Sunshine at Linton

While it might have been cold and wet early in the day yesterday, we managed to have lunch in the sunshine at the Linton  Reserve. The Ballarat Field Naturalists have kept an eye on this reserve since Trust for Nature added it to their estate many years ago.

Sunshine at the entrance

We completed the usual fence check to see what branches had fallen in the recent storms and a chainsaw will be needed next time to remove some branches. We removed a bridal creeper from under a Cherry Ballart and had time to admire the correa and a few wattles in flowers. Over fifty kangaroos seem to be spending a bit of time in the reserve and we also spotted a fox and a wallaby.

 

Friends of Canadian Corridor Update

Epacris impressa

Here is the link to the latest Friends of Canadian Corridor update. Our Field Nats Club is a member of this group but you may like to take out individual or family membership as well.

Note that there is a planting day in Woorookarung Regional Park on 13 August and that you need to register if you are interested in taking part. Details are in the update. FoCC July 2017 update

Ghost fungi by night

Here are two photos of the same ghost fungi taken in daylight then at night.  The luminescence is seen at night. On film and in digital cameras the light from the fungus is recorded as green, while our eyes will see the fungus at night as stark white. It does not actually “glow” like a light bulb. Thanks to Carol for the photos. Click on a photo to enlarge and see the luminescence.

Omphalotus nidiformis

Omphalotus nidiformis

Ghostly Fungi

While some say they have seen better years for fungi, there are still a lot to see. Here are some Ghost Fungi from near Mt Egerton. They would be impressive if I took these photos at night, because they glow, but that is not going to happen.

Afternoon light on Canadian Regional Park

panorama of the regeneration area north of Recreation Road

Yesterday afternoon we had a quick visit  into Canadian Regional Park and the common heath is looking beautiful. Don’t forget if you are interested in the latest on what is happening in our newest park come along to the meeting at the Earth Ed Centre, Olympic Ave Mt Clear  at 7pm on Wednesday night. FoCC Woowookarung Regional Park forum

eucalypt canopy

Cortinarius rotundisporus

sunlight through the trees

grass tree

fungi

Epacris impressa

moss

Scented Sundew

afternoon light

Epacris impressa – Common Heath

Blackwood Fungi Excursion

As the fungi season approaches we look forward to where we will be led on an excursion. This year it was back to Blackwood and some of the tracks accessed from the carpark near the Garden of St Erth. Here are a few of the many fungi observed on the day. We thank Carol for this selection.

Bisporella citrina

Crepidotus nephrodes

Mycena epipterygia

Trametes versicolour

Trametes versicolour

Mt Doran Recreation Reserve

The last site on the May excursion for most of us, was the old Mt Doran Recreation Reserve, which is a BEN (Ballarat Environment Network) Reserve. While is very good condition we did notice several mature sugar gums on the back fence and someone has been removing fallen timber. A member with access to a handsaw took the opportunity to fell an environmental weed, Sallow Wattle, Acacia longifolia. Mt Doran Recreation Reserve Flora

back of fallen tree

close up of lichen

Hexagonia sp.

Horse Dung Fungus

inside a horse dung fungus

open grass area in the reserve

possibly part of the cricket pitch

tree that has split and fallen over

Three of us continued on to the Mt Doran Scenic Reserve and undertook some weed control on cape broom and bluebell creeper.

Mount Doran the hill without a view

In Lal Lal State Forest off Flagstaff Hill Road and up a short steep track, is Mt Doran. Before you get too excited there is no view from this mount. It is quite a rocky site and a keen eye noticed a parson’s band orchid.There were also large patches of Pultenaea pedunculata so this site would be worth visiting in the spring. Mt Doran flora list

Monotoca

track up to Mt Doran

Pultenaea daphnoides

no view from Mt Doran

lichen on rocks

bolete

large patch of Pultenaea pedunculata

Lal Lal State Forest

The May excursion lunch stop was beside a lovely small dam on Flagstaff Hill Road in the Lal Lal Forest.  There were many orchid leaves and Emily spotted the first flowers of Tiny Greenhood Pterostylis and then a Red-tipped Tiny Greenhood. The native heath was abundant in shades of pink and we spotted the red leaves of sundews. There were quite a few fungi including ghost fungi. Flagstaff Hill Road Flora list

Strolling around the dam through the bracken

Tiny Greenhood

Scented Sundew leaves

roadside dam

Curry Punk

Ghost fungus

moss

Red-tipped Tiny Greenhood

Common Heath

Pound Springs Bushland Reserve

The next site on the May excursion was off to the well-appointed facilities and sheltered gazebo at the Navigators Hall, for morning tea. While driving between the sites were experienced the only shower of rain for the day. After a short break and a look at the new, much publicized bird book, it was onto the , in Pound Creek Road near Yendon No 1 road.

Banksia marginata flowers

tree guards past time for being removed

sign

landcare planting

sedgy watercourse

remnant

remnant bushland

large old tree with hollow

rain guage

This reserve managed by Parks Victoria, has a sedgy vegetation community, listed as endangered.  Over twenty years ago, the Lal Lal Catchment Landcare Group planted more indigenous trees as part of a project and we completed their project by removing the plastic bags, which were almost to the stage of strangling the trucks. Banksia marginata was flowering, a yellow robin was observed and we think we heard a Bibron’s Toadlet, described as sounding like marbles in a glass.

We also spotted a dead frog in a large puddle, so after the hearing the talk by Ray Draper about frogs and chytrid fungus on the Friday night, we made sure to  disinfect our boots before we moved on. Pound Springs Reserve Flora list.