October 2024 Weather Report

 The summary is fairly straightforward: moderate temperatures and continuing dry.

Rain

What is this thing called rain?  The total miserable fall for October was 19.2mm, the third lowest for the period for which I have records (starting in 1977).  For the last three months the % of median fall has been 36, 89 and now 31.  I will not bother with daily rainfall, other than to note the highest fall (over half the monthly total!) was 10mm on the 5th,  To illustrate  the bleedin' obvious, the month was  well below last year and the median.

My prorata estimate of the annual fall has been in more less constant decline since 30 July with the outcome now below 1000mm for the first time since 5 June.

Temperatures

 The temperature anomaly ended the month at -0.08C, so a little cool.  the development of the anomaly though the month shows a cool start which rapidly warmed up and then wobbled about close to zero for the rest of the month.

A time series of anomaly values shows very variable raw data readings but the 12 month moving averages (removing seasonal variation) and the trend line thereof show a drop from peak values.  I'd still keep the sunscreen handy.

A plot of daily extreme values and the average of them since 2019 shows a lot of variation.  There was no period of consistently above or below averages.

There were no periods of consecutive days with maximum and minimum both significantly above or below the average mean temperature for the month.  The average daily temperature range of 9.5C was fairly close to the average range of  10.2C.

Minimum temperature

The lowest temperature was 4.6C on the 9th.  The average minimum of 10.36 was a little above the long term series including BoM data for years before 2019 but below the average of the 6 years at Angophora Drive and very similar to October 2023.

There were 8 days more than 1 SD below the mean minimum for October of which 2 were more than 2 SD below the mean. Only 3 minima were significantly above the mean minimum.

Maximum Temperatures

The highest maximum recorded in the month was 26.2 on the 22nd.  The average maximum (20.33C) was a little above the average for Angophora Drive (but exactly on the longer term average).

There was only 1 day more than 1 SD below the mean maximum for October. 3 maxima were significantly above the mean maximum.

Humidity

For the first 16 days of the month the rH readings for the 2 standard times were very close, with the afternoon reading lower than expected.  For the second half of the month the pattern was closer to expectations.

Overall the average rH for 0900 hrs ended up below the average for the previous 5 years while that for 1500 hours was below, but within 1 percentage point of, the average. 

Wind

October is traditionally a windy month. However the average run for this month was the shortest by several kilometres of the 6 Octobers for which I have records.  This is due to a number of quite calm days (run <50km) and there not being any days with long runs (>300km).  The longest daily run was only 251km.  

Tempest data

A friend with a weather station near the wharf has given me access to his information published through the Tempest system.  The data I extract therefrom are lightning strikes (within 40km) and solar radiation.

Lightning strikes

Only 12 strikes recorded in October.

Solar radiation

The system records maximum radiation during the day and average radiation.  I average them to get an index for illustrative purposes. 

Clearly there is a seasonal pattern evident so I have calculated a 12 term moving average to smooth that effect.  The smoothing is very effective, showing an almost constant value. (Unlike the feed-in tariff of course which drops constantly.)

An interesting paddle

There have been a lot of waders on the sandbars in front of Captain Stevenson's Point in recent days.  As the weather seemed reasonable (not cold, and light wind although forecast to increase in an hour or so) I decided to fire up the kayak and go visit the area to see what I could photograph.

The first interesting element arose as I prepared to launch the kayak at the wharf.  After getting the kayak off the trailer, getting all the bits and pieces out of the Pajero and wheeling them to my launch spot, I realised that:

1.  the the two components of the paddles were different; and
2. I had picked up two with the female fitting.

So wheel everything back to the car, reload everything and drive home to pick up the needed male half of the paddle.  I was not happy.  However I got back and launched.  Here is my route: yellow arrows are in kayak, red are walking.

I will get to the birds in a while but will write a little about progress.  There is much more water than shown in the image and I was finding a good channel all the way to the Point but after turning across towards the island I could see that I was running out of liquid so the pedals were removed and paddling happened - perhaps for 100m: I was glad I had the correct paddles!  I dragged the kayak well out of the water (being uncertain if the tide was rising or falling).

