We had a big day of mowing and cutting back several overgrown areas along the southern set back line. We used our new roads through the forest we’d cut a few weeks ago to drive the tractor over to the southern border. It was a success. Our old Husqvarna tractor is a workhorse.
Viola hirsutula, Southern wood violet found along the south wet weather gully. Viburnum prunifolium, Blackhaw, found in the wet weather gully on the south side. Genus Galium, bedstraws. Terrapene carolina carolina, Eastern box turtle. South side near mayapple colony. Carya ovata, shagbark hickory. South end of SAFF. Our first red Russula of the year. We saw many of these last year. There are over 500 species. This was found on the north side of the clearing up top.
We found a few other plants and are looking into identifying them.
We were happy to cut down a few more black cherry trees which had black knot fungus and bag worms. We are slowly taking diseased trees from the farm and burning them.
It was dry out today with rain expected tomorrow and Friday. We hope after a rain with warmer weather into the 70s, the morels may finally pop up. We are on the lookout and can’t wait to get back out there.
Salvia lyrata, lyreleaf sage. Found along the road while mowing. There was a patch of it.
We have a house guest later today but with the wet weather this week, we could not resist a quick run out to Buckingham for a foray. The cool moist April weather all week long seemed to offer another chance for morels.
As we neared the Farm a large male Bald Eagle suddenly commanded our attention by swooping down from a tree to seize a hapless rabbit in a stubbly corn field. He seemed to stare right at us as we drove by, in awe, waiting until we passed to begin his feast.
Once in the gate at the Farm we wasted no time getting to the forage. We walked Fern trail, past the row of blooming redbud trees, and then stayed to the south side of the Ridge, spying the Mayapples near the setback line. We looked closely, but no luck there.
We continued down the hill to the oaks and main waterway. We cross and explored the mayapple communities adjacent to the pawpaw grove. Many old and young oaks, poplar, beech, hickory, pawpaw, maple, as well as year-round vernal pools. But no morels yet. It is cold, mostly overcast and windy, the oak leaves are crunchy underfoot.
On the drive to SAFF and back, we note a marked difference in the relative development of “spring” in Augusta, Albemarle, Nelson and Buckingham counties. It seems notably cooler once we cross the James River. The trees in Buckingham have been slower to develop their leaves and buds. The spring vegetation at SAFF is not as far along, not as green or flowery yet. The trees know it’s too soon, they are holding back, just a bit longer. This will be something to remember for the future, an entry in our almanac.
Shiny golden mushrooms found along Ridge Trail. Nolanea, or pinkgills.
We thought today would be the day. The ground temperature was perfect ranging from 50 to 55 at various depths. We got a call from a friend who lives by a lake in Arrington Virginia—the next county over—and he’d found buckets of morels. It had been raining for days with a giant storm moving through. We went over to see if we could find any. The water was too high to cross at the bottom of the slope. We didn’t find morels but we had a great walk. The water was really moving through. We’d never seen it so wet. We will go out Friday morning to check again. These were our finds today.
Tricholomopsis rutilans, or common name Plums and Custard, or Red-haired Agaric. Found along south trail. Pluteus cervinus, in clearing near loblolly pines. Coprinellus found up top in the clearing in multiple places. Polystichum acrostichoides, Christmas fern
Class Agaricomycetes growing on black cherry. The underside of theAgaricomycetes shows teeth instead of pores or gills.
Of course we went over to continue to search for morels. It was a beautiful day and the farm was burgeoning with spring. We saw multiple colonies with thousands of mayapples emerging. Only a couple of the largest ones have flattened which is a great indicator of timing for morels to begin coming up. We found these new colonies of mayapples emerging in the pawpaw grove where we also found Virginia bluebells popping up. We noticed that the blueberry bushes are starting to leaf out.
Virginia bluebells not yet flowering but almost. One colony of mayapples which has plenty of sun so we hope to see some fruit. We hear the taste is similar to pineapple and starburst candy. Yum! Leucobryum moss found at the bottom of the slope.Eastern fence lizard found up top in the clearing. Genus Houstonia, flowering bluets, a native wildflower found covering the farm especially in clearings.
We got plenty of rain yesterday and can’t wait to go back out to search for the elusive morels.
Yesterday was a rainy spring day with temperatures in the 50s at Saint Andrew’s Forest Farm. We went over to walk around the woods and look for early morels since the soil temperature has been in the 50s for a week. We saw vernal pools up top and at the bottom of the slope. The springs and waterfalls were all flowing. We found hygrocybes, commonly called waxycaps. They have bright red caps and yellow gills. We also found oyster mushrooms growing up top in the clearing on a stump.
