24 of us met at the top of Woodland Track and headed down the hill observing a few flowering plants such as Sweet Wattle and Banksia.
Walking down the Woodland Track hill (Photo by Meredith Shears)
We wandered through the campground following the signs, stopping for a morning tea break sitting on logs enjoying the ambience and the frog calls.
Morning tea (Photo by Alison Watson)
We continued on to find the dry waterhole at the end of the campsite area. Lots of moss and lichen of various species, some fungi including brightly coloured Witches Butter, Tremella mesenterica, and other Tremella species.
Witches Butter fungi (Photo by John Lenagan)
An impressive Painted Apple Moth, Orgyia anartoides, caterpillar was found feeding on a Black Wattle.
Painted Apple Moth (Photo by John Lenagan)
As we followed the old track out towards Cecil Track we started to find the orchids.
Photgraphing orchids (Photo by Alison Watson)
There were colonies of Nodding Greenhood leaves and Trim Greenhood in bud. There were lots of paired leaves of the Autumn Wasp Orchid and we were delighted to find a few in flower.
Autumn Wasp Orchid (Photo by Meredith Shears)
There were Mosquito Orchid leaves, and leaves of spring flowering Waxlips and Sun Orchids appearing already. Some very tall Tiny Greenhoods were still flowering with one with two fungi flies on top.
Fungi flies (Photo by Alison Watson)
A tiny ‘bracelet’ of Blue-eye Lacewing egg cases was a nice find on the underside of a fallen log.
Blue-eye Lacewing egg cases (Photo by John Lenagan)
Out on Cecil Track the bikes were revving up but we quickly moved past them. Looking for birds along Gumflat Rd we found Pardalotes, White-eared Honeyeater, New Holland Honeyeater, Grey Shrike Thrush, Eastern Spinebill, Fantailed Cuckoo, Superb Fairywrens and a lovely view of two Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos.
Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos (Photo by Alison Watson)
It was a very enjoyable morning and hopefully it was just the right amount of plant identification and exercise and enjoyable conversation.
Alison Watson