Dusty McDusterson (He/Him) 🍄
LightNews LightNews
banner
dustymcdusterson.bsky.social
Dusty McDusterson (He/Him) 🍄
@dustymcdusterson.bsky.social
2.3K followers 890 following 1.9K posts
I post🍄🌲🪴pics taken on my daily hikes w/ Winston
The forest is my happy place & helps regulate my PTSD
Lefty atheist 🖋️📸 mycophile INFJ
Former USAF weather forecaster turned enviro-scientist
MS in Geoscience
PNW=🏡
Real conversation w/ compassion
Posts Replies Media Videos
dustymcdusterson.bsky.social
Final shots from this weekend's visit to Twanoh State Park in Washington State.
#FungiFriends #Nature
A moody shot looking through the forest with a smattering of stark white mycena in focus on the live moss covered tree trunk of a Big Leaf maple. A large grouping of mycena dominates the side of this rotting log. A toothed fungus can barely be made out in the top left of this image, something I didn't note until going through the pictures after the hike. This bright red capped fungus really stood out. It honestly should be an easy ID but my brain is absolute mush and I'm in need of some real sleep in my own bed. Which will commence shortly after hitting post on this one. Another toothed fungus for my dyers friend!
November 10, 2025 at 4:34 AM
dustymcdusterson.bsky.social
I believe this is the beautifully #Poisonous shield dapperling, Lepiota clypeolaria also fittingly known as the Shaggy-stalked Lepiota.

Definitely want to avoid eating this furry creature, likely won't have a good time...
#FungiFriends
November 10, 2025 at 4:26 AM
dustymcdusterson.bsky.social
Funky, not so fresh finds!

I love finding Fluted Elfin Saddles being eaten by their nemesis, Hypomyces cervinigenus. At least the parasitizing fungus makes it easier to confirm proper focus with the added texture compared to their normal oddly shiny/smooth caps.
#FungiFriends #Nature #Fungi
November 10, 2025 at 4:17 AM
dustymcdusterson.bsky.social
Dyers Delight!!

I believe these are Hydnellum fuscoindicum, or the Violet Hedgehog.

Tooth fungus are some of my favorite to find, this was the first time I've found this species.
#TwanohStatePark #FungiFriends #NaturalDyes #Fungi
Super unassuming peeking out of the duff. They initially looked like they might be another species going bad. It isn't until I felt the firmness of their cap that I realized they were fresh. Another grouping of the same fungus species found nearby with one upended to display the tooth underside.
November 10, 2025 at 4:12 AM
dustymcdusterson.bsky.social
Corals galore!!!

#TwanohStatePark #FungiFriends
November 10, 2025 at 4:05 AM
dustymcdusterson.bsky.social
Beautiful cherry-red unknown #SlimeMold species and toothed #Fungi from the genus Deflexula, with a bonus blurry Winston!
#TwanohStatePark #Nature
Winston patiently waiting as I check out some cherry red slime mold. Slime mold did not have any perceivable stalks and the color is true to what I observed on site. A close-up of the same slime mold as seen in image 1. These teeth were super fun to find. Pretty confident they are fungus but haven't been able to ID them just yet. This log was just covered in life. The opening with a few mycena fungus poking their heads out had lots of slime mold stalks growing. Same log but a few inches away, more of the teeth dropping down out of the log.
November 10, 2025 at 4:03 AM
dustymcdusterson.bsky.social
First Jelly tooth fungus of the year! Pseudohydnum gelatinosum. Hoping to propogate this species as they made for some delicious candy last year and I'd love to grow them at home. But, #SporePrints are a real pain to collect for this one.

#TwanohStatePark Washington State. #FungiFriends #Nature
November 10, 2025 at 3:51 AM
dustymcdusterson.bsky.social
Final #Guttation is an odd one. Similar to a species I observed in the Hoh Rain Forest a few weeks ago. The closest image has guttation dripping from the fungal structure.

Initially though slime mold, but I'm pretty confident it's fungus maybe a Lichen. 🤷
#TwanohStatePark #FungiFriends #Nature
There are 2 fungal structures seen here on this highly decayed log found in a mixed forest with lots of amber colored BigLeaf maple leaves covering the forest floor. Another grouping of mushies can be seen under the moss covered outcropping to the left. A little closer. After the initial assumption of slime mold I realized the structures weren't right. Very similar looking to a specimen I found a few weeks back growing on a log, albeit surrounded by moss vs these ones making their existence on the bare wood, but with moss on top that their network could still work with. Note the few drops of guttation at the ends of tips of the fungal structures.
November 10, 2025 at 3:44 AM
dustymcdusterson.bsky.social
Speaking of #Guttation

What I assume are some bejeweled Red Belted Conk, Fomitopsis pinicola.

Found today in #TwanohStatePark Washington State. #FungiFriends #Nature
A tiny secondary growth of a red belted conk has lots of moisture to excrete especially relative to its body mass. I love how they grow and incorporate the surrounding leaf and pine litter. Look at this bejeweled beauty!!
November 10, 2025 at 3:44 AM
dustymcdusterson.bsky.social
I'm definitely a sucker for #Guttation. Love me some Rosy Conk! (Rhodofomes cajanderi)

Found today in #TwanohStatePark Washington State.
#FungiFriends #Nature
An image of rosy conk growing at the end of a cut log. So much beautiful red guttation, I forgot to give it a taste...next time. Images 2 and 3 are closer shots of this same fungus. Image 2 is the right structure and 3 is the lower left. A closer image of the right side of the mushroom seen in image 1. A closer shot of the rosy conk in the bottom left of picture 1.
November 10, 2025 at 3:44 AM
dustymcdusterson.bsky.social
📸 1: Morning mist lingering in the trees
📸2: Young #BirdnestFungus found along the campsite borders.
📸3: Winston on the trail.
📸4: A lovely #PacificBananaSlug making it's way across a golden colored Bigleaf maple leaf.
#FungiFriends #Nature #TwanohStatePark
November 10, 2025 at 3:23 AM
dustymcdusterson.bsky.social
The final selection of photos from last night's visit to #TwanohStatePark -3.9ft #KingTide low tide. Next the daytime photos of mushies!

