Some new blue wild flowers showed up in the back garden! I went out to take a photo and spotted some large, plate-like fungi attached to the tree stump.
Taking a closer look I found more.
Not wanting to step on the blue flowers, I had to put my arm around the stump and turn the camera upside down for this shot. ๐
I’ve seen this fungi before but I had no idea what sort it is.
According to Wikipedia: Cerioporus squamosus aka Polyporus squamosus is a basidiomycete bracket fungus, with common names including dryad’s saddle and pheasant’s back mushroom. It has a widespread distribution, being found in North America, Australia, Asia, and Europe, where it causes a white rot in the heartwood of living and dead hardwood trees.
A dryad is a tree spirit from Greek mythology.
If you want to see some fabulous fungi photos from Tasmania check out https://tasview.com
MagickMermaid 
Very cool! I also have some blue flowers like that. They suddenly appear as if from nowhere in the Spring/Summer. Very pretty ๐
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That’s exactly what happened. I hope they come back next year. Low maintenance flowers are the best! ๐
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They do resemble a lady pheasant’s markings, and I can well imagine a tree spirit sitting regally on the fungus throne.
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Now if I could only capture an image of the dryad! ๐
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Wow! Thanks so much Morgaine, most unexpected ๐ Great sharp photos with your hand around the tree – a lovely little group you’ve found, well spotted ๐
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You’re very welcome, Tone! I surprised myself! ๐
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I have seen fungi like that many times while hiking through woods, but didn’t know what they’re called. Thanks for the recreation education!
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You’re welcome, MM! Did you see any dryads on your hikes? ๐
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My ancestors are mostly Irish, not Greek….
So it’s leprechauns that, in vain, I seek! ๐
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๐ Be sure to carry a gold coin with you when looking for leprechauns.
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Your photos are fabulous to me! I love it when I find unexpected “stuff” in my pots or yard. I never know what they are. Thanks for the info on yours. Take care! Oh, I am sure there was magic in the fungi!
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Thank you so much, Jo Nell! I was very surprised to see so many magickal fungi on one tree stump. ๐
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Dear Morgaine du Mer (and Jo Nell),
I love mushrooms, and those photos were so well taken indeed. Thank you and well done, Morgaine!
Since “walking is the best form of exercise”, I would like to resonate with your photography by inviting you and Jo to take a stroll with me in the Birch Forest Landscape with Mushrooms:
May you and Jo find the rest of 2022 very much to your liking and highly conducive to your thinking, writing, reading, photographing and blogging whatever topics that take your intellectual fantasy and creative reverie in all their depths, diversity and profundity!
Take care and prosper!
Yours sincerely,
SoundEagle
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Thank you so much, Sound Eagle! Going on the stroll! ๐
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Dear Morgaine,
You are very welcome. Whilst we are becoming closer in spirit and being more adventurous and connected to Mother Nature by taking a stroll in the Birch Forest Landscape with Mushrooms, let us stroll to the energy and spirit of my musical composition as follows:
Yours sincerely,
SoundEagle
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Lovely music!
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I believe the blue flowers are called ‘Forget Me Nots’
Legend goes that a knight in full armour was walking his lady love by a stream and saw the blue flowers.
He decided he would pick some for his fair maid and went near the edge of the stream.
Unfortunately, he got too close to the waters edge, slipped and fell in. As he was swept away, he called out to his lady love, ‘For Forget Me Not!’
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Thank you so much for the info on forget me nots! I had no idea what sort of flowers these are. Poor knight; I hope he didn’t drown.
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Looks like a fairy playland!
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That’s what I thought as well! I was hoping they would make an appearance but I’m guessing they are camera-shy. ๐
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Great photos, you did capture some beautiful magic ๐งโโ๏ธ
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Thank you so much, Wiebke! ๐ Just in time, too. There was a very strong thunder storm a week later that destroyed part of the tree stump and a few of the fungi.
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Oh, Iโm sorry to hear that x
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The things we do for photos … Great shots!
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Thank you so much, Jeanine! I was very surprised that the upside down one actually worked out well. ๐
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Wow, opposites attract, in your own back yard!
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I was amazed by the size of these fungi. There were some small ones a few years ago. These were 8-10 inches across!
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Like dinner plates!
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Yes! I could just picture Henri and his friends enjoying a meal. ๐
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Yes! Champignons!
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Neat connection with a dryad with the help of your image of one.
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Thank you so much, Ankur! There was a botanic garden where I used to live that had a tree very similar to the one in the painting. I used to sit in the tree every time I visited. ๐
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Ooo, gotta love that Tasmanian Devil! ๐
Are you from Tasmania by any chance?
It’s funny, but I just got to the last chapter of a book about Tasmania called Gould’s Book of Fishes: A Novel in Twelve Chapters by Richard Flanagan. ๐
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I’ve not been to Tasmania. But I do follow photographer Tone’s blog (tasview.com).
Sounds like a book a mermaid should read. ๐
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