Actually Charline, I didn't find many examples of fungus at all ... almost nothing to be seen where I had hoped to find something interesting and in abundance. That is worrisome. During previous years my autumn exploration in this area of Duffin's Creek had unearthed all sorts of species of fungal fruiting bodies. The only spot that I did not check on this trip was disappointingly inaccessible because the trail leading to it was abruptly eradicated due to erosion and I wasn't about to forge a new path through the adjacent thicket, not having packed my machete and goalie mask.
I didn't expect to see any birds in the woods next to the creek but that's where I spotted the lone Winter wren. The other birds were seen after I had entered a clearing, partly due to a hydro corridor, and that was as expected because birds tend to feed at transition zones. The three flicker that I saw were feeding right on the trail and then were startled when I emerged from between two trees. I guess that it made for an awkward moment ... trail mix. I was surprised not to have seen any other woodpeckers. It used to be a good location to see Pileated woodpeckers.
I think that Boleus mushrooms are edible but I've been out of the loop so long that I've forgotten my ID skills. These mushrooms seem to have a slight semblance of a veil on their stem so maybe they are not edible. Clustered mushroom are generally safe, I think, and the most toxic are loners. But, what do I know? I live in a fantasy world where RC kinglets are purple because I have virtual UV vision.
