A winter trip to Tallaganda SF

As the sun was shining and it wasn't too cold we decided to go for walk in Tallaganda State Forest this afternoon.  The good thing about the Forest is that one can take the dog.

The excitement began well before the Forest with a flock of at least 30 Double-barred finches beside Plains Rd.  As they were feeding in longish grass it wasn't possible to get a photo.

On arriving at our destination we decided to park before the puddle.  I was reminded of a comment made some years ago at Cradle Mountain, Tasmania.  "Green water is OK to drink: at least something is living in there!"
 Moving along our chosen track the scenery was very attractive.  I think that most of the creepers here are Smilax australia (aka Lawyer vine, since once it gets its hooks into you, you'll never get away).
 While exploring some dense vegetation seeking a photo opportunity I got a bonus with this bower, set up by a Satin Bowerbird.  Note the traditional blue decoration.
 A rotting log was decorated with this Tremella fuciformis, a Fungimap target species.  Of course a few minutes after clambering through Smilax and slipping over slimy tree trunks I found a second specimen in the middle of the track!
This was the target of my clambering: it was the closest thing we saw to a flower and is the seedhead of Cematis aristata not, as I first thought, Smilax. As with the Tremella, shortly after my strugg;e a smple was found right beside the track.
These nice little fungi are Mycena sp.  Possibly the front ones would have been more in focus if I had set the camera on 'macro' rather than zoom!
Moss will grow on anything.  Of course, in making that sarcastic statement I am revealing a personal bias against setting up home on a wombat turd.
The area had hillsides covered with Dianella leaves: it will be brilliant in a few months when they are all flowering.
The creek we crossed near the start was full of ferns.
Heading back towards home we stopped to photograph this attractive mailbox.  In a display of good taste the slot is in the far side of the body, not at the opposite end to the head!
Another mailbox!  I am not sure that Ned Kelly ever held up a mail coach (not even to send the Jerilderie letter, which was delivered by hand).
Here is a bigger Ned in the nearby paddock.
While looking at this bushranger stuff, Frances noticed a large raptor gliding in.  I identified it as a Spotted Harrier and was delighted that it stopped on a fence post so that we both got excellent looks at it and I scored a couple of photos.  I have no idea what it is holding in its left talon: it carried it off, but dropped it within a few metres.

Our final stop was to photograph the Hoskinstown War Memorial Hall, therby adding another town to that project!!

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