Ahh, we have reached the woods via the gully! I have not spent much time on this part of the preserve. However it is well worth exploring. In fact, it should be done in different seasons as all places to really know a place.
Jeanne spotted this hanging on by a thread! I believe it is an immature acorn.
As we had our faces plastered up close looking at the tiny acorn, this guy scurried by. Could I get a better look?
It is the Western Leaf-footed Bug (Leptoglossus clypealis)!
An old shelf fungus was blending in. It looked similar to one I had in our woods that I called the Orange Sherbet Shelf Fungus LOL.
Isn’t this cool! I think it looks like a lichen’s perithecium, a type of crustose lichen fruiting body. The burl was about a foot across!
Indeed a big Teloschistes!
This crustose lichen looked swollen! I wanted to collect it , but alas I have not been carrying my rock tools.
A close view!
Adjacent to the first lichen, there were several other interesting lichens on the rock. It looked like the orange lichen may be trying to conquer the squamulose (light green) lichen. In fact, this not uncommon thing to happen.
Another species of crustose lichen. This arrangement is called areolate.
Another rock with multiple lichens which included Physcia (light color one), Teloschistes (orange one on Physcia), and Calopaca (orange on the left) lichens! Plus a few more I’m sure 😉
Next we found this green sunburst lichen!
While we were examining the lichens, this critter slipped in to entertain us!
Finally, the fairy goblets (Cladonia)! These were really small so I need to check to confirm their ID as Pixie cup lichen (Cladonia pyxidata). So I will continue on to the fourth goal tomorrow!
Truly a spectacular sky twenty minutes before sunrise this morning (Jan. 14th).
Pixie cup lichen always my fav. Frozen ice bubbles. What fun. And ice fish? WOW! Great articles.
🙂