A Year in the Forest

I realized today that the Honey Mushrooms I noticed at the base of the Beech trees were a different variety: Armillaria gallica.  I suspected this since they were growing in different locations than the other ones.  This particular variety can be very harmfull to trees.  Luckily it is confined mostly to a north facing slope with lots of Beech.

For some reason the woodpeckers were very busy today – I heard at least 5 different ones.  Since I have had Stump Puffballs every night with dinner this week I decided to not get any today – but they are still there in abundance.  The hickory nuts must be optimal right now.  There is one section of my path that goes under a big Shag-Bark hickory that is almost covered with nut shells.  They are on the ground, on logs, on everything.  One fell as I was walking past and I half expected to be mobbed by squirrels.  I can find Black Walnuts on the ground all the time but rarely find anything but empty hickory shells.  Its obvious what the squirrels prefer.