The beginning of Autumn brings cold winds, rain, frost, and fungi. Little mushrooms and toadstools start popping up all over the place, adding little splashes of colour to the forest floor. Fungi are extremely important, because they break down dead organic matter into nutrients that can be re-used by plants and animals. They help plants grow by extending the nutrient uptake of roots as mycorrhizae, and are a food source for us (well, some of them anyway). They’re also great photographic subjects, because they come in a wide array of colours, shapes and sizes, some of which are gorgeous.

I went on two ecology field trips in autumn, one to Pureora Forest Park, and one to Te Maketu Pā Reserve. Both were great places for finding fungi! My favourite two photographs are of Amantia muscaira from Te Maketu (above) and Entoloma hochstetteri from Pureora (below). Neither are edible, but they are beautiful! Amantia muscaria is commonly known as Fly agaric, and was accidentally introduced to New Zealand and is a fungal weed. Entoloma hochstetteri  is a native fungus commonly known as Kokako, because it is a similar blue to the wattles of the North Island Kokako. It also features on our $50 note!

At Pureora I also managed a record shot of a North Island Kokako that had partly-leucistic (white) plumage, which is on the New Zealand Birds Online website. Check it out here!