Birdwood Gully – Fungi and Birds – 16 March 2021

After seeing a lot of the pink Clavaria sp, Coral Fungus out yesterday in Terrys Creek, I thought it would be worth looking for it in Birdwood Gully at Springwood. This was the spot where my friend, the late Liz Kabanoff first found the species a few years ago.

So I set off for Springwood. The weather forecast suggested there may be some rain, and in that case, Birdwood Gully makes a better place to visit than Sassafras Gully to the south. Its a much shorter walk and there are some sandstone overhangs at places along the track to shelter in if the rain becomes heavy. As it turned out, there was no rain on my visit.

I did not that find that much fungi out. There had been good rain falls not long before – but I think it is too early for a lot of fungi to appear. But I did find some nice things. Here are some –

Cruentomycena viscidocruenta

Cyptotrama asprata

Ramaria sp.

I am not sure what this one is –

Cantherellus concinnus

Hygrocybe miniata

I only found one slime mould. Ceratiomyxa fruticulosa –

The Toothed Jelly was doing really well. Pseudohydnum gelatinosum –

Most of the boletes I saw where too old to bother photographing. Here is a fresh one – Tylopilus ballouii –

And I saw some fresh Armillaria growing on a log. I think this is Armillaria hinnulea –

And on the same log, I found some tiny but very distinctive Mycena aff. mamaku –

This is another species that I associate with Liz Kabanoff. She found some last year in Sassafras Gully and brought it to my attention. I was the first time either of us had seen it. It is very small and easily overlooked – but Liz had especial talent for spotting unusual fungi.

This Ramaria ochracea was growing on the same wood I have seen it on previous visits –

Here are some Earth Stars, Geastrum sp. about to open –

There was a small amount of Clavulinopsis sulcata out –

And I am not sure what the next two species are –

Some white corals. Clavulina sp. –

The one above has a rough surface. The ones below are smooth.

Amanita sp.

This is perhaps Hymenotorrendiella eucalypti –

Entoloma sp.

I only spotted two species of Cordyceps, and they were very close to each other. Ophiocordyceps robertsii –

And some Ghost Fungi, Omphalotus nidiformis –

And I think this blue tipped coral is Ramaria zippelii –

It was only when walking back that I spotted Liz’s pink coral. I looked more carefully and found it in two spots, about 3 m apart. The first one looks a bit washed out. Probably Clavaria sp.