- Dec 30, 2018
Updated: Feb 9
The last job of the year, 29th December - monitoring of our 2 Small Milkwort (SM) Plots in the Kara Kara National Park. Both plots are very dry and show signs of incursions by wallabies and kangaroos- scrapes, hip hollows, pruning and droppings. The larger plot had 58 spikes ( we believe that each rootstock puts up multiple stems and it is hard to decide where each plant starts and ends). There were only 7 flowering spikes in contrast to 24 last year; the spikes were very small and the flowers miserable! Most plants were less than 5cm tall.
On a brighter note, the Eutaxia microphylla and Templetonia stenophylla are doing very well- both are members of the pea family and are very palatable to browsers and grazers so the protection offered by our fence has proved its worth there. Leafy Templetonia- T. stenophylla flowers and leaves
Common Eutaxia- E. microphylla
The second plot, also known as the "Small Small Milkwort Plot" is also having problems with wallabies- the Peach Heath looked as if a mower had been over it and ditto the Small Milkwort. Only 1 flower spike out of 48 plants was found. A new colony of SM was found in 2016 and is persisting - 7 stems but no flowering spikes. It is likely that more SM is out there but the smallness of the plants, and near-impossibility of seeing them unless they are flowering makes this plant difficult to find.
Summer, grass-seeds, mosquitoes and heat all combine to make searching for it quite a task. Monitoring data for this project will soon be on our website. The Yellow Gums in both plots have been flowering and are now getting ready to shed their bark- the colours are astounding.
- Oct 17, 2018
Updated: Feb 9
Warm, sultry overcast weather with storms.
The farmers hate this weather- too late for rain to do any good and it spoils the hay!
However, strange things blow in with a north-east weather system. Large flocks of White-browed Woodswallows hunting for insects over the treetops. Pair of White-browed Woodswallows
Photo G. Cheers
Then a weird metallic trumpeting, muttering and cackling call and 2 Dollarbirds appear on the scene.
Magpies, Striated Pardalotes and Red Wattlebirds get a run as do the Woodswallows.
Dollarbird at Carapooee West
Photo A Hughes
A quite large and chunky bird with a most distinctive flight pattern and a white circular patch on each wing- the eponymous dollar. Checking on the distribution in the Birdlife Atlas, these are rare visitors to our region.
This is the first sighting I have had of this species in our region in 37 years- so a new species for our BIrd List.
- Sep 14, 2018
Updated: Feb 9
Shake off your winter miseries and take a walk up to Bell Rock, just on the outskirts of town (take Wycheproof Rd/Hopetoun St then L into Butcher St and head north!)
Wear solid walking shoes as the ground is really rough.
Flowering now, although reduced because of the dry conditions our endemic Goldfield Boronia(Boronia anemonifolia ssp. aurifodina)
and some beautiful examples of Bendigo Waxflower (Philotheca verrucosa) on the north west slope below the Rock.
See the verrucosities(warts!) along the leaves and sprawling stems.
