Of all of the fascinating fungi that I have encountered this year, the one that brought me the most excitement and joy was one that I had been looking for for several years: Mycena subcaerulea.
While Mycena is among the most common genus of mushrooms that I encounter in my walks through the woods, most of my local species are rather dull in appearance, being various shades of brown and grey. Among the most notable exceptions to this trend however is Mycena subcaerula, a delicate species with a bright blue cap.
I am particularly fond of blue mushrooms given the color's relative rarity in nature and the striking contrast they provide in photos. After several years of searching for this species, I finally had the pleasure of encountering them for the first time in August of this year. Even more fortuitous was that I happened to have my macro lens with me at the time to be able to capture a few close up shots of very young mushrooms only just being to fruit from the decaying log that they call home. These photos are among my favorite that I have taken in the last year, and it is my pleasure to share them with this community.
I hope you enjoy!
