Please enjoy this selection of nature that was noticed around the parks and reserves in June! There is always something different to see, especially with the change in weather.
The southern cinnabar polypore (Trametes coccinea) is found throughout much of Australia, the Americas, and Asia. It is orange-coloured on top with a bright red underside. If you look closely, you can see the pores (holes) where the spores are released. This fungus is found on wood, as it breaks down the wood for food.
The silver banksias (Banksia marginata) were out in flower at Castle Creek Conservation Reserve. The flowers of this small tree provide food for native birds such as honeyeaters and lorikeets, mammals such as the pygmy possum, and insects such as moths and butterflies. The seeds are also eaten by birds such as yellow-tailed black cockatoos. It is named after the wife of Sir Joseph Banks, who collected the first specimens for classification in 1770. ‘Marginata’ refers to the margins on the leaves.
This is likely an emperor gum moth (Opodiphthera eucalypti) cocoon. We saw these moths during our moth night at Castle Creek Conservation Reserve last September. This cocoon, which is crafted from silk with bark added to strengthen it, was spotted at Swainsona Conservation Reserve. Hopefully this moth will emerge in the spring. Remember: most moths make cocoons from silk while butterflies make chrysalises which are typically hardened exoskeletons.
In this edition of ‘What in the Weird and Wonderful World of Nature is That?’ are these chunks of white spongy stuff that look like polystyrene. Several bits were found on the ground close to one another. They are actually bits of white punk fungus (Laetiporus portentosus). These fungi grow on tree trunks, sometimes quite high up and are often eaten by invertebrates. Here we have fallen fruit bodies that have been gobbled.
The wetter weather has brought out all the lichens and mosses! This kind of lichen is likely from the genus Cladia, which is comprised of fruticose lichens – lichens that have a sort of bushy or shrubby appearance. Lichens come in a diverse range of forms, with an estimated 20,000 species world-wide. In Australia, it’s thought we have around 3000 species, with around 1000 of those being endemic. Lichens are fascinating organisms, comprising a colony of algae or cyanobacteria living symbiotically with multiple fungus species, so although they look like plants, they are in fact not plants at all!
These little guys are one of our favourite fungi! The beautiful Chlorociboria sp.! The fruit bodies of these fungi stain the wood they grow on a blue-green colour, hence they are known as blue-green stain fungus. And they are super tiny at only a few millimeters across! These ones were spotted at McFarlanes Hill Regional Park.
And even more strange fungi….have you ever seen a fungus ‘bleed’?! Sometimes fungi will exude liquid droplets from the surface of their fruiting bodies. This is known as guttation and some species are well known for producing rich red droplets, such as the bleeding tooth fungus (look that up!) while others produce clear droplets. Plants do the same thing to rid themselves of excess moisture. This fungus was spotted at Swainsona Conservation Reserve and you can see the droplets on the underside.
Sunny winter days are perfect for exploring the many and varied local trails such as the McFarlanes Fire Trail with views over Wodonga, or along the High Country Rail Trail at Bonegilla. We are very lucky to have so many places to enjoy nature close to home and if you’re out on the tracks and trails this winter, you might see some evidence of weeding or planting taking place thanks to our valued volunteers!
