Let's Have Some Fun, Gus!

Day 29: Any time I'm out, I'm watching for the unusual. It's not a conscious process, but rather a subconscious one: registering the out-of-place against a backdrop of the commonplace, finding the needle in the haystack not by hunting for the needle but by giving hay second billing. This talent (and I admit it is a talent, although not one I worked to learn) has served me well over the years, allowing me to find new species for the Park, for my immediate area, for the county. When something catches my eye, it's nearly always accompanied by verbalization: "That's weird!" or "What the hell is that?" Such was the case while I was walking through the deciduous litter of my favourite Cowlitz Wildlife Area. A white crust fungus stopped me in my tracks. Closer investigation showed that it was growing from inside drill holes in a decaying alder. I don't know if they were made by a bird or insects, but I rather suspect the former. A cleft in the trunk also showed a substantial deposit of the growth. I photographed it, fully expecting to be able to at least place it in the proper genus when I got home. When that failed to produce the desired result, I sent the image off to David at the Burke Herbarium with the heading "Mystery Fungus." David knows me well enough to understand that means I've found something notable. In turn, he referred the image out to two mycologists, and sent me their replies with the addition that if indeed it was what they suggested, it would be the first record of it in the state. State! David wanted to know if I could get a specimen. I returned an apology: "I'm down flat with a reaction from my COVID booster," I said, "and we've got nasty weather coming in tomorrow." I'm sure my readers know what's coming next. Scientist that I am, with the possibility of adding a new species to the state list under my name, I lasted all of an hour before heading out the door. These two specimens are currently in my food dehydrator in preparation for submitting them to David. He will then refer them to a tame mycologist for microscopic analysis and chemical testing to determine if the species is indeed what we believe it to be. That was fun, Gus!