Early on a bright and beautiful Sunday morning eight or nine members of the Raymond Island Land Care group, suitably clothed and sprayed against the mozzies, gathered to do some planting. This was the final planting at The Wedge. This time we were planting an assortment of gums, boobialla, lily’s and calistamons. It was a great morning and heartening to see that recent rains had made a real impact and most previous plantings were coming on nicely.
Your intrepid reporter spotted on Centre road a group of six or seven kangaroos grazing in the early light. (pic.) I was lost, again. I also saw a beautiful clump of big fungi (pic), Boletuses I think, and also took a slightly blurry picture of an early green hood orchid. While planting we were visited by two young, male, koalas, they were “arguing” about who saw the tree first.
At the recent Land Care meeting it was reported that there have been sightings of dolphin and seal in the straits, and the sharp-of-eye can see sea eagles, king parrots, currawongs and red robins which have returned. It was also reported that the very rare Swift parrots have been seen; also the Weebill and a wedge tail eagle. I have yet to see any of these, but I am looking.
Also spotted by some lucky people was a ghost fungus (Omphalotus Nidiformus), but sadly the fruiting body is short lived and is no longer there to see. It grows on dead wood and has a greenish glow at night, hence the name. There is an excellent article on this fungi in Monday 18 May Advertiser.
Editor's note: Andrew Bould was one of the lucky Islanders to see the ghost fungus. His photographs are featured in our new gallery.
