Rainforest Workshop

Last week I attended a rainforest workshop presented by Marc Russell from the Mary River Catchment Coordinating Committee. In the morning Marc explained how to ID rainforest species by using the key in the book "Rainforest Trees amd Shrubs" by Harden, McDonald, and Williams. He then set small groups the task of ID'ing samples that he provided. This was definitely challenging!
In the afternoon we travelled to the Bymien Picnic area and walked around one of the trails through the rainforest while Marc ID'd trees and shrubs and commented on their growth.
There were a number of these fungi growing close to the picnic tables where the forest was a little more open. (Can anyone supply an ID, please?)

Kauri Pine

Picabeen or Bangalow Palm

Lillypilly

Staghorn growing high in a tree (I am told that this is possibly an Elkhorn!)

This was all new to me so I did not get as much benefit as those who came with a lot more knowledge to begin with. I must admit that part way through the walk I heard birds in the distance so went off by myself where I could see and hear them away from the noise of the conversation. There were birds feeding high in the canopy which I could not ID, a number of Fantails swooping through the rays of sunshine - I assume for insects - and on the forest floor a very small bird busily hunting around in the leaf litter. By this time it was late afternoon and the light was too dark for the automatic focus to work on the camera and I was too slow with the manual focus!