ANPS Creeks past Doughboy's Corner

For those who don't know it, Doughboy's Corner is where the road to Tarago and Goulburn turns off the Kings Highway, about 20 kilometres East of Bungendore.  (I have just communicated with Uncle Google about this name and come up with a big fat zilch.  Not surprisingly most references to "Doughboy" come up with New York Pizza Bars!)

If at this point you head towards Tarago you shortly cross Reedy Creek and a few metres further come to the Reedy Creek Travelling Stock Reserve.  That is where 11 of us went today.  The weather was good, and there were quite a few flowering things - the place is going to be spectacular in a month or so when the Kunzea parvifolia hits its straps.

Just inside the gate were a selection of Eucalyptus pauciflora (aka Snow gums - in a common microclimate for this species just above the frost hollow formed by a watercourse),   They had very colourful red stems.

The species is notable for parallel venation shown here under the galls.

These juvenile leaves were on a small tree growing under a large E. rubida.

There were a few Just in Time Nancies (Wurmbea dioica) in the grassy areas.

Also several rugs (not quite big enough for a carpet) of Leucopogon fraseri.

Not quite so frequent but several patches of Cryptandra amara.

There were heaps of buds on Kunzea parvifolia but very few flowers had burst yet.  I'm pleased to say this small image looks better than it did a full scale!

Lissanthe strigosa was in bud in a number of places but these were about the only flowers seen.

A view was expressed that the buds are more spectacular than the flowers.  I tend to agree with that position but you be the judge.

I had suggested this venue as a nearby landowner has reported the orchids are beginning to happen.  The only species we found was Cyanicula caerulea of which a lot were found later in the walk in rather dry Eucalypt woodland.

The only aster performing well was Leucochrysum albicans albicans, in a mainly yellow form.  When in bud it shows some white ...

.. but when fully open is very yellow.

I have included the next photo as it shows the structure of a disc floret rather well.

Hovea heterophylla

Hardenbergia violacea - as with most places it seems to be a bit hard to find this year.

Stackhousia monogyna - again this bunch were beginning to flower.

Drosera sp, showing a rosette form with lots of 'dew' in the sun.

This is a second species  D. auriculata (thanks Ros for reminding me of that which you mentioned -and I forgot to write down - in the field) with the sticky pads up the stem .  I am unsure which inquisitive species of insects have been caught.

These caterpillars have chosen a less aggressive species to munchon.

My first beetle of the year.

Evidence of wombats was everywhere: for some reason this fallen tree trunk had the mother lode of such evidence.

A Nobbi was spotted beside the wombat track we were following.

Here is a close up of its head,

The next animals seen by two of us were 4 deer.  None had antlers, which at this time of year I would take to say they were all does.  They didn't hang around for photos.

Passing a dam as we left at least 4 species of frog calls were distinguishable.   Some mating had happened.