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One of the best things about writing a blog is getting feedback from readers.

Mike Bottini points out that my statement that Common Ravens were formerly rare in the northeast except in "rugged parts of New England and places like the Adirondacks" may be somewhat in error as most reference books state that the species was formerly widespread before the eastern forests were cut. That may be true but the sources for this common statement are obscure and, in any case, it must refer to a period before the 19th century (and there is no evidence that it ever occurred on Long Island except as a vagrant). The association with deep forest, although traditional, is also doubtful as Ravens are the most common bird in the arctic tundra and they also occur widely and commonly in areas of the west and also of Eurasia which are not heavily forested. Ravens are known as scavangers, carrion eaters and tricksters (they are highly intelligent); they also have a long history of interaction with humans (including native Americans) and they are prominent in the folklore of many peoples. None of this fits very well with the idea that they are a wilderness bird. What they do like are areas with mountains or high cliffs where they can put their nests (the Hampton Bays water tower is therefore a substitute cliff) and they appear to prefer habitat with open areas when they can search for food on the ground. In any case, the current expansion of Raven range southward is a striking exception to the overwhelming advance of southern species north in an age of climate change and warming. Mike tells me that he plans to write about the ravens in his Southampton Press column.

Carl Safina wants to know what the mis-identified chanterelles were in my story about trying to identify the mushrooms picked by a friend as described over the phone. They appeared to be chanterelles from his description but turned out to be much larger than Chanterellus cibarius when actually seen in the flesh; the one feature my friend forgot to mention was size (the edible chanterelles rarely open up to a cap size of even a few inches and are mostly less than an inch across; these mushrooms averaged considerably larger). What were they? At this late date, I am really not sure. They may well have been the infamous Jack O'Lantern, Omphalotus illudens, a bright yellow-orange mushroom that could pass for a large chanterelle (it grows on wood in clusters but can also appear on the ground). It glows in the dark (hence it's common name) and, yes, it is at least mildly poisonous. In my memory, however, they looked something more like a mushroom called Gomphus floccosus which actually IS a kind of chanterelle but not a particularly scrumptious one (it is reputed to cause stomach upset in some people). I consider the Golden or Yellow Chanterelle to be a safe mushroom, even for a beginner but as this example shows. there are some possible confusions if you are looking for chanterelles with just a mental image out of a book. Mushrooms like the chanterelle are a bit like people; if you just follow a verbal description or even see a picture, you can still make a mistake, but once you make your acquaintance in the flesh, you are unlikely to get it wrong!

Eric Salzman