A drive down the Lane

Not Memory Lane, but Woolcara Lane.  I will warn readers that some less-bad environmental news in this post might upset those who don't like seeing dead things.

My aim was to drive down to Yanununbeyan State Conservation area to see what birds were around.  The answer to that question was "very few" but there was a bit of interest along the way.

The first point of interest was this sign warning of sheep ahead, accompanied by a couple of chained Kelpies.

I presume the manager of Woolcara Station was familiar with the history of Eaglehawk Neck, near Port Arthur, where a line of dogs was set across the neck to prevent convict escapes.  No convicts were sighted but here is a bunch of potential escapees!

A fair bit further down the Lane the sheep were in family groups.  I was interested to see that even the little lambs had ear-tags.

A pony in a warm jacket was doing a solo Thelwell impersonation.

Pretty black cattle en famille.

They have obviously had a bit of run off recently.  My suspension, and probably my teeth appreciated the wee warning flag.

I issued my own warning in the first paragraph but thought this former pig made an interesting snap.

I describe this as less bad (adopting the terminology from the Martin Beck novels) since it was:

• good news that pig had earned the adjective'former'; but
• bad news that it was there in the first place.

Getting in to the SCA there was a surprising amount of heath=like blossom around.  This Cryptandra amara was yet to burst forth.

Leucopogon attenuatus was in full bloom ...

.. at times carpeting the ground.

As the country started to slope down to the Queanbeyan River it was obvious that 'soil' is pretty much a theory rather than a fact.

Arriving at the River revealed that there is still a good flow.  As we haven't had any rain for about 2 weeks that suggests to me that the water table down in the headwaters of the river, South of Michelago, is still pretty well primed.

As I said there were few birds aoround, especially in the SCA.  As I drove down the Lane a mixed flock included some Dimond Firetails, which are always nice to see, and on the way I was impressed at the way a Nankeen Kestrel stooped for about 100m horizontally to attack something in a Joycea tussock.