Wolli Creek Fungi – 9 July 2016

Posted on July 9, 2016 by Dave Noble

This was an activity organised by the Sydney Fungal Studies Group Inc together with the Wolli Creek Preservation Society.  After we met at Girrahween Park – we divide into two groups to look for fungi.

Hygrocybe collucera

Hygrocybe collucera

I was in a small group with Joanna and we later met Rowan and we checked out a location near Turrella. This was a spot that Joanna and Gregg had found about a year ago. It is well off the Two Valleys Track and a bit difficult to get to. But getting there is well worthwhile as a lot of very nice fungi seems to spring up there. It seems to be especially good for  waxcaps.  Continue reading →

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Berowra to Wahroonga Walk – 6 July 2016

Posted on July 7, 2016 by Dave Noble

This was a pleasant daywalk in the northern suburbs. The weather forecast was not good and Bob and myself decided on a walk that was relatively sheltered. As it turned out, the weather was not too bad while we were walking.

Waratah Bay

Waratah Bay

We started from Berowra Station, and walked down the track to Waratah Bay on Cowan Creek. This track seems to follow an old road formation that was probably used a long time ago for access to the bay for boating. At the bay, is the wreck of an old houseboat. Continue reading →

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More Colourful Fungi at Bola Creek – 4 July 2016

Posted on July 5, 2016 by Dave Noble

At present, Bola Creek in Royal National Park seems to be the best place in the Sydney area to look for fungi.

BC4Jul16-12

During the month of June the closest weather station (Audley) recorded a lot more rainfall than other areas such as Sassafras Gully at Springwood (about 420 mm and 220 mm respectively) – s0 that has probably been the main factor making it better. The colourful waxcaps that I like to photograph also need cool weather to appear – and that is why they are often abundant at the end of the fungi season – during June and July.

BC4Jul16-17

On this trip I did find quite few species of waxcap out. Here are some examples –  Continue reading →

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Wolli Creek – Fungi and Orchids – 3 July 2016

Posted on July 5, 2016 by Dave Noble

I completed another walk along Wolli Creek along the Two Valleys Track – from Bexley North to Tempe. Again, I was checking the fungi that was out but I also looked for orchids.

WC3Jul16-5

There was not much fungi  out along the first section from Bexley North to Bardwell Park. Things improved in the next section down to Turrella Reserve, and were a lot better in the last section. And a lot of what I found were colourful waxcaps. But still poor when compared to last year.  Continue reading →

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Fungi at Mt Wilson – 2 July 2016

Posted on July 5, 2016 by Dave Noble

This was a cold but pleasant day at the Waterfall Reserve at Mt Wilson to look for fungi. It was an activity organised by the Sydney Fungal Studies Group Inc.

MW2Jul16-2

The Waterfall Reserve is generally regarded as one of he better places to find fungi in the greater Sydney region, but recently it has been quite dry in that part of the Blue Mountains so we did not find a real lot of fungi.  Continue reading →

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Lane Cove Valley Fungi – 1 July 2016

Posted on July 5, 2016 by Dave Noble

This was another walk from Thornleigh to Porters Creek along the Lane Cove Valley to look for fungi. I found a reasonable amount out, but perhaps not as much as my previous trip, and like that one I found no waxcaps out. But I did find lots of Cortinarius out and quite a few different species of spine fungi.

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Here are a few photos taken of what I found –  Continue reading →

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Milsons Point Sunset – 30 June 2016

Posted on July 5, 2016 by Dave Noble

I was on my way home from Chatswood and as the train approached Wilsons Point, it looked like there could be a good sunset. So I detrained and spent the next hour or so wandering around Milsons Point with my camera. The problem was that I had been on a fungi photography trip – so I had my 90 mm macro lens – not the best thing to photograph sunsets. But, luckily, in my bag I also had two wide angle lenses – 15 mm and 21 mm. They would be better.

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At the start, around 4:15 pm, then lifting was nothing special at all. It was cloudy, but to the west was a clear patch and I knew that when the setting sun reached that things would improve. They certainly did!  Continue reading →

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Fungi Around Chatswood – 30 June 2016

Posted on July 5, 2016 by Dave Noble

Last year, on one of my walks down the Lane Cove River, I had walked out to Chatswood via Blue Gum Creek. On that trip, I had followed a rough old track all the way up the creek to the Chatswood Scout Hall and then along a good track to Dulwich Road. On the way up the creek I had found a fair bit of fungi out – including some nice waxcaps. That trip was late in last years fungi season, so I was keen to return to see what was out this year.

Hygrocybe anomola var. anomola

Hygrocybe anomola var. anomola

This year, the fungi season has not been nearly as good as last year – probably due to less rainfall. But I did spot some nice fungi along the banks of Blue Gum Creek – Continue reading →

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Bottleneck Pass and The Devils Hole – 29 June 2016

Posted on July 5, 2016 by Dave Noble

This was a nice daywalk with Bob and Rob. None of us had visited Bottleneck Pass, but knew it was found  on the Elphinstone (Radiata) Plateau of Katoomba. There are some notes on the pass on Alan Wells website and also on the Dingo Gap website.

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We started off from the carpark at the top of the Six Foot Track. We walked down the track a short way, then turned off to the right along a faint road that traversed behind some properties. It was not clear where to head out to the top off the pass. We did find a bit of pink tape on a tree and a very rough pad – but I think we lost the track if there was one. But it was not very far to the cliffs, and we  headed out to a point. It looked too steep to continue, so we walked back into the gully where the pass descends and soon found ourselves on top of a rock platform with good views of Megalong. Some rock pools were frozen. In a small overhang, we found an old visitors book. It was in a plastic container that was broken and the logbook was sodden. Bob carried it out. It was clear that we were at the start of the pass. Continue reading →

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Bola Creek Fungi – 28 June 2016

Posted on July 5, 2016 by Dave Noble

At present, in the greater Sydney region, Bola Creek possibly is the best place to look for colourful fungi. I headed back down to the creek and had another look around. I found a fair bit still out.

Hygrocybe lilaceolamellata

Hygrocybe lilaceolamellata

I was pleased to spot a good variety of waxcaps out. This included two clusters of Hygrocybe lilaceolamellata. I had first seen this species in Tasmania on my trip in April of this year. This was the first time I had seen it in the Sydney region. It is a rather dull coloured species compared to some of the other waxcaps – having a brown cap and stipe. I think this makes it larger hard to spot. But it does have very beautiful lilac gills.   Continue reading →

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