COG goes to the Tinderries

Arrangements for this trip were advised in an earlier post.  The arrangements happened pretty much as forecast.  I was surprised at the number of motorbikes on the Monaro Highway until my friend Julienne explained that the Moto GP was at Phillip Island this weekend.

Once the 4 cars and 9 folk had gathered we headed off up to the range.  Getting out at the first spot there were many flowers around.  In addition to these Fabaceae  (Oxylobium ellipticum) ...
... there were many Tetratheca sp and Boronia sp.

The main reason for calling in here was to check out the view across to Namadgi NP on the far side of the Murrumbidgee Valley.  Note the stags from the 2009 fire still emerging from the canopy.
As we headed off to the start of the main walk we passed some guys doing road maintenance.  We had a convivial discussion about where they wanted us to park - see the outcome at the end of this post!
Quite a few birds were heard and seen (but all were resistant to cameras!  Flowers were also initially a little hard to find but there are obviously going to be orchids here later in the season!
I had warned people that it was a bit undulating!
Once over this ridge we got into an unburnt area.  I think there is much to learn about the botany in this area.
That is if the goats (we saw at least 10 today including these two nannies and their kids) leave stuff uneaten.
Several migrant species were seen/heard during the walk.  Noisiest amongst these were at least 2 Sacred Kingfishers which seemed to be given a call made around a nest site.  We didn't see them actually enter a hollow so no breeding record.  Cuckoos were in good supply with at least 2 Fan-tailed Cuckoos calling, 1 Horsfields Bronze-Cuckoo being seen while the group paused for morning tea, and several Shining Bronze-cuckoos heard and or seen.  This was one of two sitting quietly looking at each other for several minutes while we attempted to resolve the Shining/Horsfields issue.
The conclusion was Shining as
  • the gap in the bars was not great, and 
  • the bars went up to the beak.
A Craspedia sp was well endowed with beetles.
Our only 'real' orchid for the day: Diuris pardina
Finally: a cooperative male Flame Robin
After consulting a book or two I have concluded this is a Blotched Blue-tongued Lizard Tiliqua nigrolutea.
Here is a close-up of its head.
My friend Graeme who worked on the soils in this area has commented by email
"The geology is granite with lots of large porphyry crystals which are pink and the BTL has largish pink blotches. So there you are: camouflage."
A pretty Grevillea- possibly G alpina.
Another member of the Fabaceae (Podolobium alpestre)!
The National Parks Service are clearing wire from the Reserve!
This mauve 'daisy' had us all bluffed!  Following a tip from my friend Ros (who identified the Fabaceae above from my photos) I have identified it as Olearia montana - according to Plantnet this is a threatened species.
Fortunately we left enough room for the grader to turn round!
Overall a very pleasant day!

Comments

Ian Fraser said…
Nice report, and I'm most impressed by the Olearia montana, which I've never seen.
17 October 2013 at 16:08:00 GMT+11
Flabmeister said…
Thanks Ian.

There is also another Olearia species (O. ramulosa var stricta) somewhere in that area which was previously only known from the coast. The track is interesting in the difference between the burnt and unburnt areas within 2.5km!

Martin
17 October 2013 at 20:18:00 GMT+11
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