It was a cool but pleasant morning as seven hardy souls headed out to O’Donohue’s Road for the nature ramble walk. A visitor, Helen, was excited to be on the walk having regularly come to Anglesea since she was two but only now looking to join Angair.
Group investigates the plants
We were heading to Walk Track No 1 and soon came across the first flowering plant for the day a Cryptandra tomentosa – Prickly Cryptandra.
Prickly Cryptandra
As expected at this time of year the wattles were a feature with the Golden Wattle – Acacia pycnantha just starting to make a great show while the Sweet Wattle – Acacia suaveolens was just finishing flowering.
Golden Wattle
As we headed up the track we came across another wattle flowering, the Varnish Wattle – Acacia verniciflua while we were disappointed to also see a number of established Sallow Wattles – Acacia longifolia growing in the bush and flowering prolifically which is an environmental weed on the Surf Coast.
Varnish Wattle
We were delighted to find the odd Showy Parrot-pea – Dillwynia sericea and Black Eyed Susan – Tetratheca ciliata in flower as well as the ever present Common Heath – Epacris impressa.
Showy Parrot-pea
Common Heath
As we meandered along, we also saw Hibbertia sericea – Silky Guinea Flower, Leucopogon virgatus – Common Beard Heath, Spyridium vexilliferum var vexilliferum – Winged Spyridium and Billardiera mutabilis – Common Apple Berry flowering. The only orchid still in flower although mainly finished was the Acianthus pusillus – Small Mosquito Orchid although there were many leaves of other orchids which will flower later in the season.
Wandering off the track
As we made our way back to the cars, we came across a few plants of the Twiggy Daisy Bush – Olearia ramulosa with just one or two flowers and as we were just about to leave the track Lyn Paul found another wattle in flower Acacia aculeatissima – Thin leaf Wattle which is a prickly prostrate wattle.
Heath Daisy
Although a winter walk it had a good range of plants in flower and the group that came enjoyed the variety.
Neil Duncan
Photos Neil Duncan and Mandy Mitchell – Taverner