Outing Report - Wyaralong Shoreline Trail, 16 January 2021

One of the birds that delighted us on our walk
at Wyaralong, Red-backed Fairy-wren
Photo: L. Oliver

26 members and friends met early for our first outing in 2021. It was for a short stroll along the shore at Wyaralong. 73 bird species were seen, Chestnut-breasted Mannikins being a highlight. The invertebrates were out early with 15 different butterflies identified, 5 dragonflies and other cicadas, flies, beetles and spiders adding to the total.

It didn't take long before we were scattered along the track with birdos out front keeping away from the chattering botanists who don't have to worry about the plants hiding from them. The photographers tend to lag behind intent on getting that extra shot of the spider or the sun on the water.

The bridge over Oaky Creek is always a popular spot to rest and hopefully see the Azure Kingfisher which some members did. Here also we try to identify the dragonflies and observe their different behaviour - the Blue Skimmers constantly patrolling and fending off any interloper; the Australian Tiger finding the highest perch and just ..... perching; the Australian Emerald with its brilliant eyes gleaming in the sunlight.

Oaky Creek with Water Snowflake
Photo: J. Cornwall

Once we were around the corner and back to the main body of water there were more birds including Pelicans, Spoonbills and Black Swans. By now it was time to turn back before we expired of heat exhaustion. Once back in the car park we found a shady place to have morning tea and chat about our walk, our families and the universe in general! 

A longicorn beetle, Rhytiphora diva
Unfortunately no common name
Photo: L. Beaton

This Mimetic Gumleaf Grasshopper 
is doing exactly what its name suggests
Photo: J. Cornwall

introduced species = _*

Fauna

Birds: Brown Quail, Black Swan, Australian Wood Duck, Grey Teal, Pacific Black Duck, Australasian Grebe, Peaceful Dove, Bar-shouldered Dove, Australasian Darter, Little Pied Cormorant, Great Cormorant (300+), Little Black Cormorant (20+), Australian Pelican, Great Egret, Intermediate Egret, White-faced Heron, Little Egret, Royal Spoonbill, White-bellied Sea-Eagle, Wedge-tailed Eagle, Purple Swamphen, Black-winged Stilt, Black-fronted Dotterel, Red-kneed Dotterel, Masked Lapwing, Latham’s Snipe, Galah, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Rainbow Lorikeet, Scaly-breasted Lorikeet, Little Lorikeet, [Australian] King-Parrot, Pale-headed Rosella, Pheasant Coucal, Channel-billed Cuckoo, Brush Cuckoo, Azure Kingfisher, Laughing Kookaburra, Sacred Kingfisher, Rainbow Bee-eater, Dollarbird, Superb Fairy-wren, Red-backed Fairy-wren, White-throated Gerygone, Noisy Miner, Brown Honeyeater, White-throated Honeyeater, Blue-faced Honeyeater, Little Friarbird, Striped Honeyeater, Eastern Whipbird, Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike, Cicadabird, Rufous Whistler, Australasian Figbird ♀ & ♂, Olive-backed Oriole, White-breasted Woodswallow, Grey Butcherbird, Pied Butcherbird, Australian Magpie, Spangled Drongo, Willie Wagtail, Torresian Crow, Restless Flycatcher, Magpie-lark, Golden-headed Cisticola, Tawny Grassbird, Silvereye, Welcome Swallow, Tree Martin, *Common Myna, Double-barred Finch, Red-browed Finch, Chestnut-breasted Mannikin.

Marsupials: Eastern Grey Kangaroo.

Butterflies: Orchard Swallowtail (Papilio aegeus), Lemon Migrant (Catopsilia pomona), Yellow Migrant (Catopsilia gorgophone), Common Grass-yellow (Eurema hecabe), Small Grass-yellow (Eurema smilax), Caper White (Belenois java), *Wanderer (Danaus plexippus), Lesser Wanderer (Danaus petilia), Blue Tiger (Tirumala limniace), Common Crow (Euploea core), Common Eggfly (Hypolimnas bolina), Meadow Argus (Junonia villida), Australian Painted Lady (Vanessa kershawi), Glasswing (Acraea andromacha), White-banded Plane (Phaedyma sheperdi), Common Grass Blue (Zizina labradus).

Damsel/Dragonflies: Australian Tiger (Ictinogomphus australis), Australian Emerald (Hemicordulia australiae), Scarlet Percher (Diplacodes haematodes), Blue Skimmer (Orthetrum caledonicum), Graphic Flutterer (Rhyothemis graphiptera.

Other Invertebrates: Bees & Wasps; *European Honey Bee (Apis mellifera), Yellow Potter Wasp (Delta campaniforme), Orange Potter Wasp (Eumenes latreilli), Beetles; Longicorn Rhytiphora diva (Rhytiphora diva), Cicadas; Black Tree-ticker (Birrima varians), Razor Grinder (Henicopsaltria eydouxii), Flies; Yellow-headed Snail Parasitic Blowfly (Amenia imperialis), Grasshoppers; Mimetic Gumleaf Grasshopper (Goniaea opomaloides),

Spiders: Garden Orb Weaver (Eriophora transmarina), Australian Jewel Spider (Austracantha minax), Humped Silver Orb Spider (Leucauge dromedaria), Leaf-curling Spider (Phonognatha graeffei).

Some Flora of interest:

Aquatic Plants: Water Snowflake or Marshwort (Nymphoides indica), *Water Hyacinth (Pontederia crassipes).

Grasses, Sedges, Rushes, etc.: Cockatoo Grass (Alloteropsis semialata) – in head, Barbed Wire Grass (Cymbopogon refractus) – in head, Green Couch (Cynodon dactylon) – in head, Curly Windmill Grass (Enteropogon acicularis) – in head, Wild or Native Sorghum (Sorghum leiocladum) – in flower, Kangaroo Grass (Themeda triandra) – in head.

Herbs: Yellow Buttons (Chrysocephalum apiculatum) – in flower, Darling Lilies (Crinum flaccidum) – in flower, *Baby Blue Eyes (Nemophila menziesii) – in flower, Native Sensitive Plant (Neptunia gracilis), *Condamine Couch (Phyla canescens) – in flower, Australian Buttercup (Ranunculus lappaceus) – in flower.

Vines, Scramblers & Climbers: Glycine sp., *Siratro (Macroptilium atropurpureum).

Trees: Broad-leaved Apple (Angophora subvelutina) in flower