Bungendore and Cuumbeun

Today was a day to take a bin of crud to the Bungendore Social Centre.  In passing, I'll note that it has become a lot less convivial since getting upgraded from a traditional "tip" to a transfer station.  However I presume the large number of hi-vis wearing staff are happy!

I started by going over our ford where baby Water Dragons are evident, in a range of sizes.  This is a medium.
 Getting to Bungendore I went past the 3 dams on the Southern end of the suburb (it has lost the 'village' atmosphere).  The only birds of note were at the Trucking Yard Lane site.  This Masked Lapwing chick was with its parents.

 It is surprising to me how quickly the dam seems to be losing water.  Evaporation must be very high - but we have no local measures since Canberra Airport are too stingy to get someone trained to take evaporation measurements.

There were also 4 Plumed Whistling Ducks sitting on the mud.

 After doing the business at the tip I did some stuff in Queanbeyan and headed towards home.  I thought I would call in at Cuumebeun NR to see if I could find a Chestnut-rumped Heathwren.  I failed on that, but there were a few interesting sights.

A young Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike.
 There were more Gompholobium hughelii than I have seen before.  It was the most comon bean of the day.
Most of the Asters (some traditionalists call them daisies) had gone to seed.  This was some form of Senecio sp.
This one is a Microseris lanceolata (Yam Daisy).  Given that in this area they were effectively a carpet 6 weeks ago I was a tad surprised that I had to search to find a seed head.
 The Gompholobium seemed to be popular with fruit flies (Family Tephritidae: I make this call based on the patterned wings).
Finally a very attractive, albeit boofy headed, moth.  I suspect it is a member of the Family Psychidae or case moths.


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