One thing I didn't mention in previous posts was how cool it was to hear, then see the salmon spawning up the stream that flows through the park. Worth a visit!!
Purple shore crab, Hemigrapsus nudus prior to burying itself in the sand. A hermit crab carrying around another hermit crab. A couple of Ochre Star Fish hanging out in the oyster beds. I haven't a clue what this thing was. It was found in 3-4 inches of water attached to a stone but it doesn't appear to be an anemone as it was underwater and not unfurled.
November 10, 2025 at 3:17 AM
dustymcdusterson.bsky.social
A few still images of the above starfish.
November 10, 2025 at 3:09 AM
dustymcdusterson.bsky.social
This massive starfish was mesmerizing while #DancingInTheMoonlight. Photos 👇

Found after midnight just below the -3.9ft #KingTide low tideline in 1-2 inches of water, near oyster beds with ample freshwater input. #TwanohStatePark #LowTide
November 10, 2025 at 3:09 AM
dustymcdusterson.bsky.social
A #Sculpin temporarily taking shelter under a #LeatherStar, Dermasterias imbricata, along the #HoodCanal shoreline.

Seen after midnight, last night just below the -3.9ft #KingTide low tideline in 1-3 inches of water, near oyster beds with ample freshwater input. #TwanohStatePark #LowTide
November 10, 2025 at 2:59 AM
dustymcdusterson.bsky.social
Video # 5 of #HermitCrabs dragging around smaller hermit crabs by their shell by the #HoodCanal shoreline.

Seen just after midnight, last night just below the -3.9ft #KingTide low tideline in 1-3 inches of water, near oyster beds with ample freshwater input. #TwanohStatePark #LowTide
November 10, 2025 at 2:51 AM
dustymcdusterson.bsky.social
Video # 4 of #HermitCrabs dragging around smaller hermit crabs by their shell by the #HoodCanal shoreline.

Seen just after midnight, last night just below the -3.9ft #KingTide low tideline in 1-3 inches of water, near oyster beds with ample freshwater input. #TwanohStatePark #LowTide
November 10, 2025 at 2:50 AM
dustymcdusterson.bsky.social
Video # 3 of #HermitCrabs dragging around smaller hermit crabs by their shell by the #HoodCanal shoreline.

Seen just after midnight, last night just below the -3.9ft #KingTide low tideline in 1-3 inches of water, near oyster beds with ample freshwater input. #TwanohStatePark #LowTide
November 10, 2025 at 2:49 AM
dustymcdusterson.bsky.social
Video # 2 of #HermitCrabs dragging around smaller hermit crabs by their shell by the #HoodCanal shoreline.

Seen just after midnight, last night just below the -3.9ft #KingTide low tideline in 1-3 inches of water, near oyster beds with ample freshwater input. #TwanohStatePark #LowTide
November 10, 2025 at 2:48 AM
dustymcdusterson.bsky.social
More video from last night's visit to the midnight #KingTide at #TwanohStatePark Washington. #LowTide

I spotted at least 5 different #HermitCrabs carrying around smaller hermit crabs by their shell. Apparently a reproduction practice, which somehow seems worse than them saving a snack for later.
November 10, 2025 at 2:29 AM
dustymcdusterson.bsky.social
Exploring the midnight #KingTide at #TwanohStatePark was fascinating.

One of my favorite sightings was watching this Purple Shore Crab, Hemigrapsus nudus, burying itself in the sand.
#LowTide #Crabs #Nature
November 10, 2025 at 2:20 AM
dustymcdusterson.bsky.social
Plucking the last one. So adorable!! 😍🍄
November 7, 2025 at 12:09 AM
dustymcdusterson.bsky.social
A few Elfin Saddle observations, Paragyromitra ambigua but maybe P. infula. I wasn't able to check out any of their spores so can't say for sure what species they are, but I'm leaning toward the former.

I plucked the one in photo 3, see brief video below. The others were 2-3x that size.
📸🍄 🌱 #Fungi
November 7, 2025 at 12:09 AM
dustymcdusterson.bsky.social
If anyone is looking for Old Coyote Nowhere, you can find their mailbox at the intersection of Big Creek Rd & Oregon Highway 101.

There was a young Humpback whale beached nearby on Big Creek Beach, just across the road, but I’m hopeful that incident is unrelated to the #Trickster Coyote. #LostFolk
An old mailbox with letters marked in designating it as the delivery location for Old Coyote Nowhere’s mail. The unfortunate juvenile humpback whale, not pictured, could be seen from the road and likely washed up during a full moon high tide based on how high up the beach it was. Based on decomposition I assume it was there for a minimum of a couple weeks but for all I know it has been there for months. I took pictures and a short video of the deceased whale but the scene was too gruesome to post. On reconsideration I wonder if Old Coyote maybe didn’t catch a ride from the whale and tricked it into beaching itself so that its paws didn’t get wet in the saltwater. Hopefully not the case, but who is to say…
November 6, 2025 at 10:17 PM
dustymcdusterson.bsky.social
They are so freaking cool! And look amazing under microscope too! I need to collect more to check them out again, they're just so fragile and difficult to trek out of the forest without damaging. I'd love to view a mustard yellow one under microscope.
November 3, 2025 at 2:49 AM