I went on a mushroom foray weekend over in Eastern WA. I kept finding
Russula xerampalina that were crumbled into small pieces. Since these are
fragile I just figured that's how they break apart. Wrong again. While
sitting keying out a mushroom I saw a movement and it was a blue grouse
pecking at something just downslope. I could not see what it was eating, so
as I moved closer I found that the grouse had been pecking, and presumably
eating the Russula. (Maybe Grouse are actually mushroom HATERS, so they
destroy them out of spite?) I have not yet looked up information if this is
a regular thing, or an oddity, but at least I know who is taking apart the
Russulas.

Rob Sandelin
Writer, Naturalist


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