Mallacoota Day 3

This is the third instalment of out trip to Mallacoota.  Other bits are at
Day 1
Day 2
Day 4

In contrast to 1 October when it threatened rain all day but actually stayed dry on the 2nd, Sunday, it was typical Victorian weather: if you don't like it, wait 5 minutes and it will change.  No wonder the Victorians are such a miserable bunch: they have weather like this and members of the Collingwood Football Club allowed to roam the streets with minimal supervision.

We began the day with a walk up the road to the spot where I saw many orchids yesterday.  They didn't seem as plentiful today, possibly because the rain had battered them a bit overnight.  However they weren't bad and Frances enjoyed them.  I heard a Lyrebird calling in the depths of a gully.

Our major expedition was to Gypsy Point for 2 purposes.  Firstly as we drove in on Friday Frances had noticed a Cemetery, and country cemeteries are often good for orchids (unless near a Rural Fire Service shed, where the morons are likely to have mown them all).  Indeed this one was very good for flowers.  In the orchid department there were hundreds of Glossodia major and  few Petalochilus sp.  Then we found several Diuris maculata

and a bright yellow specimen.  This may be Diuris aurea.

A couple of the gravestones were interesting.  One referred to someone as “loving the birdds and green places” while the second had this epitaph.

I hope not to need one for some years yet, but that is a goodie!

The second reason for going to Gypsy Point was because some people we know in Canberra had run the Gypsy Point Lodge and given it a great reputation as a birding spot, so  thought we should check it out.  All the land seemed to be privately owned (or part of the Park) so we could not go into it at all.  It did seem rather good however.


Back at the house a Little Wattlebird was dining on a lurid grevillea in the garden.   These birds are amongst the most common on the coast, with a very loud, harsh call.

After lunch I headed off on my own to check out a heath area reputed to exist behind the airport as being a possibility for emu-wren and ground parrot.  When I got there it was pouring rain and the road seemed to degenrate to a dodgy state very quickly.  I waited for it to stop raining about 20 minutes and then walked through an area that seemed to have a bit of heath vegetation.  I think it had been well thrashed by the Fire Service gooses from the airstrip.  There was little of interest there so I headed off back towards Bastion Point.

Halfway there I noticed what looked like a nice heath so went for a squizz.  Many beautiful flowers, including Comesperma ericinum.

Most of the following species are yet to be identified but were I thought sufficiently interesting to include here in the interim.

Hybanthus monopetalus

 Epacris impressa (a less common white form)

Thelionema caespitosum (Tufted blue lily)

Ricinocarpos pinifolius (Wedding bush): This was notable since I saw it as we drove along and at first glance confused it with Clematis.

This milkmaid was taken mainly because we need an insect photo!

Then I saw a small snake (only about 30cm, so Tammy wouldn't have paid it any attention) and heard an unusual call.  So I played back a Southern Emu-wren call.  Almost at once one of them appeared!  A lifer!!  Unfortunately I couldn't get a picture.

Mission accomplished so on to the beach at Bastion. I shlepped the scope out to where there were a heap of waders and ducks and had just got things set up when the expletive deleted rain started again.  So everything got packed up and shlepped back again.  I thought to go to the pub and get some beer but had left my wallet in Carwoola!  Fortunately the funds in the parking money slot just covered a 6 pack of light beer.

So back home to watch the NRL Grand Final.  That lasted until Manley's 2nd try when I decided to spend my time getting some fish and chips from Lee's Fast Food in the main street.  Very nice it was too.

Several new birds  for the day with a day total of 51 and the trip list now at 81!