Bungendore - Spooks Hill - Autumn - May 24

We've had several days of rain and cold weather near the end of this week. The ground was soaked but not waterlogged. A cold and brisk breeze blew steadily all day, scudding clouds with frequent sun breaks. The frogs croaked in the divet along the railroad track. Salsify Tragopogon pratensis and False Dandelion Hypochaeris radicata nodded their fluffy seed heads in the breeze. None of the Native Raspberries Rubus parvifolius or Blackberries Rubus fruticosus have any berries emerging from their sepals despite large flower flushes. Now their leaves are starting to turn I doubt if there will be any berries this season. I wonder if that's because the bees did not pollinate the flowers or if the drought and fires we had over our harsh summer did something to their fertility.

The patches of weedy groundcover that I've noticed scattered throughout the forest are fruiting with tiny red berries. I have no idea what these are and the plant identification apps haven't been able to help. Hopefully, the inaturalist community will be able to help.

More crops of Saffron Milkcaps Lactarius deliciosus have popped up throughout the forest and a new flush of Fly Agaric Amanita muscaria have popped up in their patch on the NE side of the forest. None of the lomandras Lomandra filiformis are flowering but the Lip Ferns Cheilanthes are looking lush. The Yellow Buttons Chrysocephalum apiculatum and Native Blue Bells Wahlenbergia stricta have slowed down their flowering.

A small family of Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos Calyptorhynchus funereus swooped through the trees at the edge of the forest, making their beautiful mournful calls. The Ravens Corvus coronoides must have been out foraging as they weren't in the forest like they normally are.

Publicado el mayo 24, 2020 10:41 MAÑANA por