Author Archives: Jeanne Jackson

•

The recent rains have brought a tremendous bloom of mushrooms, many of them choice edibles. Just look what Subir Sanyal foraged recently. Boletus edulis, Chanterelles, Coccora, Pig's Ears and a big Cauliflower mushroom, plus the first Candy Caps! Wow!

A haul of edible mushrooms by Subir Sanyal

And here is another basket of mixed mushrooms picked by Subir. Not all of these are edibles; some he picked for their color. They sure make a beautiful basket, don't they?

A bounty of wild mushrooms by Subir Sanyal

Many people are still finding large porcini, Boletus edulis. Chanterelles are just beginning. After two  years of nearly zero wild mushrooms, we are having a wonderful explosion of fungi!

Thanks to Subir for allowing me to share his photos with you here.

•

Richard Kuehn often looks at the birds and the sea mammals that occupy Gualala Point Island. He was surprised to see something new among the usual suspects - a juvenile Brown Booby. Craig Tooley came out and took these photos. Doesn't it look like the Cormorants are surprised to see it?

A juvenile Brown Booby takes flight by Craig Tooley Brandt's Cormorants eyeing a Brown Booby by Craig Tooley

These birds are normally found in the tropics, so what it is doing here is a mystery.
Thanks to Rich for the sighting and to Craig for allowing me to share his photos with you here. To see much more of Craig's nature photography, here is his website: www.ruffimage.com

•

We've had early storms, thank goodness, and once they clear, they bring the chance for beautiful sunsets.

October sunset by Peter Cracknell Gualala Sunset 10.25.14 by Richard Hansen A orange sunset in honor of the Giants by Cathleen Crosby

The first was taken by Peter Cracknell, the middle one by Richard Hansen and the last one by Cathleen Crosby. All from different vantage points and all so lovely. I thank them for allowing me to share their photos with you here.

•

There has been a bloom of very large Boletus edulis, Porcini mushrooms. Jinx McCombs came across this huge one near Point Arena.
_I'm afraid we've come too late - a huge, over-the-hill Boletus edulis by Jinx McCombsjpg

Jinx's dog posed next to the big bolete, which Jinx said was over the hill. Jinx and her husband, Paul Nordstrand, did find a nice cache of boletes though.

Paul Nordstrand with his haul of Boletus edulis by Jinx McCombsPaul is cleaning and slicing his find. When I find a large amount like this, I dry them in a dehydrator. It's easy to reconstitute them in a dish of water or red wine.

We did not have a good mushroom season last year due to dry conditions. This year, thank goodness, rains have come early. May they continue! And the rain brings wonderful edible mushrooms for us, and other creatures of the forest, to enjoy.

Thanks to Jinx for allowing me to share her photos with you here.

•

Mark Simkins recently sent in two photos taken in the Manchester area. The first is a Bobcat hunting in front of his house.

A Bobcat hunts by Mark Simkins

The second photo is of a Buck at dawn.
A Buck at dawn by Mark Simkins

We have a lot of beautiful Bucks here right now as this is the time of the rut, their mating season.

Thanks to Mark for allowing me to share his photos with you here.