Birds of Bastion

 We took a stroll to Bastion Point on 18 August.  For the first time in quite a while the dredge was active at the boat ramp, possibly reflecting the amount of sand moving around from creeks opening and strong waves eroding beaches to the West.  Also the sea was relatively calm today allowing the dredge to work.

Before descending to the beach we noticed this flower growing beside the stairs.  Obviously a member of the Asteraceae but not one I recognise and there is nothing in Joy Greig's book that looks like it in beach section.  

• After searching a book on Sydney Sandstone plants I concluded that Reptinella longipipes was the best match, but the habitat suggested  - swamps - wasn't quite right.  
• Flora of Victoria marked that species in the area but the photos were not helpful.  
• Next step was iNaturalist which suggested Cotula sp: Joy's book does include C coronopifolia (but habitat = marshes and the plant is said to look succulent).  Checking Flora of Victoria for genus Cotula shows considerable confusion between Cotula and Reptinella 

So I have suggested Reptinella longipipes to iNaturalist.

Getting out onto the sand flats there was much noise by Australian Pied Oystercatchers (26 counted) displaying to each other.  None of them had flags.  Here is the display posture.

Quite a few Red-capped Plovers on the sandbars (and more ~20) on the beach.

The reputation of Solver Gulls for dining on chips is unwarranted.  This one had acquired an eel which was still alive when these photos were taken.

Shortly after the second image was acquired another gull arrived and showed an interest in the eel.  The first bird promptly swallowed 95% of the fish and departed with about an inch poking out of its beak!

We spent some time watching a pair of Chestnut Teal feeding in the mouth. This male was actually moving to the right!

They were swept out into the breakers and disappeared briefly then flew back into the channel to repeat the process!

As well as the flock of Red-capped Plovers there were several Double-banded PLovers of which 2 were in breeding plumage.

By their leaves ye shall predict them

 We'll get to the leaves shortly!  At the start are a couple of photos from the front of our house.  

First is Aseroe rubra, a stinkhorn fungus.  This has appeared in the same place as in June: clearly there is a mycelium under the mulch and the rain stimulated it to chuck up a fruiting body.

We planted some Hardenbergia violacea along the drive.  It is growing well.

Our afternoon walk today was the Betka River loop: primarily to see how the orchids aong there had survived.  At the start it obvious that the flooded area had received the weekend rain.

The track itself was a bit average in condition on a downhill section.

We did't find any new species of orchids along here but did get an additional colony of Pterostylis nutans when we approached Betka Rd again.   All the colonies we did find seemed to be in good order.

There were several specimens of this fungus around.  It doesn't look "right" for Amanita xanthocephala but I haven't got another name yet.

Moving along to the clifftops we found a nicely flowering colony of violets.  I think Viola hederacea.

Finally we get to the leaves!  This one is surely Glossodia major.  I suspect it has several days to get to flowering.

The heart shaped ones here are most likely Acianthus sp, with A. exsertus my main bet.

In the past they have been difficult to spot as they have tended to grow under vegetation. As there is no vegetation to grow under they will be easier to find (and photograph) this season.

Rain event 15-16 August

 Last weekend the BoM forecast Floodmageddon and we scored a total of 5.4 mm.  This weekend the forecast was more restrained so I was expecting zip.  However Hughie has been sending 'er down.  Yesterday we ended with 40.4 mm and today thus far (to 1500 hrs my Weather Station has recorded 35.8 mm.

The BoM site has recorded somewhat more as the system sending the moisture is to our West and we, and the Gabo Island site, are just getting the edge of it.

I was beginning to suffer from cabin fever so went for a drive to see what was occurring.  Its a reverse of a few weeks ago when the water was coming up from the Inlet.  Today it's definitely going the other way.

Mullet Creek usually has no flow: its got a bit today.

A paddock on Sunny Corner.  Not too sunny today!

Distant run-off on the edge of the Park, seen dimly through the rain.

Closer run off!

In part my outing was inspired by a video of water running across Bastion Beach.  Here is the deluge coming under the new steps.

And here is the source of the deluge,  I now understand the comment on FB about needing to unblock the drain!

While out at Bucklands I noticed a lot of Gastrodia sesamoides, also know as Potato Vine.

The raindrops were also quite artistic!

