KRM Branch, 15 July 2024

The July meeting saw a good turnout, a mix of members and visitors. The theme was a Members’ Night, and presentations by Daniel Heald and Colin Prickett were featured.

First up was Daniel, who mentioned that while in New Zealand on holiday during the Christmas/New Year period, he had been surprised by the diversity of Lichens that he had seen on his trip. He briefly discussed the biology of Lichens, saying that they are made up of a mixture of Fungi and Algae, the two forming a symbiotic relationship in which the fungus component receives food from the algae (produced by photosynthesis) while the fungus protects the algae. New Zealand has around 2,000 species of Lichens growing on many types of surfaces, from wood to man-made objects. Daniel then showed images of a wide selection of the Lichens that he encountered during his travels through New Zealand.

Colin then presented the results of the 2024 National Shorebird Count for the Peel/Yalgorup Ramsar Site 482 that took place in early February.

The Shorebird Count is an annual national program and PHCC runs the Peel-Yalgorup count in conjunction with Birdlife Australia. This year, the count involved 24 teams, and 77 volunteers spread out from Preston Lakes to Mandurah. Despite the hot, dry summer that resulted in many ephemeral lakes drying out earlier than usual, the total shorebird count came in at 13,668 shorebirds and 44,347 wetland birds, with further details in the attached summary.

Following the shorebird count presentation, Colin shared some photographs of recent sightings, including photos of birds, orchids, fungi, and insects.

The audience thanked both presenters for their contributions.

Colin Prickett