Christmas Bells

Christmas Bells
Christmas Bells - Blandfordia nobilis
Showing posts with label Ferns. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ferns. Show all posts

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Photos of raindrops on plants, fungi in Robertson

This is why we get excited about rain in Robertson.
The Rainforest comes to life, literally, when we have had some rain.

Everything glows when light strikes it. 




Ferns and mosses absorb moisture and hold it.
Fungi suddenly appear from the forest floor, or out of rotten wood in trees.



Two creamy parasol fungi growing
from the forest floor.
Coachwood "seeds" have now fallen,
and lie there awaiting germination.


Some Jelly Fungus (Ear Fungus) live all year round as hard dried up leathery lumps, then soften and shed their spores when rain arrives.
And on the forest floor seedlings sprout, and a new crop of Coachwood seeds coats the ground underneath these huge trees. They will sprout in their masses, but few will survive to become mature trees - because the mature trees in the forest only need replacing in small numbers each year, after storms bring them crashing down.

Coachwood seeds lie thick on the ground
underneath these huge trees.
Many will germinate, but few will make it to mature size
They are not needed, because in the Nature Reserve,
the mature trees are well protected by eachother,
and so storm damage is minimal.
Many more photos are visible at this Facebook Album.
It is public - no need to be a subscriber to Facebook.

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10152621058989829.1073741889.809229828&type=1&l=517d6aba2e

Sunday, May 20, 2012

Quiet times inside the Robertson Nature Reserve

Yesterday afternoon I took a half-hour (or so) to capture some images within the Robertson Nature Reserve, as the light was favourable.

Lovely shafts of bright light penetrate the dense Rainforest Canopy, in places, and then might illuminate just one feature, such as a clump of moss growing on a vine, heading up through the trees. 
Moss on Vine stem, illuminated by a shaft of light
When a single shaft of light illuminates an otherwise seemingly insignificant feature on Nature, like this, you can then realise how beautiful the entire Reserve is, IF ONLY WE COULD ALL LEARN TO APPRECIATE ITS FEATURES.

Entrance to the Robertson Nature Reserve

One of the useful explanatory signs
To the best of my knowledge, this is the first report of
the Tangle Orchid, (Plectorrhiza tridentata) growing in the Robertson Nature Reserve,
although it is reported elsewhere in the district.
It is classed as a "Twig Epiphyte"
usually growing on small branches or low to medium shrubs.

Defying Gravity?
Here you can see it hanging from its roots
which have grown into the bark of the tree above.
These flimsy attachments are in fact quite sturdy
and their flexibility gives them surprising resilience.

Defying Gravity?
Tangle-root Orchid (Plectorrhiza tridentata)


Open ground, covered with ferns.
Young vines scrambling up towards the light
The dark brown, fibrous Tree Fern trunk, embedded in the trunk of the Possumwood is all that remains to reveal the origins of the Possumwood. 
A Tree Fern trunk once formed a "seed bed" for a seedling of a Possumwood.
Quintinia sieberi
The Possumwood roots then grew down to the ground and having arrived at a rich nutrient source, then grow strong, and eventually took over and out-competed the Tree Fern.

The Possumwood bark is distinctively knobbly and is a blue-green colour.
That distinctive colour comes from algae which like to grow on certain rainforest tree trunks.
Dark brown trunk of a dead Tree Fern
reveals the origins of the Possumwood Tree.
Another epiphytic Orchid, Dockrillia pugioniformis
Dagger Orchid (named for the shape of the leaves)
Kangaroo Ferns growing up along
a leaning trunk of a tree.
A colony of small Fungi growing out of
a moss-covered log, on the ground.

Even small trees like this can have hollows
which are habitat for native animals.
One evening I came face to face with
a "Bush Rat" inside this hollow tree trunk.


Friday, July 15, 2011

More on the winds of the last week, in Robbo

We have had a beating over the last 10 days or so, with the winds. (And it has been cold too).


However, it is the wind on which I wish to focus.


There has been a sad event in the cemetery, which I am confident is wind-related, not a result of mindless vandalism. I am recording this, in the hope that at some stage in the future, grieving relatives do not get the wrong idea about the damage to the Head Stone.


This perfectly lovely head stone has blown over, and in so doing has cracked and been chipped. You can see the fresh flakes and you can see how it hit one side of the grave edge and that caused it to split on the diagonal.


