ANPS goes 4 x 4 x 4 to Leechville

Today the Wednesday Walkers of ANPS loaded themselves into 4 full 4x4s and headed off to Tallaganda .

Our first stop was in Tallaganda National Park.  The understorey was fairly dense ..
 .. but we walked up a track thoughfully ploughed through the bush by trail bike riders.  The bush was fairly damp also with a lot of moss evident.


 There were quite a few Tasmannia lanceolata bushes around with their peppery berries evident.
Several members of the group beat a retreat when they found their body parts being invaded by leeches.  One didn't and developed a rusty tinge to clothing as a consequnce.
 We then moved on down the road to South Forest Road  which runs through Tallaganda State forest.  There were paint marks on quite a few trees suggesting that the area is about to be converted into newsprint and toilet rolls in the near future.

In the meantime enjoy the flowers, such as this Xerochrysum bracteatum (assuming the taxonomists haven't changed their minds again).
 The twisted leaves are diagnostic of Eucalyptus ovata.
Lagenophora stipitata
 A mischievous member (or 2) of the group likened the foliage of this solanum to a pin oak and suggested the Latin as Solanum quercifolia.  Good try guys: reality soon arrived in the form of Solanum aviculare!
 Somehow I find the vulgar name of grounsel a tad demeaning to Senecio linearifolius.  Possibly this reflects the hours I spent weeding out groundsel as a child in the UK.
 Ranunculus plebeius
 A fresh young Banksia marginata
 Various stages in the progress of B. marginata towards senesence.
 A native bee - I think - dining in B. marginata.
 We were surprised to find Acacia ulicifolia blooming vigorously at our last stop..
 Most Persoonia linearis had berries ...
 ... but a few flowers were also found.
 Choretrum candollei
 Brachyscome spathulata
 A fern hanging over a very pleasant little creek with a very good flow, considering the dry season experienced not to far away.
 This granite boulder was the closest thing I have seen to a nargun for some time.
An optimistic sign.  I suggest a call to the local butcher might be useful.
 The final few images are of the fungi I spotted today.  I shall try to attach a few names later.




I suspect this next couple are Psathyrella echinata

Quite a few birds were heard today including a good range of honeyeaters, perhaps pausing in their migration.  As we drove out two Swamp Wallabies crossed our path and an Echidna shuffled along beside the road.

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