On the Monday 17 August the level of the Inlet was obviously up soI checked the depth gauge at the wharf.  It was basically back to where it was before the big rise which led to the opening.

Nice birds and more orchids

I found some interesting birds around the area on the morning of the 14th and a known orchid patch did not disappoint in the afternoon.  However I begin with a Coral Tree near the wharf.

The weather was wonderful.  Clear skies no wind and heading for 20C.  So I revisited the Gun Club Track area.

I had hoped to find the insectivorous birds on the Airport fence but they were absent.  An Australian Pipit posed nicely on top of a fence post.  This was the first of three which I saw during the visit.

A more typical sighting!

Although not a sighting as such it was good to hear a Eurasian Skylark singing as it ascended over the grass of the Airport.

A Dillwynia was looking very showy.  The plant seems a little different to those of D. sericea with which we are familiar but it seems to be the only local candidate for this habitat.  More research needed.

A large grey bird perched briefly on the fence and then headed for the trees.  A Grey Currawong, not common around here.

It eventually emerged to give a clearer view.  No idea why it is holding its foot up.

Back home the Fairywrens were very active.  I did hope to get an image of culminated courtship but that didn't happen.

This male kept puffing himself up as he called the females' attention to himself.  I don't know why making yourself look like an alien is a good mating strategy, but then I'm not a Fairywren (and it seems to work for the Mango Mussolini).

Off to Pebbly Beach in the afternoon.  It is interesting how different the alignment of Betka Rd is between the white line (cadastral road) and where it actually goes!

There were, as hoped, many Caladenia catenata on the track in to the parking lot.

We were surprised - and pleased - to find a flowering Lomatia ilicifolia near the steps down to Secret Beach.

In case you wonder why it is called "ilicifolia" here is a close up of the leaves.  Looks like holly to me!

A particularly lush clump of Hardenbergia violacea.

A different approach to bushfire art.  

My current interest in the burnt shapes has caused me to look for the sculptor whose work we saw at Yorkshire Sculpture Park in 2010.  Following Frances' suggestion I looked at their site for 'Past Exhibitions'  and there was David Nash. 

Heading down the track to Pebbly Beach some greenhoods appeared.  No Pterostylis grandiflora but several P. nutans.

and a few P. pedunculata.

Yellow was represented by Senecio linearifolius.  

A challenge for the orchid specialist.  There was a "gone over" capsule on the top of this stem!

Another challenge!  This is a coming-plant which I think will be an orchid.  I had rejected a suggestion of Glossodia major as it seemed far too big compared to the species in Carwoola,  but on consulting "Orchids of East Gippsland" it is on the money.

This site is not anti-geology.  So I have no idea why I initially omitted this photo of a balanced rock at Pebbly Beach.  I also have no idea why we haven't noticed it on our ~30 previous visits to this site:  has it just been deposited by a recent storm?

In Queensland they'd create an entire National Park for that.  (But it would only be about 10 Hectares in extent: cf the Curtain Fig in Yungaburra.)

Returning home there was a terrestrial ruckus.  It turned out that a pair of Masked Lapwings have hatched 4 chicks which required a lot of noise from the adults to keep under control.

No orchids, but ...

.. quite a few other things in flower.  On 13 August we went to the Miners Track.  I had walked a way on this in the past with the Footmobiles and wanted to see how it was going.  The area nearby under the powerlines is exciting for Thelymitra and Prasophyllum in Summer so I hoped it would also be productive for Winter orchids.

Alas no.  All we found was some leaves which Frances wondered about being a Prasophyllum.  That sounds like a good suggestion.  P. elatum is a possible which we have seen nearby and starts flowering in September (which isn't too far away in a wet, warm year).

The first flower snapped was Kennedia prostrata.  This is growing everywhere but only a few flowers are evident so far.  This one - the only one today - was nicely positioned.

In contrast there was a profusion of the next three species.  I only added Lobelia gibbosa to my list of known species recently.  This one earned a photo as a triple header

We have known Scaevola ramosissima for ages.  It is one of the commonest flowers across the whole area at present and was very common on this outing,  This plant was particularly floriferous.

Also very common along the track was Drosera auriculata.  Many plants scattered along the way.  I wanted to find a specimen with more than 1 open flower: of course as soon as I found 1, most plants had 2 open flowers  (but I don't think we found a triple).

In case you wonder why they are called Sundews: every insect's nightmare!