Mushrooms and Fungus

Here are six different varieties of mushrooms that were growing in our yard on 16 May of this year. I think this was almost every variety we have seen. But, if I spot others I will add then to this post. And as I identify them, I will add their names. At least one of them—the yellow one—is probably not indigenous to the Dandenong Ranges.

UPDATE 30 Dec 2011:

UPDATE 19 Jan 2012:

Who Wants a Naked Phone?

We don't! And Milstar wants us to have a decently-clothed phone too. In fact, they want to make everyone's phone "just about the most fashionable item in [the] home"—just about. So get a 70s "Dress-a-phone" today! (Tardis and Guide-dog required).

The Nesting Magpies Show

Our Maggies built their nest at eye level, about twenty metres from the house, directly in front of the kitchen window. So, for the last two months, we have been able to see their every move. The nest in huge, so it was quite a while before we could see the chick(s) that we could hear so easily. But then, in no time at all, we could see the fledgling(s) on the edge of the nest, flapping their wings, getting ready to leave the nest.

It is still not clear to me whether their is/was two chicks/fledglings: M. thinks two, I only got to see one. But since I can't see twenty metres without my glasses and I often don't wear them, I have been prepared to take M. at her word.

Anyway, this morning one of the chicks/fledglings left the nest. As I write, this fledgling is sitting, very awkwardly, in a thin and low branch of a tree (closer to the house). There are three other Magpies feeding it, one of which is the youngling from last season. None of the three older Magpies are returning to the nest to feed or care for any other chick, and so, if there was a twin (we have been calling them "the twins" for a few days now) it has died.

I wondered whether the youngling from last season was the second bird M. has seen in the nest, but she is adamant that it isn't. And, until we can have a look under the nest without disturbing the fledgling, there is no way of discovering whether a chick fell out or died and was pushed out.

I will try to get better photos of the whole family of Magpies. Unfortunately, the nest is too far away to take a happy snap any better than the above with my new digital camera, but now that they are out of the nest I should be able to do better.