It's thanks to Ken @ Nature of a Man who pointed out the bird's nest fungus hiding among the leaf litter. I've never noticed them before. No wonder, they're tiny! The microcosm of the forest floor is amazing. I'm sure I heard about this fungus somewhere in my biology education due to their active other common name of splash cups, but it wasn't until I started seeing pictures on other nature blogs that it really hit home how incredible these tiny fungi are. Now that I know what to look for, I hope to find other kinds of bird's nest fungi, of which there are many variations, all with the same common name.
Ken also pointed out a blooming beaked hazelnut (Corylus cornuta ssp. californica). I may have looked disinterested, because I didn't want to get frustrated trying to take what I knew would be crappy pictures. It's pretty dark under the trees. But, I really was excited to see it and now know to look for the hanging catkins, which are much more noticeable than the tiny red female flowers. Someday, I want to taste a wild hazelnut that I find on the trail.
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