ANPS emulates the Duke of York

This is nothing to do with Mr Fergie (nor even Ms Fergie) but more about the Grand Old man of the Nursery rhyme.

We went up Mt Taylor and then came down Mt Taylor.  However, unlike the Duke's troops when we were half way up we had morning tea (and when we were halfway down put the fang on lunch).

We went up to check out the magnificent views from the apex, of which more later.  At the start it was a tad foggy so I will say now, rather than repetitively through the post, that many of the images show condensed moisture on the flowers. I'll also say that quite a few of these species seemed to be flowering somewhat early.

Hardenbergia violacea

 Indigofera adesmiifolia: the 'other indigofera':  Pretty and pink and I didn't recognise it: three hits towards being a weed, but no, it is a native.

 Pretty and yellow and I did recognise it.  Native to an area about 120km away as the Superb Parrot carries seed so surely a native.  No sir: its the dreaded Acacia baileyana which is rated as a weed ...

 ... at least by the People for Botanical Purity who know how to deal with it!

 As we began to ascend a good growth of Allocasuarina verticillata was noticed.  According to Julie, this area was basically bare grazed in the past, but following the fires is developing a very good covering of vegetation.

Here is a flowering (? these are male parts but I think flowers can be blokes not just females) she-oke - it has been suggested better called 'he okes' -   in the distance ...

 .. and close up.

A few of the trees low down were mature enough to have dropped a few cones, while further up some of the trees had a very good lunch bar for Glossy Black-Cockatoos.  Thus far the big birds seem to have been able to resist.  There was no sign of chewings under the trees.

 A hairy fern, Cheilanthes distans.

 Here is C. distans with the commoner C. austrotenuifolia in the background.

 A good crop of Cryptandra propinqua is about to burst its buds.

 The magpies in this area seemed particularly habituated so came close for photographing.

 The Crimson Rosella also posed nicely, but was more than 5m off the ground so a little occluded by the fog.

 So here are the promised views (theory below, reality above).  First to the East ...

 .. then the West.  What mountains? What snow?

 It was pleasing to see the dog bowl and water at the summit.

 Eucalyptus dives just below the summit and in flower.

 Moss and ferns in a small run-off stream on the way back down.

 Moss and fungi, ...

 .. and a gall.

 Why on earth is Bursaria spinosa flowering now?

 Some local had a better idea about what to do on a foggy day!

Despite the fog ruining the views it was a very pleasant walk.  Certainly a lot better than Orroral, where I suspect snow might have been on the menu (and the ground).