ANPS gets spaced out at Bullen Range

While the group did get a tad dispersed in the latter stages while Pomaderris sp.(aka the next woody weed) were searched for, the main 'spacey' element was the Tidbinbilla tracking station from whence we started.

The constant loudspeaker announcements therefrom suggested that at least some of the workforce therein were targeting a career on the checkouts of lower order supermarkets.  (And also caused flashbacks for those of us who have abided in the vicinity of mosques.)

On the subject of launches, the gate caused the traditional issues.

It would be really good if Canberra Nature Park put a sensible gate with a step through here!  Enough repartee already: on with the flowers.

I'll begin with the orchids: again 5 species were located   First found were Diuris chryseopsis, the Golden Moths.  They were in fair numbers and quite short.

I'll keep the genus Diuris together, although the single specimen of D. pardina was the last found.

Here we have Hymenochilus sp.  Unlike James Bond's martini they don't like being shaken (probably not too keen on being stirred either) and once the labella have been triggered thoughts of identifying to species level can be be forgotten.

There were many Petalochilus fuscatus, of various tones, all over the site.

The single Glossodia major was certainly major and possibly lonely.

 Now to beans.  The first is Glycine clandestina.

Pultenaea procumbens.

 Bossiaea buxifolia

 On with the motley!  Brachyloma daphnoides with atractive flowers!

 Coronidium scorpioides emerging.

Hibbertia riparia

Thysanotus patersonii 

 Acacia verniciflua

 Stypandra glauca in detail and ...

 .. en masse

 Tetratheca bauerifolia.

Pomaderris betulina.

Melichrus urceolatus fruit.

Persoonia rigida fruit.

There were a good crop of birds around, some of which posed for photos.  This is a female Nankeen Kestrel which was being quite vocal near the start of the walk.   Whether this was calling to a mate or trying to persuade indolent chicks to emerge from a nest was not resolved.

 Conversing Laughing Kookaburras.

This Sulphur-crested Cockatoo was one of a pair flying in a very excited fashion around a nest hollow.

A March fly (or horse fly - it isn't March and there were no horses in the vicinity, so take your pick) of the family Tabanidae on a Pomaderris betulina flower.

 A Lauxaniid fly on the leaves of Pomaderris betulina.

Tabanids share the love around: this one is on a Craspedia flower.

Some years ago we saw a program on SBS TV with a parental guidance warning of "Moderate content".  Possibly I should issue a "Moderate content" warning here?

I have no idea of the ID of these insects, but it would seem likely there are going to be a lot more of them around in the near future.  Again on a Craspedia.

Roger Farrow (who told me the ID of the two flies above) has advised that this "image is of a Tephritid fruit fly whose larvae induce galls on Asteraceae.".  Many thanks Roger.