Bird’s nests (the fungal sort)

Bird’s nests (the fungal sort)

The fungi we see above ground are the sporing bodies – much like fruit on plants – and they disperse tiny spores to produce the next generation. Methods of dispersal are hugely diverse and, in this, Bird’s nests are particularly interesting. ...

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New coral

New coral

Ramaria abietina is the first coral fungus to be recorded in the Park, so-called because they resemble marine corals. Corals are different from agarics and boletes in that the spores are on the external surface of the upper branches. R. abietina is a species f...

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Fungi Foray

Fungi Foray

Sunday June 30 was a productive morning with 20 species in all recorded in one small section along Woodland Walk in Westgate Park. This was a good result given the fact that for the previous week the weather had been warm, windy and dry – not ideal condi...

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June 2019 bird survey

June 2019 bird survey

Vegetation recovering after recent rain provides good habitat for a range of birds, including numerous Superb Fairy-wrens and the usual honeyeater species. Water quality in the Large Freshwater Lake appears very good – most water birds were obs...

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Correa alba – White Correa

Correa alba – White Correa

Winter for many native plants is a time for recovery; recovery from hot, dry periods and a time to settle in and make the most of the impending rain. This stasis-like mode allows many plants to burst into growth and flower when the spring warmth and light come...

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Pink lake explained

Pink lake explained

The pinkness has gone now, no doubt because of cooler weather, recent rain and less sunshine, but it was certainly spectacular while it lasted. We now understand, thanks to sampling by freshwater ecologist, Joan Powling, that this explosion of colour was ...

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Bili Nursery working bees

Bili Nursery working bees

Please join us on the first Saturday of the month to work with locally native plants 10.30am to 12.30pm

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May 2019 bird survey

May 2019 bird survey

On the survey date drought was still biting at Westgate Park, which received very little rain in late April and early May. All lakes were very low, with exposed mud connecting the freshwater lake’s islands, and the freshwater dam almost completely dry. ...

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April 2019 bird survey

April 2019 bird survey

After many dry months and just 3 mm of rain in March, Westgate Park is severely stressed, with numerous dead shrubs and trees, especially narrow-leafed peppermints and banksias. Although some eucalypts, including the large Ironbark near the windmill, are flowe...

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March 2019 bird survey

March 2019 bird survey

After a long run of extreme heat and almost no rain in January and February park vegetation is stressed, with some shrubs dying. Nevertheless, the survey produced exciting results and 53 species. A larger than usual range of land-based bird species observed in...

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