QI things around Whiskers Creek Rd

This does not include a visit from Mr Fry since that would make it Very Interesting, rather than Quite Interesting.

The first item is that I got my first glimpse of a pollywogmouth this year.  That is 8 days after the agitated dad indicated that hatching was in progress.  Here is Dad getting stirred up from below.
 Here is Dad getting stirred up by an approaching photographer.
 Here is Junior
 Up the paddock I found that the Hymenochilus cycnocephala has finally opened.  And as I didn't grab it the labellum didn't close so that it could be identified!
On the edge of the Glossodia major patch I found these buds: by their leaves ye shall know them.  Certainly Thelymitra and I take a punt, from the red leaf bases, T pauciflora.
 A Microtis leaf, ungrazed by vermin.
 A more typical grazed form of the leaf.
Walking back I found this eggshell fragment on the track.  Referring to Beruldsen's Field Guide to Nests and Eggs of Australia Birds I think it is almost certainly a Magpie's egg.
Small mysteries were
  • where the nest was, and 
  • how the egg ended up where it was - 100+m from a tree suitable for a magpie nest.
The next day did ascend to Very Interesting, when we took some friends for a stroll in our top paddock and on looking at our dam in that paddock saw at least 3 Common Long-necked Tortoises swimming around.  That is only the second sighting in nearly 8 years and 3 is a very good haul.  We positioned one log for them to bask on in the hope that this will generate photo opportunities.   Later I also added a half-pallet as a floating lodge for tortoises!
Nearby the Bulbine bulbosa were forming a carpet

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