An extension towards Shipwreck Creek

I posted recently about a walk towards Shipwreck Creek.  We decided to have another foray there, going a bit further.

The area seemed quieter both in terms of birdsong and flowers.  We noticed a few Schelhammera undulata in the woodland early on but that was all.  Things picked up a bit in the heath.  The first photostop was for a Sundew Drosera auriculata.  I particularly like the feathery stamens.

There were quite a few Burchardia umbellata in the grass (sedge? reed?) now growing rampantly where there used to be heath.  I have no idea why they have a common name of "Milkmaids"!

Not a good photo, but is does hopefully show the differing structure of a Craspedia variabilis (left) and Coronidium elatum (right).  Both are members of the Family Asteraceae, commonly called 'daisies' rather than 'asters' for some reason!  Although these are said to flower in Spring thhere was quite a lot in the heath.

A few Pimelea linifolia were in flower in the heath.  I decided on this species as it flowers in Winter.

There were tree ferns (Cyathea australis) in the gullies amongst the charred remains of the spear grass (Gahnia sp.)  These were particularly striking, up to ~2 m tall.

An uncurling frond.

There were quite a few fungi around, and several of them were Ascomycetes rather than the more usual Basidiomycetes.  I have identified this as Plicaria sp, possibly P. recurva.

Obviously a gilled fungus but I have no idea what.

This is the problem we found last time.  The experts of Fungimap couldn't come to a decision about ID but I have now seen Pulvinula archeri, which ticks most of the boxes (colour, size shape, substrate).

Frances commented how burning the low bush has revealed a lot of ant mounds.  Some of them have also burnt: as a naturalist friend commented "there is a lot of organic material in them".

Other ants which don't form hills had been building up the entrances to their burrows, probably as a result of the rain.  The excavated material looked rather like sawdust, but was in fact light coloured sand, contrasting with the blackened ground.

A hoverfly feeding on a Craspedia flower.  The wings are in focus!

We were surprised to meet a cyclist in the woodland.  He was pushing his bike in an area where the track was indistinct, having ridden down the road to Shipwreck.  In a llightly damp patch it was evident that quite a few people had ridden the route.

My guess is that we went about 1 km further than last time.  We got a nice coastal view where we turned.