San Juan Capistrano may have its swallows, but here on the southern Oregon coast, the most infallible harbinger of Spring we’ve found is the return of the turkey vultures. Say what you will of their appearance (well, actually, the less said, the better about that), the accuracy of their climatological forecasts is unmatched by pussy willows, daffodils or any other of the more traditional natural indicators.
Colorful skunk cabbage
is another sure sign of spring!
It makes sense when you think about it. Turkey vultures aren’t strong fliers; if they have to flap their wings much to stay aloft, they quickly tire. Their gift is soaring, and they instinctively know how to catch and ride thermals better than any human glider pilot. They will circle for hours until they catch a whiff of something edible, then home in on it with unerring accuracy. If they can’t soar, they can’t hunt, and if they can’t hunt, they go hungry. No self-respecting turkey vulture will put up with that for long.
The key requirement is thermals, and thermals require warm weather. Turkey vultures somehow know where there will be thermals and you won’t find them where thermals can’t be counted on. This is not to say that they won’t have to sit out an occasional cold snap after their return, but the prevailing trend is warmer weather.
We saw our first turkey vulture on March 6th, which is about two weeks early relative to the last ten years. We only saw the one, and only briefly, but we’re counting it.
So, what does that mean for mushrooming on the southern Oregon coast? Regrettably, not much.
Long-time local mushroomers know that the spring mushroom season is a far cry from the massive fruitings of fall. At this writing, there are still winter chantrelles (locally called “yellow feet”) and hedgehogs, and we will soon see some oyster mushrooms growing on dead and dying hardwoods, but that’s about it. We have very occasionally found nice groupings of “The Prince” (Agaricus Campestris) later on, in late May or early June, but I suppose it goes without saying that more a more exact description of “where” is not likely to be found here.
There are no spring Boletes here that we have ever found or heard of, and we have looked. Morels are the subject of legend. Some say they can be found in old, abandoned orchards, and we recently met one smart mushroomer who partially “cultivates” them in orchards by liberally sprinkling lime on the ground to burn the soil. He said the effect is similar to that of forest fires, which are notoriously associated with morels, at least for the first year or two. This has the ring of truth to us, and we intend to try it. Burn piles and areas around recent concrete pours (again, because of the lime) are also worth a try, according to our smart new friend.
Even forest fires aren’t always a sure thing for morels on the coast. The “Biscuit Fire” a few years ago, which at a half million acres was the biggest fire in Oregon in decades, didn’t produce many morels for us or for other folks we talked to. Get over the coast range though, and it’s a different story, and morel season will be well under way in the areas around Grants Pass, Medford and Ashland by mid April. An altimeter can be a big help, since finding them at, say, 1,500 ft. gives you a good indication of other places to seek them.
Further north, near our “old stomping grounds” around Mt. Hood, there are more options for spring mushrooming. Early on, the first mushrooms of spring (usually early to mid-March) are often “false morels” (verpa bohemica), which are usually found near water, under cottonwoods and in the company of numerous, freshly hatched garter snakes. The bad news is that there are often stinging nettles in the same areas. With these, harvest only the caps, which are hollow and easily detached. Be certain to parboil them outside or below a good exhaust fan before and in addition to cooking them; they carry a toxin, but parboiling takes care of it. Never, ever eat them raw.
A little later on, true morels will start to show and are wherever you find them. Along the Columbia and around Mt. Hood (usually on the drier sides) are places we have scored. Spring Boletes are there, too, and are likely to be choice at this time of year. Puffballs are also found in very specific areas at this time and are often pretty dependable, coming back in subsequent years.
We’re not smart enough to know whether this spring will be a bummer or a bumper crop, but we intend to be out there looking. Even if we come back empty handed, the joy of getting out in the nice weather is irresistible after our traditionally soggy winters!
Soggy winters contribute to the health
of the Port Orford wetlands.
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