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.
We were heading to Walk Track No 1 and soon came across the first flowering plant for the day a Cryptandra tomentosa – 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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