[UNCLASSIFIED] weekend highlights

Field Nats visited Gungahlin Hill on Sunday. Interesting birds included one, probably 2, dollarbirds, a group of kookaburras. Crimson rosellas and striated pardalotes nesting. Also heard the leaden flycatchers, but they seemed to keep their distance and I didn’t want to disturb them, I hope they are still breeding.

Interesting flowers included thousands of Donkey orchids (D.sulphurea), a sun orchid (Thelymitra) and a few button everlastings (I think Helichrysum scorpioidies), dozens of trigger plants. Most of the egg and bacon (Daviesia mimosoidies) have finished, but the other yellow and red peas were flowering. Saw only 2 Indigo plants in flower. Amazing what a week can change. 3 species of fungi were common.

 

Also went to Pinnacle at Hawker. In stringybark forest Leaden flycatchers were present, plus dusky woodswallows. Once again, many Donkey orchids in flower, some Swainsona sericea but they have mainly finished. This year seems very good for Donkey orchids.

 

Benj Whitworth

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