Sloughed And Ready To Roll

Today, I came upon this Shingle-back lizard enjoying the sun. It's pretending it's not there, of course!

I was really pleased to see it as the local population appears to be dropping.

This one is only half-grown.

(Click to enlarge)

Trachydosaurus rugosus

Striated Pardalote

Gouldiae recently provided very useful data about constructing nesting boxes on his blog. For Pardalotes, I've had success by using a simple Finch nest one buys from a pet shop. The "tunnel" is nothing more than a square plant tube with the end cut off. A bit of rasping to smooth the edges and a bit of a rasp inside the modified plant tube to provide a non-slip surface. Fix into position; a couple of perches and you're in business! Obviously, my method will only work in a dry environment, such as a stable, open shed or in this case, under the eaves of my verandah on the eastern side of the house.

I have used the recommended nesting boxes for Pardalotes and they didn't even look at them!

I had a very successful Pardalote nest in a stable and all I used for the tunnel was a the cardboard cylinder of a toilet roll!

The Striated Pardalote is one of my favourites. These little birds have a range of communication calls, including hissy-fits from the female when the male approaches the nest! I never tire of their presence and they are quite the acrobats.

This one is putting the finishing touches to their nest.

I must confess the photo could have been better, but the position of the sun can pose a bit of a problem (and if I had adjusted the camera settings)! :-)

(Click to enlarge)

September Fungi No. 1

Do you ever have one of those days when you and your camera are simply not working as a team? I had one of those days yesterday when I went off to investigate what fungi had emerged since the 22mm rain over the past few days. Half of those I photographed, I had to bin!

(Click images to enlarge)

Two for the price of one, here!
I don't know what the orange
one is. It could be a fruiting lichen. The hairs
around the cups are quite interesting.



Another Bird's Nest.
Crucibulum laeve again, I suspect.



I think these are Entoloma moongum.
Cap width: 2.5cm
Gill colour was whitish/mauve.
Height: 2.5cm



These, I'm sure are Poronia erici.
This species grows on herbivore dung,
particularly, macropod and wombat.
These were on kangaroo dung.
They are very small.



Another Earthstar. Geastrum triplex, I think.



The gills of one specimen belonging to
the colony below, growing on a log.

Another cup fungi. If I'm right with

my identification of Peziza thozetii,

then apparently, this cup fungus is

uncommon. They are normally found

in pine plantations.

UPDATE: (Thanks to Fungimap) This is

actually Aleurina ferruginea. I have photographed

this species previously in a different location at this

site, so it makes sense! :-)

A gilled bracket, possibly

Lentinellus aff. ursinus.

The gills of an older specimen growing

on the same log.

Don't even ask me where photos of the greenhoods I found are!! :-(

I have marked the location and will have another go later in the week. They weren't quite out, anyway.

Portraits In The Rain

It rained yesterday! I tipped 14mm from the gauge this morning. It was needed.
During a couple of lulls between rain periods last night, I took my camera for a bit of a walk around the traps!

(Click to enlarge)


This is Neobatrachus sudelli (Common Spadefoot Toad) You can see how common this one is because it's wearing some dinner on its head! :-) The loose skin along the side of the body to the knee is characteristic of this species as well as the vertical pupil and absence of tibial glands. Also, there appears to be a mite-like insect in the l/h side of the eye. Males of this species generally call from February to November.



Here we have Limnodynastes dumerili (Pobblebonk or Banjo Frog) I expected to see more than one of this common species. Males call almost all year round, but they have been a bit quiet here, so far.

Apart from Litoria Ewingi, I've been listening to Limndynastes tasmaniensis (Spotted Marsh Frog) calling with its distinct kuk-kuk-kuk or a sound like two stones being hit together. Also, Ranidella signifera (Common Froglet) which has the typical crik crik crik crik call. I actually found one under a log when I was doing a bit of fencing down on the dam the other day. Of course, the camera was NOT in the Ute!! :-)

August Fungi No. 9

This little collection might be the last for August. Even with the promise of rain on Saturday, the sites have dried out considerably.

This one is not in its natural situation!

It was one of a colony of about 4 growing

in the open amongst unimproved pasture dominated

with onion grass. I didn't have my camera

with me so I brought it home!

Cap width 3cm

Height: 4cm.

The only thing I could find to come close was

Psilocybe subaeruginosa - except for one detail.

It did not stain blue when I handled it or bruised it!

Well, I have no idea what I have here!

It was a minute blob to the naked eye

and this photo does it no justice. (I have

made a note to myself to take more than

a couple of shots of stuff as small as this!)

I'm not sure if it belongs to the Tremella family

or is actually a slime mould.

These two are growing in my garden very

close to Poa. I first noticed them last year

but that was before I seriously took an interest

in photographing fungi.

Cap width: 6cm

Height: 12cm

Gill colour was actually white.

This is what happens when you

try to photograph gills without

upending the fungus! :-)

August Fungi No. 8

Another fruitful day crawling around on all fours and trying to avoid
the hands and knees coming into contact with macropod manure! :-)

The day was quite nice for a change and I was able to venture into
the jungle without my waterproof coat.

(Click images to enlarge)

I have no idea what this is!
Three growing at the base of a Eucalypt.

An obvious cortina.
Cap width: Approx. 2.2cm
Height: Approx. 2.cm


This was too small to clearly check the gills
without uprooting it and as I saw only one,
I left it where it was. It was growing in leaf
litter.
Cap width: 6mm
Height: 8mm
It might be Cystoderma sp.






Cap width: 5cm
Ground height: 3cm
I think it might be Cortinarius sp.
Possibly C. erythraeus


Again, no idea what this one is!
Cap width: 1cm
Height: 1.5cm
Gills were close and yellow in colour.




I think this Bracket
is Ganoderma applanatum


Possibly Peziza austrogeaster

August Fungi No. 7

Another fungi safari successfully executed today!

This one was really interesting. The naked eye saw a velvet
sheen to this fungus.

It was growing amid substrate litter.

Identification has proved to be yet another challenge! The
only thing coming close is Gloeophyllum sepiarium, but according
to Bruce Fuhrer's (A field guide to Australian Fungi)
G. sepiarium grows mainly on dead conifer material. There
are no conifers at all in the area I am working. However,
if I'm right with the identification, this one may like
rotting Prickly Acacia! :-)


Gill colour: Cream to brown
Cap width: 2cm
Height: 1cm


Another cofusing species!
Gill colour: White
Cap appears to be cylindrical
Cap width: 1.5cm
Height: 2cm


Stem hollow.
This species was growing in moss.
(Homework needed but possibly Coprinus sp!)

Yep, I found me some "Yellow Brain" !

Tremella mesenterica.

This species is on Fungimap's Target Species

list, so this will also be added to my report.

Although this Coral appears to be much lighter

in colour than the one I found a couple of days

ago, I think it's probably the same species:

Ramaria ochraceosalmoncolor and the time of

day may have influenced my camera's eye! :-)