In the same windy week, half of one of the huge Sally Wattles (Blackwood Wattles) in the Cemetery grounds also came down. This tree was noted for the huge load of vines which were growing over the tree, and they acted like a spinnaker, trapping the wind and greatly increasing the loading on the tree. A neighbouring Blackwood Wattle, whch did not have so many vines, survived the winds just fine.


Fallen branches and vines from Blackwood Wattle in Cemetery
You can see the amount of foliage and extraneous vegetation which has come down. I have marked it with a yellow line on the image. I would guess that his tree (half of which is still there), is probably 100 years old. It has certainly seen many storms before.


It was noted for the massive growth of Pyrrosia (Rock Felt Fern) growing all over the branches of the tree. That only happens on really old Blackwood Wattles. The younger trees usually have clean branches.

Saturday, September 26, 2009

Our best local Epiphytic Orchid

This is Sarcochilus falcatus - the "Orange Blossom Orchid".
The Robertson area is not well supplied with Epiphytic Orchids (Orchids which grow on trees). We do have a few, but mostly they grow very high in tall trees, and one only sees them when a tree blows down, bringing its "jewellery" with it.

In the case of the Orange Blossom Orchid, sometimes it is more accommodating, growing at about 3 metres above the ground. That is the case with this particular plant.In Robertson's cool temperate rainforest, this Sarcochilus likes to grow on Blackwood Wattles, but only on old trees which have developed a thick "coating" of the "Rock Felt Fern" (Pyrrosia rupestris). In this case, this is a relatively small tree, growing in a road cutting, so I could climb up the embankment to get half way to the height of the Orchids, then use the 300mm lens to get something approaching a reasonable image.
I was more or less on a level with the Orchid when I took this image.

This next plant is a "rescue" job, one which was on a branch which came down in a storm, and a friend of mine has tied it onto a small Blackwood, along with the root mat of the Fern. It is the third year it has flowered for her - so it is doing well.
Here it is up close.
These flowers are approximately 30 mm across,
and it is regarded by experts as a large-flowered form of this species.
The labellum is beautifully marked in orange with dark crimson stripes. That contrasts with the pure ice-white colour of the rest of the flower.

The plant gets its "orange blossom" name from reference to its sweet perfume. But I only saw this plant on a cold, windy night, and I was not conscious of any perfume. Perhaps on a warm, still, morning I would be aware of the perfume. The other plants, growing "wild" just down the road from my house, were too far away for me to be able to detect their perfume.

Sunday, April 05, 2009

Fitzroy Falls "East Rim" Walk

Today I led a walk along the Fitzroy Falls East Rim trail. The walk went off well, with 13 people, mostly NPA members, participating.
As with all my walks I made it clear the objective was to observe the "little things". We started of well with a Yellow Robin having a bath in the creek just near the bridge, accompanied by a Brown Thornbill in the long grass beside the creek and a White-browed Scrubwren hopping along a dirt track. Across the creek and past the bridge, we saw some bright red Boletus fungi (white pores underneath). We continued, with discussion of the protective bark of two different species of Persoonias (Geebungs).

In the dry heath country, we examined some of the prolific Lambertia formosa ("Mountain Devil" flowers.The towering Eucalypt trees in the gully were very impressive in the clear morning light, with their bark still damp from overnight dew. The ferns in the deep gullies were glowing beautifully. We even discussed the formation of the "croziers" (the fronds) and noted the patterns (as described in the mathematical theory of "fractals") in which the entire frond unfolds, but that each smaller level of sub-frond, also replicates the pattern, as each unfolds.

We noticed how much scratching of the wet forest floor had taken place - a signs of Lyrebirds.

A few flowers of the "Lesser Flannel Flower" (Actinotus minor) were examined under 10 power hand lenses. Always fascinating.

We then examined some tiny insects walking around in some of the gilled fungi we found on the track. I have photographed one of these before, and after seeking advice from Blogging colleagues, we concluded they are a form of "Springtail" (Collembola spp) some of the most prolific animals on the planet, yet seldom noticed by people, because they are so tiny.

