Sightings

Lately, I've been using my binoculars more and checking out the bird life. On the weekend, I saw three king parrots, but other birds were harder to identify. I need to take my bird book with me and do it on the spot!

In the past four weeks, I've seen the echidna again, but also we finally spotted the wombat at dusk. He was a fair way off, heading up the hill, so no photos as he had disappeared by the time we got up there (he was probably wondering who the mad people were thrashing through the bracken behind him!). Consequently, I'm posting a photo instead of one of his many holes.

The other sighting was of a koala. This is only the second time we've seen one on our property, so it was pretty exciting (well, it was for my husband, as when I went up past the rocks, I couldn't find it). There is plenty of evidence though - gum trees with lots of scratches and shredded trunks. I have borrowed a copy of "Tracks, Scats and Other Traces" by Barbara Triggs from the library so that will come in handy.

More Trees

It doesn't seem to take much for a tree, especially a gum tree, to start up again. Maybe that's because of bush fires, because you will often see a burnt out area with blackened gums where the trunks are literally blooming with new growth. This tree has been down for nearly a year, but with a couple of decent rainfalls recently, we're seeing quite a bit of this new growth from broken trunks here and there.
We talked to a local man recently who told us that our property (and adjacent forest) was totally burned out in 1951. This explains why a lot of our trees are not very big and old, of a similar height and girth, and all look like they sprinted upwards at once to grab the light.
This means that we don't have many old trees with holes which is, of course, where wildlife such as owls and possums live. However, I spotted these down the southern end, and have since found more to the west.
I'm also finding a lot of things on the ground that someone once told me was 'owl vomit' - in other words, what the owl spits out after eating small animals. However, what I'm finding are things that are full of insect casings. They don't look like scats. Any clues, anyone?
My guess is that this is one of the original old trees from 1951. Its insides are mostly burned, and the rest of the tree is dead, but it's still standing, as are several others nearby. They are all large trees, which makes me wonder what kind of forest was there before the 51 fire. Very sad if it was largely trees this size, but it's also possible that it was only the biggest ones that stayed standing and the small ones that went.

By Gum!

The gum trees (eucalypts) on our property are many! And often hard to identify as my only book that covers trees has no photos and some minimal descriptions of leaves. This is, I believe, a ghost gum. Its white trunk and branches are so vivid against the rest of the green and brown that it is outstanding to see. This one was highlighted by sunshine, but at night in the moonlight I can see why this is their common name.
I think this is a candlebark gum. I've read that these were given their name by early settlers because in bushfires the curled bark (that hangs down in long strips) looks like candles when it burns.
Stringybark - again named for how it looks, I would say. The younger stringybarks are not as rough but this one is older and wiser.
We also have peppermint gums and ironbarks, plus a few other varieties that I can't yet identify. One day I'll find a decent book!

Summer Heat

As it gets hotter and drier, there's not much happening flower-wise. At the end of December I found this - a Sticky Everlasting - and a few more Hyacinth Orchids. There has been more rain this year than we've had for a while, so the bracken is not dying off as it has done before.
We've spent the past two weekends putting a culvert in at the bottom gate, so no time for walking and photos, unfortunately.

Flora and Fauna!

This echidna was determined to stay with his nose under the leaves until I went away. We saw him along Burke and Wills Track, and had to stop and take a photo.
At the moment there are quite a few acacia seedlings coming up - this is a Silver Wattle, I think. They often don't last, due to the canopy starving them of light, but those that do persist and grow into trees tend to be spindly and fall over after a few years. However, down the south end there is more light and there are some bigger trees that look wonderful when in flower.
I have only found a couple of these and I'm guessing when I say they're Pink Sun-orchids, but I'm pretty sure they're Sun-orchids of some kind because of the stamens.
There are still lots of bluebells around, but most other things I've posted photos of so far have gone. It'll be interesting to see what the summer flowers might be.
I have spent the last two visits up there with my home-made weed wand, attacking all the dandelions. It's the only weed we seem to have a bit of, and I'm determined to try and get rid of as many as I can. However, as the neighbour's paddock is full of them, it's going to be a long battle!

Beetle Who?

I have a terrific book on plants in my area. Another good one on birds, although a bit complex perhaps for identification. Insects? Nada. This specimen was the second I saw today. Beautiful gold back sparkling in the sunlight, with a little band around its neck.
Any clues, anyone? Snail?

December 16th

Just for a change, some fauna instead of flora. According to the website I consulted, this is: Common Brown - Heteronympha merope - This widespread butterfly is common along the hills face zone and in the Adelaide suburbs. The caterpillars feed on native and introduced grasses. Wingspan - female (top) 64mm, male (bottom) 56mm.
There are lots of these butterflies at Lancefield, and I was really happy to see so many today, along with Wanderers. The drought affects them immensely, I imagine because of less flowers and flowering trees to feed on.
I've posted this flower before, but it's so gorgeous, I had to do it again. Common Fringe Lily. Nothing common about this!
First time I've sighted this so far. A Rosy Hyacinth Orchid. Just the one, in among the bracken.
I spent a lot of time today with my home-made Weed Wand (soaked in weed killer) walking around stabbing dandelions. It's one of the few weeds we have. Then when we drove out of the property to go home, here is the neighbour's paddock full of them. I will fight on!