When I got to point X on the walk I could feel the breeze getting stronger so decided that it was time to pull the plug.  Of course I was a little delayed by the Beach Stone-Curlew but launched OK (the tide was going out or the rising westerly was pushing water out).  Once I got going I found that the wind was pushing me around somewhat and the water was shallower than on the way out.  Pedals out and paddle:

• discovering how useful the rudder was in counteracting the wind's desire to send me to Gabo, and
•  praising various deities that I had the correct paddles rather than trying to remember how to do a J-stroke with half the set!  

Once back to the deep channel by the campground I was also sheltered from the wind and pedalled back happily.  

Here are some bird photos.

Pelicans and about 400 Crested Terns.

Bar-tailed Godwit; Red Knot; Red-necked Stint and Red-capped Plover

Red-necked Stints

This image gives an idea of the density of the birds as the whole shoreline was covered like this.  On thinking about it. possibly 300m long, 10m wide, at least 1 wader per 5 square metres.

As I was approaching the kayak I spotted a Red-capped Plover doing a distraction display and then in the background, this!  A/the Beach Stone-Curlew is back.  I shall try to do a review of the history of the species in Mallacoota but they are not common.

A plant walk to a couple of spots

Somehow or another - and I am inclined to point at a Dodge Ram parked by the tennis courts - we failed to make contact with another member (sorry, Wayne) who turned up.  So at 1005 we headed off to Davis Creek Heath to see what was around.  Not as floriferous as I have known it, but I got a few phone snaps, nearly all of which have been endorsed by at least one reviewer on iNaturalist.

The flower is Leptospermum resinosa and the insect is I suspect a Soldier Beetle (family Cantharidae).

Melaleuca armillaris is beginning to hit its straps.

Pimelea humilis

Comespermum ericinum was very much evident.

Dianella revoluta

Wahlenbergia sp.

Coronidium scorpioides

A small Fringe Lily with a twiny stem makes it Thysanotus patersonii.

These much larger Fringe Lilies are T. tuberosus.

We did see a few Sun Orchid buds but none in flower.  So we took ourselves off to the powerlines opposite the Information Board on Genoa Rd.  Not an Orchid in sight (although later in the day we were told of Beard Orchids and Flying Ducks nearby).

It is always nice to see the large 'pea' Gompholobium hugellii.

And small 'peas' Aotus ericoides!

Several grass trees Xanthorrhorea resinosa had well developed spikes.

Lorikeets

 When we first started visiting Mallacoota large flocks of Rainbow and Musk Lorikeets were a regular sight in Summer.  Numbers of birds per flock seem to have declined, especially for Musk Lorikeets, in recent years.   I have had a look at eBird records and it is I suspect too complicated to produce evidence to support that claim.  However this year, especially in the last 2 months, numbers of Lorikeets seem to have risen again (if indeed they had dropped).

On our walk this morning there were lots of both  species in some Callistemons near Fisheries Jetty so I went back with a chair and my camera.

Rainbow Lorikeet on Callistemons

Musk Lorikeet on Callistemon

Yesterday I took a photo of a Rainbow Lorikeet on a Xanthorrhoea australis spike so include that.

Stretching the title of the post a little, a White-headed Pigeon posed nicely this morning so that also gets a go!

Very surprisingly I did not see nor hear any Scarlet Honeyeaters in the 30 minutes I sat there.  Usually flowering Callistemons are a magnet for them.t 

Footmobile Orchids

 On 1 October the Mallacoota Footmobiles did a car crawl, with short walks, checking out flowering orchids.  This shows where we stopped.

Calochilus paludosis Red Beard Orchid

Thelymitra carnea Pink Sun Orchid

Thelymitra ixioides Spotted Sun Orchid

Prasophyllum elatum Tall Leek orchid

Diuris orientis Wallflower orchid

Glossodia major Large Waxlip Orchid

Caladenia tentaculata Eastern Mantis Orchid

As we got back towards the cars a pair of Jacky Lizards (Amphibolus muricatus) were taking some rays.

They let me get quite close!