to sit up long enough for a few decent photos. Song Sparrows were also around, but less cooperative for the camera.

There were at least a couple of Nelson's Sparrows, and this one sat out in the more or less open, which isn't always the case. KMCL has become a reliable spot for autumn migrating Nelson's Sparrows over the last few years. It wasn't that long ago that the species was really hard to find any time of the year, but with the availability of the KMCL, it has become relatively easy to find. Perhaps they were there before, when Keith McLean owned and farmed the area, but the property was not accessible. Thanks, Keith!

Marie and I have been to Rondeau at least a couple of times for various things, and we always spend a bit of time looking for fungi. 

Marie taking a break from fungi hunting

With Marie's eyes being sharper than mine, I call her my fun-girl :-). The fungi were a little less noticeable the last time or two, compared to the warm damp conditions of earlier in the month, but there are always a few. The first two are probably a member of the Gymnopilus genus.

This next one is actually part of the same Gymnopilus cluster, but clearly has been attacked by another fungus. It is a hard life out there, even for fungi!

Honey Mushroom type

Waxy Scarlet Cap type

Another of the Honey Mushroom type

This next one may be Mycena haematopus.

This next one is a type of Geastrum, a.k.a. Earthstar.

 

 And slugs gotta eat too! Not sure what kind of fungus this little slug is chowing down on.

This past Wednesday, the weather looked reasonably promising for some late season black lighting, so off I went to Rondeau. I figured the light southerly winds off the warmer water would keep the temperatures from falling to the point where moth action ceased. I had forgotten that on this day, it was full moon, and after I got my equipment set up, I looked over and saw the moon emerging over the lake. I took a bit of time to enjoy that spectacle, although a little cloud spoiled my first photo attempts as it was climbing the sky. I had to wait until it got a bit higher and fully visible, so it isn't quite as large and orange as it started off as.

I hadn't seen this full moon rise over the lake for quite a few years. It was a regular thing back in the day when for five and a half years, Marie and I lived in the park, with our home looking over the lake. We enjoyed the sunrise and moon rise on a frequent basis! That was 'many moons' ago, and this event brought back lots of good memories of those days. And my best friend Marie and I recently celebrated our 45th wedding anniversary!

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Fall Forays for Fungi Fotography...fun and fascinating!

 Fall is a great time to find fungi, especially when it has been warm and wet like it was over the last few weeks. I have been out at various wooded areas specifically to find and photograph fungi, with a fair bit of success. I also wanted to put my newest Canon camera, the R6 mirrorless body, to work using its impressive sensor along with the tilt viewing screen which enabled me to get ground level photographs without having to lie on the ground to see through the view finder.

A type of Honey Mushroom

Back in my university days, I elected to take a course on fungi, a.k.a. mycology, which I thought would help round out my education a bit more and be useful in the early stages of my interpretive naturalist career. My professor was none other than Dr. George Barron who, unbeknownst to me at the time, was a very distinguished mycologist who received various national and international awards for his research and contributions to mycology. After he retired, he wrote an exceptional book entitled Mushrooms of Ontario and Eastern Canada, published by Lone Pine Press. It is useful for all of the provinces and states that touch on the Great Lakes and downstream.

 Another useful source of information is this link.

Identification to the species level is not easy. Some may be identified by their macro characters, such as the morels, but many are only identified for certain through an analysis of their spore prints or through dissection. Therefore many of the ones I feature on this post are not identified to species, and some of those that are, are my best guess based on the reference sources I have, or via iNaturalist. Even iNaturalist will only give a general indication of what species it is, since identification based on a single photo is not nearly the same as spore prints and/or dissection, especially since the above ground parts of the fungi are quite short-lived and change considerably. Some may only be visible in good condition for a few hours or days, and disappear once their purpose of dispersing spores has been completed.

Fungi aren't everyone's favourite elements of nature, I get that. But the world would be a much different place if it weren't for the million and a half or so species of fungi that are known across the world. They are at work underground, on leaves, as well as in dead or living wood. Some are the wood-decaying fungi, such as those bracket fungi you see growing on dead or living trees.

There are others that grow from the ground, and are key to providing moisture, nourishment and protection to the tree roots in exchange for some sugars they get from the tree's photosynthetic activity. In fact a mature living tree will have hundreds of thousands of kilometres of hyphae, or mycorrhizae, wrapped around the roots. Those fungal threads in reality make up the bulk of each individual fungus. That is why fungi are critical to a healthy forest, and even when plantations are attempted in agricultural lands, do not do well since the mycorrhizae in the soil have been destroyed through repeated disturbance from tilling and chemical application. The part of the fungus we see above ground is only the fruiting body of the fungus whose sole purpose is to disperse thousands of tiny spores from the gills or pores, to continue the process.

They can be valuable as a source of food for creatures of the forest, including rodents, but also for invertebrates such as this slug, which may in turn be a source of food for something else. Of course we know that some fungi are sought out to be eaten by humans as well, even though many are not edible. 

With that, I will feature some of my most favourite photos that I have taken over the past week or so. All were taken at either Rondeau or Clear Creek Forest provincial parks, or at the municipally-owned McKerrall Woods.

Some are quite distinctive, such as this Bear Head's Tooth, shown first....

....and the Crown Choral fungus, next.

This next one is the White Jelly Fungus.

Sometimes one encounters just a glob, which is probably the Abortive Entoloma. It is a fungus which is parasitic on other fungi, typically on one of the Honey Mushrooms (Armillaria spp.)

Bracket fungi are fairly common. Some have gills such as the first couple show.

Common Fibre Vase

Some are quite colourful, especially members of the Ganoderma genus, which often show a shiny lacquered surface.

One of the more common bracket fungus types is the Turkey Tail, which has quite a variety of patterns.

Others have tubes instead of gills, such as these, from which the spores are released.

Occasionally you may find a fungus with another other fungus growing on it, as these next two photos show, with the second photo showing a close-up of a fungus growing on the other. I have seen this occurrence on occasion, but haven't got many photos to show.

Some are quite colourful. One of my favourites to find and photograph is this next one, the Orange Mycena.

Another colourful one, but more subdued is this Cinnabar Chanterelle.

Scarlet Waxy Cup

There are numerous small, less colourful ones, which are attractive in their own way. The first two are probably members of the Honey Mushroom group, sometimes called Bonnets.

One you may find on lawns is the Fairy Ring Mushroom. This was in the picnic area of Rondeau, and it commonly occurs in a ring, appearing fairly quickly overnight, hence the reference to a fairy visiting and creating this arrangement.

This is a close-up of one of the mushrooms in the fairy ring.

This next one is possibly called Angel's Wings.

And some are very small, spreading across the cut surface of a log.

There are quite a few in the slime mould group. The one below is a type of Stemonitis, also known as a Chocolate Tube Slime. It has numerous feathery strands that disperse powdery spores with the slightest breeze.

A fungus that may be better known to some readers is the Giant Puffball. When it is fresh and edible it is almost pure white, with an interior that is solid white. But it doesn't remain in that condition for long, as its prime purpose is to disperse spores, so it quickly deteriorates by turning a yellowish brown, and as the outer layer is damaged or falls apart, releases thousands and thousands of spores.

Much smaller puffball types are this Pear-shaped Puffball.

Some mushrooms are deadly poisonous. Some of the most deadly are the Amanita group, which may have a colourful scaly cap. I don't have any recent photos of them, but I did come across this Golden Pholiota on one of my outings, which has a scaly cap as well. It apparently is edible.

The world of fungi is definitely fun to explore, and there are so many great photo ops!

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