ANPS finds Black Mountain has no Gorillas but much mist.

It was a cool moist morning when we gathered to explore the delights of a new! improved!!  walking track up to and around the Summit of Black Mountain.  (It is probably regarded by the Canberra Parks PR unit as an Improved! Experience!! - please pass the nauseous-cliche deposit-bag.)

On getting to the end of Frith Rd there were a few signs on the gate into the reserve - none of which clearly showed the way to the summit.  The little jobbie on the left is to do with the Centennial Trail while the Wattle Walk is in 2 months time!  Note the mist in the background.

Here is what must be the New! track.  It's covered with black gravelly stuff which was very slippery on the way down  - there was some doubt that it was an Improvement!!  Note it's still misty (but no sign of an axe-murderer coming after Clint Eastwood).

This is a chunk of the circuit track - the same as ever and not New! at all.

A spider web catching some of the mist.

 Ibid, with bonus buds of Acacia genistifolia.

Water droplets forming (out of the mist of course) on strands of spider silk and bits of Exocarpos cupressiformis.

 By the time we had had morning tea and commenced the loop track the mist was beginning to lift.  Here we are looking over Civic.

 30 minutes later we had a view to the South over the start of the Tuggeranong Parkway and a lifting cloud (ie former mist).

Looking to the left when taking the previous shot gave this sorry image.  It must be very dangerous to be between an RFS dude and a box of Redheads.

There were a few flowers around.  The most obvious were Acacia genistifolia, which is usually one of the first species to flower.

Phyllanthus hirtella

This my photo of Hardenbergia violacea for this year: a welcome assurance that there will be an end to Winter sometime!

Hakea decurrens

 Other than the spider webs and a couple of pupal cocoons there were no signs of insects.  Theer were relatively few birds as well, but this Common Bronzewing was obliging.

 I have included a snap of an Australian Raven as this shows the hackle (the tuft of feathers below the bill) quite well.

A Crimson Rosella dining on Eucalyptus rossii buds.

Note that it is right-footed as are most parrots and cockatoos.  The struck-out statement seems at best to be a simplification with most Cockatoos being left footed.  This message to the COG chatline suggests that even with cockies an occasional bird will be right footed. This post adds to the confusion, but does include a reference to Crimson Rosellas being right-footed!

Somehow this discussion led to my recalling the use of the term "left footer" for Catholics.  The Guardian Newspaper has addressed this matter: like many obscure topics it seems to be attributable to the Irish!