Photos / Sounds
What
Western Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis ssp. calurus)Observer
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Photographed under dark cloudy conditions. Raw images were opened up by a full stop. The Western subspecies of Red-tailed Hawk, Buteo jamaicensis calurus, is considered to only occur west of the Great Plains. None the less, I see visiting winter Red-tails each year that appear to me to be Western Red-tails, such as this one. Harlan's Red-tails from the western US frequent this area every winter.
RTHAs that look like this do not breed in this area.
What
Crested Caracara (Caracara plancus)Observer
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Appears to be a first Rusk County record.
What
Genus ScathophagaObserver
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Small fly ( body ~ 0.5 inch, 0.75 inch with wings) - out in the warmer afternoon - 55 F.
Photos / Sounds
What
Bur Oak (Quercus macrocarpa)Observer
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These acorns came off the tree marked in the last photo. I've never seen anything like them. Hopefully, someone will know what they are. Undoubtedly, not native but horticultural.
The base of the largest acorn is about 4 inches across. The acorn bases looked like small bird nests.
Photos / Sounds
What
Western Ratsnake (Pantherophis obsoletus)Observer
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Long Snake over 1.5 yards long. Out on a very warm December day. It's belly was full of many lumps from things it was eating. Not sure what it was eating. Nearest water was a stream about 70 yards away and a pond about 100 yards away.
Photos / Sounds
What
Pallid Bolete (Imleria pallida)Observer
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Notes: Young specimen, about 2 inches across. Pores easily bruised very dark blue-grey. Smell insignificant. Pores easily separaed from Cap flesh, pale greenish yellow.
Smell insignificant, taste – did not.
Habitat – growing in grasses near Oaks.
Chemical Tests -
Ammonia – wetted but saw no color change on Pileus. Slight yellowing of gills after an hour.
KOH – wetted becoming a little orange color on pileus, but subtle.
What
Ghost Shield (Pluteus pellitus)Observer
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On a large rotted log, appeared to be birch but not certain – was hardwood.
Smell: distinct spicey smell. Species is supposed to have an Anise smell but I probably would not be able to tell.
Largest cap – 10 cm. Shape conical with broad umbro at maturity. Small umbo seen on buttons. Cap surface on mature cap is satiny smooth with flat darker fiber at the edges and darker fibrels over the umbo.
Stalk: growing directly out of wood, central, base about twice the thickness at the cap. see photo.
Gills: crowded, white on fresh mature specimen, salmon pink stained by spore on past maturity cap. Short gills of varying length.
Spore Print – salmon pink