Wild Mushrooms, Indian Pipes And Spotted Wintergreen. A Walk With My Macro Lens
We had rainy Spring and early Summer here in Northeastern Pennsylvania. I was hoping it would produce an abundance of wild mushrooms. July is when some of the edible species of mushrooms I pick start to make their appearance. 
My dad taught me and my brothers about wild mushrooms almost from when we were able to walk. I enjoyed those jaunts in the woods in the evenings after he returned from work. Or on Sunday mornings after church. We would only pick two species of bolete mushrooms that his father taught him, “red tops” and “cozies”. All of the other mushrooms we found he called “crazy” mushrooms and would knock them over with his walking stick. 
Well since then I have learned to pick dozens of edible mushrooms that are found in our woods in Pennsylvania. I have shared a number of blog posts about mushrooms. They can be researched in the archives section of my website. All of them contain this warning. Please do not consume any wild mushroom unless you are 100% sure it is safe. You can become very sick and DIE from eating a wild mushroom.
I also love to photograph the many colorful species of wild mushroom that I find on my hikes. Recently I took a few walks with my camera and macro lens. I found the interesting the Indian pipes plant growing in the woodlands. This ghostly white plant looks like a mushroom. It is actually a plant that does not produce chlorophyll. It does not get its energy from the sun like all other plants .
It gets it sustenance from the roots of trees and other plants with the help of a fungus. Interesting it is. 
I found a number of different of species of mushroom on my walks, including this club mushroom,
russula 
and amanita species of mushroom. Many of this species of mushrooms are poisonous. 
I also found lactarius or milker mushroom which are a choice edible,
as well as some chanterelle mushrooms also an excellent edible. 
In addition to the mushrooms,
I also found some spotted wintergreen flowers in bloom. 
As well as some jewelweed and
teaberry flowers. 
I saw a few dragonflies in the woodlands. 
As well as a butterfly. 
I also photographed the late afternoon sun illuminating the leaves along the trail. 
Although I didn’t find a lot of edible mushrooms, I gathered enough for a small meal. I am sure I will find more. And it is always nice to get out into the woods of Northeastern Pennsylvania. Here is a link to some more photographs from my hike. Macro Hikes July 12, 24 2019.
Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better. Albert Einstein
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