We went out to several of the lookouts along the East Rim trail. One gave us this view back to the main Fitzroy Falls. Note the many tourists on the viewing platform beside the Falls.
As we were walking back out of the Gully on the East Rim Trail, we noticed a Lyrebird (Menura novaehollandiae) just below the track, beside the creek. We all stopped, and watched in amazement as this bird, a male, came right up onto the track.
We were all quiet and the bird took virtually no notice of us. It was a special moment for us all.
This is a moment which the youngsters in our group will treasure forever, I dare to say.
The bird walked down along the track towards us, and then crossed over the path just a few metres in front of the kids, and then walked along beside our entire group.
I vividly remember my own introduction to bird watching and learning about tiny and frequently overlooked plants, on Field Naturalists' trips, in Victoria, when I was less than 8 years old. Those experiences have stayed with me, and I sincerely hope that these little girls gain the same inspiration from today's walk which I experienced as a child myself, all those years ago.

What a joyous end to a very pleasant walk.

Wednesday, March 12, 2008

Under the Grotto

Down along the Belmore Falls Road there is a rough Fire Trail through the State Forest which leads to a favourite spot for Robertson locals. There is sandstone rock shelf there, where the Barrengarry Creek was forded by the early settlers. This ford is no longer passable, and trees have fallen, blocking the route.

Up stream from the ford is a broad pool. It looks like a great spot for Platypus and Azure Kingfishers, but I have never seen either of them in this pool, alas. I have seen the wonderful small Kingfisher at Belmore Falls road crossing (once). Anyway, today I went to explore the wonderful Grotto which is about 200 metres downriver from the old ford. It is a shallow waterfall, dropping about 3 metres over a curved rock shelf. There is a shallow pool below the falls, then the creek runs over more flat rocks, before resuming its quiet flow through deep pools. The creek is surrounded by rainforest plants, and masses of ferns .I had hoped to find some plants of Diplodium pulchellum, the Illawarra Greenhood, but alas I did not. However, I did find the Waterfall looking very photogenic (and the morning was pleasantly warm), and so I crawled in under the overhang of the water to achieve these few shots. It took some experimentation to get the exposure right for this shot to "work". As it is, the water is overexposed, but it is the best I could manage this morning. I wanted you to be able to see the underhang (the cavern behind the falls), and more importantly, the mosses and ferns and the "Rainforest Spinach" growing in under this "room".
I was also pleased to photograph the flowers of Fieldia australis. This plant is not uncommon, but it is a wet area specialist. But this is seen to advantage here. The plant is growing on a vertical rock wall, immediately behind the cascade of water. Normally it is seen in wet rainforest gullies, growing on moss-covered rocks or tree fern trunks, in places like Knight's Hill, or in the deep gullies of Upper Kangaroo Valley. Forgive me for only photographing this plant with my long lens. I was not that dedicated that I was going to walk right out into the flow of the Falls, to get closer. The long cream tubular flowers are clearly visible, and are unmistakable. Habitat, and flower shape make this a complete identification "fit". Apart from ferns and mosses, the other local plant which grows in this situation is the so-called "Rainforest Spinach". Its leaves and flowers are very different. The Native Spinach is growing closer to the lip of the falls, actually growing in the stream of water, whereas the Fieldia is growing behind the wall of water. It is interesting to note that Fieldia is related to the Gesneriad family, which includes many well-known "indoor plants", Gesneriads and also "African Violets".

When I see this plant growing, I am always reminded of those old-fashioned Butchers Shop windows which were cooled by running water. If only old butchers had known about this plant their shop windows would have been so interesting.

Wednesday, May 30, 2007

How Robin Hood met Little John.

Huge Eucalypt with hollow base
List and hearken, gentlemen,
That be of free-born blood,
I shall you tell of a good yeoman,
His name was Robin Hood.

Robin Hood by J. Walker McSpadden

This story has nothing to do with the current TV presentation of similar name. No this is a story from my childhood. When I was a child I was introduced to the literature of my tribe, through reading. Occasionally, such as today, I have cause to be thankful for that fact.
A natural bridge over
the Kangaroo River.
I love this scene. Physically, it is an imposing place, and - it takes me straight back to Robin Hood and his Merry Men.
This is a fallen tree trunk across the Kangaroo River, in the Carrington Falls Nature Reserve. I have no idea how tall this tree trunk was, but just the main trunk is in excess of 25 metres long. It is in excess of 1 metre wide at the base. The river span it crosses is at least 10 metres long, and about 3 metres drop. Enough to give me pause when gently testing my sense of balance, going out into the middle.
The whole scene put me in mind of Robin Hood's encounter with Little John, in Sherwood Forest.

