ANPS Rendezvous at the Creek (several times)

Today the ANPS WW walked at the new (?) walking track at Rendezvous Creek in Namadgi National Park.  A lot of interesting stuff was seen.  Let us begin with some "habitat" shots.

The area was basically in two parts . we started in  Eucalypt woodland well endowed with large/huge granite boulders.

Below us we could hear the Creek, running well despite there having been little rain - the occasional storm - in the past however long.

On the Southern side of the Creek was a natural, frost-induced open grassland.  This shot shows one of the strings of mound-springs (the green bits) running down to the Creek.  These are apparently formed by decaying vegetation building up on the springs

What follows will largely be in the order in which I took the photographs, rather than a philosophical grouping of things.   Just for a change.

The first flower seen was the only orchid of the day: Dipodum roseum, a Hyacinth Orchid.

 A geometrid moth posed nicely.

 Occasional flowering Hypoxis hygrometrica were encountered throughout the walk.

There was quite a bit of Leptospermum (and its close relatives) in various genera and species throughout the walk.  This was a sample of the best flowering bush I found at a rendezvous down by the Creek.  It was concluded this was L. lanigera and I was not going back through the scrub to search for some hairy seed capsules.  Battling through this stuff was definitely not for claustrophobes.

I really like the way the granite boulders split.  What is the energy required to separate the halves of this 6m high rock?

 At a more petite level I found a specimen of Astrotricha ledifolia.

This being the ANPS we stopped shortly after the first crossing of the creek for morning tea.  I went looking for damsel flies (which were very uncooperative) and was met at the Creek by this very patient Gippsland Water Dragon .

In close-up he (OK, I am making some assumptions there) shows his nice yellow throat.

 A Common Brown Butterfly was snapped on full zoom at about 3m range, as I couldn't be fussed stalking it on my hand and knees!

 A caterpillar!

 Frances was fascinated to watch the feet on this one opening and closing like small mouths.  It conjures up various unpleasant images from science fiction for me!

The most common tree seemed to be Eucalyptus stellulata (Black Sallee).  It seemed to be getting ready to flower in some areas, especially as we crossed the Creek again to start heading back..

 

In other places it was simply displaying the coloured bark for which it was/is renowned.

This crane fly was interesting to observe in the field, but as is often the case with insects the detail and complexity of its form only becomes apparent when the image is looked at on a computer screen

For some reason this dragonfly posed on a tre trunk.

Indeed it posed for so long I was able to get really up close and personal with macro-zoom.  (I am awaiting the complaint from some animal rights group to say that I have infringed its privacy.)

Apparently the area was rife with Gompholbium hugelii, but this was the first I had seen, and I like the 'form' of the seeds.

Helichrysum rutidolepis.

A Paropsis leaf  beetle, perhaps Paropsis atomaria.

 I was getting desperate for an image of birds.  For a while I thought 'related to birds' might have to do and was very pleased to have this image of a skeletal nest spotted by Frances.

 Then I got a snap of a male Leaden Flycatcher (headless race)

My final image was of a Eucalyptus mannifera, competing in the colourful bark competition, where the Creek crossed the bitumen