Life in Rock Pools

In 2019 we were most impressed by the amount and diversity of marine life in the rock pools at Bastion Point.  This year there seems to less life both in quantity and diversity (and the 'mix' has changed).  We wonder if this is because of the amount of ash/charcoal washed around following the fire or some other reason.  Since the breakwater was constructed well before 2019 I don't think that is the answer,

Explanations welcome: we decided to try to assess and photograph what is present, and to think about what is missing (or present in additional numbers).  The 13th of December was a good day for this as the low tide was both very low (0.12m) and at a good time (1413 hrs).  I shall add names to the beasts etc as I discover them,

Before getting to the wildlife here is a work of man: an excellent set of new steps, so we don't have to dice with death walking down the footpath-free road.

A snip from Google Earth shows the two areas we snuffled around.

One of the extra life forms is the Sea Hares.  Not only are they around in large numbers but they are depositing egg masses under every rock ledge.  The blobs are all Sea Hares (looking a tad used as the water has receded leaving them in a dry situation).  It appears as though one of them is still emitting eggs (the yellow string).

A scuttling crab.

A Top Shell (I think).

I describe this as brown gooze.  I think it is some form of sponge but it could be algal.  This is the first time I have noticed it and it was present in large quantities close to the water between the breakwater and the Point

Throughout the area was large areas covered by this green seaweed.

There was also the usual brown laminate kelp, but that was lower down and only exposed because of the low tide.

A few standard limpets were around but no Shield Limpets.

A few Chitons, not no really big ones,  They seemed lower in numbers than we have found in the past,

Mussels were present and they seemed low in numbers (especially compared to the masses found at Betka and Quarry Beach).  This clump also seemed larger than usual.

Barnacles were evident.

The most excitement was an octopus spotted lurking under a rock ledge.

It eventually emerged and was photographed

I was initially disappointed with the image but on looking more closely I have got a fair few features of the animal which I have labelled in this version.

At one point it revealed its underside which was quite colourful, but I didn't manage to photograph that!  From memory I would assess the size of the body as about 10cm diameter.

Near the Point a large pool had a few cooperative fish.  Some were about 10cm in length ...

.. while others were much smaller.

There were a few sea anemones around, mainly of the purple blob style and all drawn in due to the low tide.

One of the Eastern Reef Egrets obliged with its presence.

Mainly Heaths

We have looked a few times for Horned Orchids (and found one along the Seal Track).  This included several times at the Davis Creek heath, where we have not hit that target.

Frances did spot this colourful insect, which I have decided is Leptotarsus liponeura (a crane fly.)  This is still awaiting corroboration by gurus on iNaturalist.org.  

Some grass flowers are interesting to look at in view of their complexity.

We then moved to the Power Lines track hoping to find some Horned Orchids there.  No luck.  The commonest orchids were a toss up between fertilised Thelymitra sp and many Caleana major (Large Flying Duck Orchids).

These have now been flowering for at least 2 months.

Also many of these yellow lilies, for which I can't remember the scientific name.

On the 12 th our attention was caught by a pair of Common Bronzewings walking on a fence.  Then one hopped into am\n ornamental Acacia sp and began eating the seeds.

Staying with the pigeon theme, a little later in the day along Betka Rd I answered the question "What is worse than a Spotted Dove?".  The answer of course is "2 Spotted Doves."  It is a source of great regret when the name for this species was changed from Spotted Turtle Dove  as the acronym was so appropriate.

Later on 12 December we followed up on a tip about Horned Orchids (Orthoceras strictum) near the drain at the Gun Club Heath.  There were a lot there: at least 100 plants.

Also an open Persoonia.

And more spiffy grass flowers.

On 13 December a post on Facebook gave directions to a Large Tongue Orchid (Cryptostylis subulata) in the Davis Creek Heath.  The finder had kindly marked the spot!

No flies on us (not)

 Following the opening of the road to Shipwreck Creek we took ourselves down there for a walk on 9 December.  We did the short loop, coming back along the Old Coast Road

Here is the beach (point 1) with a couple of folk emulating seals at the far end. The entrance is closed so shoes stayed dry.

This photo shows well the patches of moss (Funaria hygrometrica) establishing itself on the bare burnt soil at point 2.  Also the burnt shrub layer.

As with other sites in the area the Banksia sericea (Old Man Banksia) is regenerating well.

Epicormic growth is well underway along the Old Coast Road (point 3).

The forest around the crossing of Shipwreck Creek (point 4) shows the shrubbery has been burnt out, despite the damper microclimate.

On to plants, beginning with orchids.   Dipodium roseum (Rosy Hyacinth Orchid) was in several spots.

An exciting find was Orthoceras strictum (Horned Orchid).  This is a lifer for us.  It was a bugger to spot, with the generally brown colour merging with sedge seed heads all around it. 

Interestingly "Orchids of East Gippsland" comments that this species may disappear after fire, while this is the third, currently flowering, colony we have heard of in the Mallacoota area.  "Bush Beauties" is silent on the reaction to fire.

We found several examples of fertilised Prasophyllums.

Then we came across several clusters of Prasophyllum (P. australe? - judging by the fused dorsal sepal) with at least some flowers still open.

We also came across a colony of Microtis sp, but they looked rather second hand and became rated as OOLI (Orchids Of Limited Interest).

Moving away from orchids, I always like Gompholobium huegelii.  I think its the large smooth yellow flowers that appeal in contrast to the small messy blotches of the egg and bacon genera.

In a couple of areas Xanthorrhoea resinosa was still in flower, unlike the areas closer to town (and toward Genoa) where the flowers are largely finished.

Persoonia levis.

Pimelia humilis

For some reason we have had trouble in the past in finding flowers on Lomatia ilicifolia- the nominative 'holly leaves' are easy to identify however.  This year, and this trip in particular, flowering plants were very common.

A very nice clump of Chrysocephalum baxteri was very evident as we rejoined Betka Rd for the trek back to the car park.

Ricinocarpos pinifolius (Wedding bush - for some reason I can remember this vernacular name, but not the Latin) 

Now we get back to the title of the post.  I thought Frances was doing pretty well in collecting flies.

Then she took a photo of my back.  I guessed 150 flies in the image and counting carefully I have come up with 146!

This beetle, not at well IMHO, was in the heath track.

A very interesting looking fly  It seems to be a Robber Fly but the species suggested by iNaturalist were all in the Great Plains of the the US.  Hopefully a guru will attach a name to it.

A spider!  

A caterpillar!  We did see a Monarch butterfly (and some Cabbage Whites and Common Grass Blues) but didn't photograph them.

Birds were very few.  The only ones I recorded in the Heath were 2 Stubble Quail: 1 heard calling and a second which flushed and then demonstrated clearly the bum first drop back into the vegetation.

Finally the gate at the crossing of Shipwreck Creek.

There are two major problems with this:

1. There is no danger in the area.  We rated it as less risky than many other areas which have finally been opened.  That is just the anal retentive risk-aversion of Parks.
2. The larger issue is they have opened up the camping area - and presumably will be collecting camping fees - but then don't allow people to go anywhere except the beach.  (Which is not patrolled, surrounded by rocks and open to the ocean so must be rated as far more dangerous than the forest.)