I found this on the trail today in an area that I have seen what I think are oyster mushrooms. What surprised me was that I am finding it August although we did have a very heavy rain the other day. We are located on Vancouver Island in Cowichan Bay. It looks good enough to eat but I am a little bit hesitant.
That's a lobster mushroom: a parasitic fungus, Hypomyces lactifluorum, on what is probably Russula brevipes. It is a good edible that is often sold in markets.
I found just one specimen at the beginning of August in an area near Vancouver where they reliably come up after the fall rains begin. I think it was the result of July rainfalls. As with just about all of our summer/fall mushrooms, fruiting depends largely on the timing of the rains.
These lobster mushrooms are very common right now. They are safe to eat as long as they are nice and firm. But, if you're confusing them with oyster mushrooms, i'd have someone double check every single specimen you eat for awhile.
