Heath'n'Beach

 On the 3rd of September we decided that it was a while since we had been to the Heathland so remedied that situation.  It was a lovely walk - with the possible exception of the stretch along the beach on soft sand with a lazy wind (one that can't be bothered going round, but cuts straight through you).  Here is the route.

The were a lot of peas in the wooded area. The "bacon and egg" ones all seemed to be Dillwynnia sericea.

This was a particularly striking assemblage of flowers.  The main ones are Acacia longifolia; Hardenbergia violacea, and Acacia myrtifolia.

Allocasuarina paludosa in the heath is beginning to come back strongly.  Most of the bi=ushes seemed to be well in flower.

Stackhousia monogyna.

A particularly vigorous and colourful Hakea decurrens.

The first Burchardia umbellata (Milkmaids(??))of the season.  When we first came to Mallacoota the airstrip was covered in these.

The heathland produced a single orchid.  Diuris chryseopsis (Golden Moth), which we rarely find in this area.

Melaleuca armillaris

A pair if Hooded Plovers were near the estuary, but on the road side of the River rather than the area they usually nest.  The nesting area has built up some sand after a big storm washed it all away, but it looks very low and flat still.  

Two Caspian Terns were on a sandbar in the River and one stayed for a snap.

The second one flew back later,

Leptospermum laevigatum (I think - Coast Tea-tree seems appropriate!)

A good haul of Greenhoods (Pterostylis curta).

The spider orchids have a while to go before flowering.

A single Diuris pardina on the Chip Track.

An attractive looking sedge.  Life is too short to try to ID them below the family (Cyperaceae) level!

There is a lot of Comesperma ericinum coming in to flower, especially in the Heath.  This specimen seemed to be the most advanced.