I had been keen to to visit Nurragingy Reserve at Doonside again. My last visit, about a month before, had been very rewarding – with nice observations of an Azure Kingfisher and other nice birds. This visit turned out to be very quiet bird wise – but I did see some interesting fungi.
Perhaps the most interesting fungi I observed on my visit was two species of Birds Nest Fungi.
This one is Cyathus stercoreus. The edges of the cups are smooth. In the photo below, you can see all three stages. The cup with its brown lid on, one with the white membrane under the lid exposed and three with membranes gone showing the “birds nests” and their “eggs”
The “eggs” are peridioles – and are splashed out by raindrops. They are then eaten by herbivores and the fungal spores dispersed.
These one are all different species – Cyathus striatus. Note the striations around the edges of the nests.
Lots of ink caps had also emerged from the grass. Perhaps Coprinopsis sect. Lanatulae.
And these ones are Collybiopsis luxurians –
And there were some birds.
Pacific Black Duck and Willie Wagtail
Noisy Miner
Galah
Little Pied Cormorant
Silvereye
Golden Whistler
Noisy Miner
Yellow-faced Honeyeater
And I spotted quite a few Water Dragons. Here are two –
And a feral deer –
In the early afternoon, I saw a large storm heading towards the area, so left to walk back to the station. As I was leaving, I spotted this Helmeted Guinea-Fowl. I wonder where it had escaped from?
