Friends of Grasslands (FoG) kindly invited Field Naturalists to a joint outing on Sat 21 Feb. The field trip was led by Rainer Rehwinkel to the Lerida Travelling Stock Reserve, near Collector. Hot weather was forecast, and it did eventuate as the day progressed, but we managed to beat the worst of the heat during a very pleasant morning walk.
The reserve is an intact patch of remnant box-gum grassy woodland that is in pretty good condition, though evidence of die-back was visible in some of the larger trees. The dominant overstorey species were Apple Box (Eucalyptus bridgesiana), Yellow Box (E. melliodora), Blakely’s Red Gum (E. blakelyi), Candlebark (E. rubida ssp. rubida) and Red Stringybark (E. macrorhyncha ssp. macrorhyncha). Silver Wattle (Acacia dealbata) and Blackwood (A. melanoxylon) were common in the mid-storey.
At the start of the walk, we were able to meet members of the Goulburn Field Naturalists Society, who had also been invited. They told us about an echidna they’d seen earlier, drinking from a dam in the centre of the reserve. By the time we reached there, it had gone, but three species of Dragonfly could be seen in good numbers.
The effects of the summer drought could be seen in the reserve. Drainage lines and soaks had dried, but there’d obviously been enough recent rain to maintain water in the dam and to green things slightly. Macropod scats were present, but curiously, the grass was fairly high and seeding, indicating low grazing pressure.
Not many plants were in flower, but we did find some lovely patches of Lemon Beauty-Heads (Calocephalus citreus) and quite a few Blue Devils (Eryngium ovinum), some still coloured fading purplish-blue, and also the native Small St John’s Wort (Hypericum gramineum).
A striking caterpillar larvae seen was that of a Eucalypt Cup-moth. According to Rainer, it’s an insect to be avoided. It has rows of stinging hairs along its back, and its flashes of reddish colouration are likely to act as a warning to any hungry bird that may be tempted to take one.
Given the warmth, birds weren’t overly active, yet we still came across many species, including Spotted Pardalote, Striated Pardalote, Crimson Rosella, Eastern Rosella, White-throated Gerygone, Laughing Kookaburra, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Australian Raven, Noisy Miner and White-faced Heron.
After the walk, we adjourned to Collector, where we enjoyed ourselves in a cool local café.
Many thanks Rainer, and many thanks FoG, especially Margaret Ning, who helped organise the event.
– John Stein
Alison Milton has provided additional information about the invertebrates encountered.
The most prominent dragonfly was the Blue Skimmer. There were also several red ones, perhaps the Wandering Percher, and several mating pairs of an unidentified dragonfly as well as a single specimen of a fourth species.
The dam also attracted backswimmers on the surface of the water and a few Plague Soldier Beetles.
Not to be ignored, on one Eucalypt, were three species of spider – a web builder, a leaf curling spider and a long-jawed spider.
Alison also spotted a few grasshoppers and a leaf hopper.