For those not familiar with the incident, it runs like this (slightly edited).
**********
"As (Robin) approached the stream he saw that it had
become swollen by recent rains into quite a pretty torrent. The log
foot-bridge was still there."
"
But he was no sooner started across than he saw a tall
stranger (Little John) coming from the other side. Thereupon Robin quickened his pace,
and the stranger did likewise, each thinking to cross first. Midway they
met, and neither would yield an inch."

"The fight waxed fast and furious. It was strength pitted against
subtlety, and the match was a merry one. The mighty blows of the
stranger went whistling around Robin's ducking head, while his own swift
undercuts were fain to give the other an attack of indigestion. Yet each
stood firmly in his place not moving backward or forward a foot for a
good half hour, nor thinking of crying "Enough!" though some chance blow
seemed likely to knock one or the other off the narrow foot-bridge."

The fight went on and on. Eventually, Robin was bested, falling into the stream. He explained this to his band of "merry men" as follows:

"Why, marry," replied Robin, "this fellow would not let me pass the
footbridge, and when I tickled him in the ribs, he must needs answer by
a pat on the head which landed me overboard."

From CHAPTER II
HOW ROBIN HOOD MET LITTLE JOHN

Robin Hood by J. Walker McSpadden is more correctly Stories Of Robin Hood And His Merry Outlaws. It's a sentimental children's book of 1904.
This version comes from Project Gutenberg.
Huge King Fern trunk
I cannot resist one further ironic comment. This giant fern trunk is not tall, but it is at least 2 feet (600mm) in diameter, and just a little higher. It is an ancient King Fern (Todea barbara). This is one of the most ancient and imposing of this species which I have ever seen. And it is growing right on the very edge of the stream.

Judging by the evidence of drift wood, caught over my head in branches in nearby trees, this seemingly gentle stream is subject to huge, raging torrents, at times. This ancient fern is not troubled at all. It has over the years, formed a number of small crowns (growth points), where new groups of fronds can be seen growing from this ancient trunk.
*******
Imagine Robin Hood and Little John fighting their good natured duel, in the middle of that mighty fallen tree trunk, over the stream, with this ancient King Fern looking on. Robin Hood would have laughed.

Friday, May 25, 2007

A new blog link - Gaye in the Hunter Valley

In the last few days, I have stumbled across the blog of a kindred naturalist, armed with a camera.
Birds Nest Fungi
on the forest floor
Gaye, from the Hunter Valley, has been blogging for a little while now, and she has some excellent photos of fungi, and plants and lizards, and insects, and, and, and.

I have posted a permanent link to her blog in the side bar, under my "My Favourite Sites", and also another link to her Hunter Valley Fungi Blog - under the heading of Fungi Reference Sites. Both sites are well worth a look,
and keep them bookmarked for future reference (or save as "favourites").
Close up of the "eggs"

(peridioles) in the "nest"
I came across her Blog while searching for other photos of the Bird's Nest Fungus. I went back with David today to see if we could trigger the tiny little "eggs" (peridioles) to get splashed out of their nests (the way the books say they spread their spores about). However, we could not trigger them.




These particular fungi were fairly old, judging by the fact that nearly all the "nests" were empty. If I find another group of these fungi, I shall have another "go". My friends, Roy and Joan actually have had these fungi come up in pot plants on their back verandah. Easier to experiment with those, (if they come up again this year) than doing what I did today, searching for some time to "re-find" these few Birds Nest Fungi in the bush.
Those tiny fungi (above) are smaller than a thimble to fit my littlest finger.
Doodia
species ???
They were growing amongst a large area of Fishbone Ferns (possibly Doodia sp) in a section of forest which was "burnt off" last year. Hard to find, even when you know they are there somewhere. Talk about looking for a "needle in a haystack". It makes me wonder how I found them in the first place.



Tips of the frond and
distinctive spore pattern
underneath the fronds
I am not experienced in identifying ferns, but from a quick check of some reference books, these ferns are possibly a Doodia species. Forgive me if I refer to them as "Fishbone Ferns" (an imprecise layman's name), but from the shape of the fronds you can see why I use that name.
Any hints from visitors to the site would be appreciated, as I am always keen to learn.

This patch of ferns is growing strongly in an area which was burnt off last year. They are regrowth from old woody rhizomes which lie flat on the ground.
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