Sometimes wildlife is more than birds, mammals, insects, and wildflowers. When I happened upon this mushroom yesterday I thought, "Wow." I don't know about you, but I think its appearance is amazing.

The chicken mushroom can grow into huge clusters like this one, with shelves weighing up to a pound (0.45kg) each, and rosettes as much as 30" (0.76m) wide. This is an edible mushroom, said to taste like chicken. I didn't touch it, so as not to ruin viewing by others.

Ned
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Attachment #1, (jpg file)

That’s pretty cool Ned!

Dave
Quad Cities, USA
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Thanks Dave.

Ned
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They are eye catching. That one is huge. The few around here seem to grow out of stumps and even old root structures. They do almost
'glow' .

Sheri Becker

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Thanks very much Sheri.

Ned
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Marvelous looking....great color.

jdroach, a Milwaukee area and sometimes Chicago area Nikonian.





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Thanks very much John. It's much appreciated.

Ned
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And you shot it with the 500mm!
Where does it grow?

Have a great time
JRP (Founder & Administrator. Nikonian at the north-eastern Mexican desert) Gallery, Brief Love Story, The Team
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Much of the time I walk around the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge solely with my 500mm plus one or two teleconverters, especially on a weekday afternoon, when I'm not there long. This was one such occasion. There are other times I bring one or two other lenses. I'm at this Refuge at least a couple times per week when not traveling.

This was shot with the 500mm f/4 VRII and a D4. It was growing on a live tree trunk (If my memory was right, it was on a sugar maple.) growing along the dike which goes in between the very tidal Darby Creek (The tide typically changes 5 feet (1.5m) or more between low and high tide), and the captive impoundment pond, about a 1,000 feet (305m) from the beginning of the main fresh water tidal marsh which comprises the most acreage of the Refuge. I was probably 50 feet (15m) away from the tree on which the mushroom was growing when I made the image.

We get a number of these mushrooms in the Refuge at this time of year and most are on live trees on the upright tree trunk. Just a few grow on downed dead tree trunks. The oyster mushroom is the common mushroom growing on downed dead tree trunks at the Refuge, and greatly outnumbers the chicken mushroom.

The John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge is located in Southwest Philadelphia, PA, USA, within a stones' throw of Philadelphia International Airport.

Ned
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Great image. And the light is perfect.
I lived in Philly for a few years, twice, and never heard of that Refuge. Thank you.

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JRP (Founder & Administrator. Nikonian at the north-eastern Mexican desert) Gallery, Brief Love Story, The Team
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Thanks very much JRP. You're not the only one who has never heard of the Refuge. I don't think that most Philadelphians know it exists, but in the last few years that has begun to change.

Ned
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Eye-catching image; composed well and all technicals executed well.

Kind regards.
Piet.

Thanks very much Piet. I appreciate it.

Ned
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