Blackening wax cap or witches hat. Oyster mushrooms
We also found several clusters of mayapples. We were delighted to see these as they are associated with morels as they grow together in the same wet, well draining soil.
Mayapples emerging along south slope.
The water levels were up with even more rain expected today. We can’t wait to get back out.
We’ve been going over most days this week as the soil temperature has been above 50 degrees Fahrenheit which is when morels begin to pop up. We have not found them yet but are delighted to continue our search. We’ve been looking especially near tulip poplars, oaks and beech —and near the waterways.
Ink caps, usually one of the first mushrooms to appear in early spring. Wet weather gully along the southern side of SAFF during a rainy day.
We’ve also been going over often to be sure our neighbor at our southern border isn’t hunting on our property. He built a stand and a bridge and also cut down 30-50 trees all on our side. He’s confused about the unambiguous property line that runs right along the electricity line. We are planning a fence and have sent him letters. We will engage with the sheriff’s office next. Yesterday, we found deer bones on that side and we mourned for these creatures and wish he would contain himself to his land at the least.
Water was collecting everywhere up top and along the slopes.
Bryoandersonia illecebra, Millipede hiding out among the Stereum complicatum or common named crowded parchment.
Today we startled a rabbit as we walked through the woods in the misty rain. Somehow we caught him by surprise, crunching up the hillside behind the shed. He startled and panicked, ran 50 feet away, then stopped, stretched his legs and shook it off.
There were a few puddles of water collecting in depressions up top in the clearing.
I just heard on NPR that as of today, there’s no county in Virginia in a drought. This is as a result of the wet month we’ve had. Auricularia auricula-judae (Bull.) Wettst. – Jelly Ear Fungus.
Mainly seen in winter and spring. It grows on dead elder trees and on fallen branches, but occasionally you may also find it growing on other kinds of hardwood. Jelly Ear is sometimes used in cookery, where it provides an interesting texture but is nothing special in terms of flavour. Young fresh fruitbodies (above) are generally considered the best. We have not tried it although we hear it’s good in soups and adds nutrients.
We’re excited to report we’ve almost finished insulating the shed. We cut down a few more black knot infected black cherry trees and some other standing dead trees. We have so much work to do in the forest. The ground was wet and squishy in areas especially down at the bottom of the slope and around the waterway. We found a few more downy rattlesnake orchids. The leaves on the beech trees are showing buds. We went across to look at the waterfalls in the wet weather.
We pulled out vines, found mosses, worts and lichen in abundance. Even in the wintry weather, we found the jelly wood ear and crowded parchment fruiting bodies.
Waterway at bottom of slope where we saw tiny minnows swimming today. Eyelash lichen with hairs growing from it down by the waterway. Oyster mushrooms sporing on a tulip poplar stump. Running cedar in the paw paw grove. Another downy rattlesnake orchid spotted right off of the main clearing up top.
We went over today and we are almost finished insulating the shed. We also chopped up several trees we had felled a few weeks ago and brought them home to burn. One was a black cherry with black knot fungus and the other was a standing dead tree. We walked down North Trail and around the bottom. We crossed over the waterway to explore some in the paw paw grove and up the Ridge Trail. It was a gorgeous day. We were very pleased to find the tiny minnows in the waterway.
Stereum ostrea, false turkey tail, at the top of North Trail.
It was drizzling rain and the high temperature was in the 50s. We saw many plants on the forest floor greening up. As we walked through the woods, we pulled out vines or cut them to kill them and stop them from strangling the trees. We took down some standing dead trees as well. We walked down from the top by the driveway and wound around the southern wet weather gully to the waterway at the bottom of the slope. We followed the waterway around to the wet weather gullies on the north central slope. It was lovely out. We also found a cluster of oyster mushrooms.
Pleurotus ostreatus, oyster mushrooms growing from a buried stump.
We were able to get most of the insulation in the shed completed.
A fern mossDeer lichen in the sunshine and New York scalewort on the log in the shadow. A small fern found along the north side of Saint Andrew’s Forest Farm. They were abundant throughout the forest and along the wet weather gullies.
We took a quick trip over and found more mosses, lichen and worts. No mushrooms today. It’s just too cold. We trailbrazed some through the dense trees. We cut back vines. We repositioned the trail cam to catch images of the red fox family. We also dreamed about building log cabins, more trails and meditation spots in the forest. We stayed in the north central area and passed by the culvert with the shoe lasts.
We strengthened the internal structure of the shed some more by adding hurricane clips and other strong ties. Next time, we will insulate and put up interior walls.
The tiny black cup fungi, Urnula craterium, hiding among the pine needles and lichen caught our eye when we looked twice!
Saint Andrew’s Forest Farm 