After seeing plenty of amazing fungi in Tasmania, when I got back to Sydney, I thought it was time to check out some local sites to see what was out. My first visit was to Ferndale Park at Chatswood. It was a short afternoon trip – and I really needed more time. At this time of the year, it starts to get dark early, and it was quite gloomy at Ferndale Park not long after 3 pm. Not too dark for photography (I use a tripod), but too dark to spot of lot of fungi.
Nevertheless, what I did see was very nice.
I had seen some photos taken recently in the park, of what looks like waxcaps, and I was keen to find them and work out if they were, and if so, what species. They were not hard to locate. They turned out to be several large clusters of Hygrocybe aurantipes. Here is a range of what was there –
This was amazing display of fungal fruiting of what is a relatively rare waxcap. I have seen large clusters of Hygrocybe aurantipes before on two occasions at Wolli Creek, so it seems they can burst forth with large clusters like this if conditions are right.
Between the clusters, I found this red waxcap. It looks like it is Hygrocybe lanecovensis –
And I also spotted several small clusters of the Ferndale Park Waxcap – Humidicutis sp.
This is the waxcap that changes to pink as it develops in conditions are right. I will have to return and see how it develops.
And here are some more red waxcaps. I think these are Hygrocybe miniata –
And also some very tiny Hygrocybe reesiae –
And some of the other fungi –
Leucocoprinus lacrymans
Pseudohydnum gelatinosum
Russula rosea
Cyptotrama asprata
Clavulinopsis amoena
Clavaria zollingeri
Clavulinopsis sp.
Clavulinopsis fusiformis
Ramaria lorithamnus
Clavicorona taxophila
Microglossum viride
Whist on my visit, it was good to bump into Michael and Vanessa who were collecting specimens of certain fungi. I had met them last year when they generously showed me some underground orchids.