Rozann Grunig went foraging on Friday and she found the first reported Chanterelle of the season. She also found a Queen Bolete and several King Boletes, a nice bounty of edibles.
This morning on our walk, Rick and I found a big Queen Bolete, two Matsutakes peeking through the duff, and several Coccoras. Many other mushrooms are up too. They are loving the rain we just had!
Thanks to Rozann for allowing me to share her photo with you here.
With our delicious early rains, the Gualala River opened on October 26th this year. Yes, the big sandbar that had closed the river off to the Pacific Ocean was finally breached. Eric and Annie Mills watched as it opened. But this year, for a while, it opened in two places, a very unusual occurrence.
First, let me show you what the river looked like just before it opened, as photographed by Bob Rutemoeller. It was full and flooding into its floodplain.
Eric noticed the river breach the sandbar at the north end, just a tiny rivulet.
And then it opened a little to the south, a much bigger opening.
Within a few minutes the pent up river was pouring out to the ocean. Steelhead that had been trapped in luxury in the river were sent into their briny destiny. Snags and branches shot out the opening. It was quite a spectacle.
This year the river opened on a sunny day, another unusual occurrence! It's usually raining when it opens.
Here's the after photo, taken by Bob Rutemoeller.
We've had more rain, so the river isn't this low now.
Thanks to Eric and Bob for allowing me to share their photos with you here.
Rick and I were sitting outside at Trinks restaurant in Gualala yesterday when a friend saw a Bald Eagle in a snag at the north end of the Gualala River. I had my camera in the car and got this photo using my super zoom.
Diane Hichwa said this big eagle is probably in its fourth plumage before it reaches its adult plumage at age four. To see a mature Bald Eagle, here is a photo taken by Eddie Mikus a few years ago.
Bald Eagle sightings are tantalizing us with the possibility that someday soon we might have a nesting pair in the watershed of the Gualala River.
Thanks to Eddie for allowing me to share the mature Bald Eagle photo.
Jan McCormick photographed a Sierran Treefrog, also called a Chorus frog. They are the very small green frogs that can be seen and heard on the Mendonoma coast.
I should say this frog is usually green, as it has the ability to change to brown to match its environment. In this case it took up residence in a redwood-clad hot tub, and Harm Wilkinson photographed it.
The last photo, which was taken by Richard Kuehn, shows you how small these frogs are. Rich photographed this frog in a calla lily.
We've certainly had a lot of rain this month, which will be to the liking of all the frogs that call the coast home.
Thanks to Jan, Harm and Rich for allowing me to share their photos with you here.
Jackie Baas found the first Boletus edulis, King bolete, of the season about two weeks ago. Here's the beauty that popped up in an area she has never found one before.
Since then we've had more rain and now the King boletes are abundant. Irma Brandt found a very fertile area last week.
One of the most delicious edible mushrooms, they are so fun to find. Look for them near Bishop pine trees.
I spotted the first Fly amanitas two days ago, and two Coccoras are peeking up under the duff in our forest. Tiny mushrooms are appearing in masses. Oh, it's so fun to have this early rain and have the mushrooms appear!
Thanks to Jackie and Irma for allowing me to share their photos with you here.