On Tuesday 23rd September eight members of FNAC visited Lerida Travelling Stock Reserve, about 10 km west of Collector. This reserve of 25 ha is on a lower slope, and contains a grassy woodland of Yellow Box (Eucalyptus melliodora), Candlebark (E. rubida ssp. rubida) and Blakely’s Red Gum (E. blakelyi), with Apple Box (E. bridgesiana) and Red Stringybark (E. macrorhyncha ssp. macrorhyncha). Silver Wattle (Acacia dealbata) and Blackwood (A. melanoxylon) were common.
From the gate we followed grassy wheel tracks up a gentle rise and down to a dam. The ground layer was predominantly Kangaroo Grass (Themed sp.), with Wattle Matrush (Lomandra filiformis ssp. filiformis), Blue Devil (Eryngium ovinum), Early Nancy (Wurmbea diocea ssp. diocea) and Bulbine Lily (Bulbine bulbosa). The wet conditions were evident in growth of small Sundews (Drosera peltate), and some liverworts. Australian Buttercups (Ranunculus lappaceus) were common, and a hoverfly rested on one for a long time. At the dam there was a chorus of frogs, Spotted Grass Frogs (Lymnodynastes tasmaniensis), Common Eastern froglet (Crinia signifera), Plains Froglet (C. parinsignifera) and an Eastern Banjo Frog (Limnodynastes dumerilii).
The group noticed that dead trees were evident, many of them Yellow Box. Some had fallen due to wet conditions, and some of these were sprouting vertical stems from the horizontal trunk.
After our byo lunch in the bush we had a quick stop at Oakdale Nature Reserve, 3 km west of Collector. This reserve, high on the ridgeline, had Candlebark (E. rubida) and Snowgum (E. pauciflora ssp pauciflora).
– John Brickhill and Isobel Crawford
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Thank you for leading this very interesting field trip John, thanks for sharing your expertise John and Isobel and thanks for the home-baked morning tea Isobel!
En route we stopped at Pandey Hill Lookout, high over Lake George. The first five photos are from this location, including a flowering Peach Heath (Lissanthe strigosa). The last photo is from Oakdale, and shows snowgums. The difference between Lerida and nearby Oakdale was stark, highlighting the effects of elevation and position in the landscape on vegetation.
– John Stein
Birds recorded at Lerida TSR:
Australian Magpie
Australian Raven
Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike
Brown-headed Honeyeater
Brown Thornbill
Eastern Rosella
Galah
Grey Butcherbird
Grey Fantail
Grey Shrike-thrush
Laughing Kookaburra
Noisy Miner
Red Wattlebird
Rufous Whistler
Striated Pardalote
Sulphur-crested cockatoo
Tree Martin
Weebill
Western Gerygone
White-naped Honeyeater
Whie winged Chough
Yellow-faced Honeyeater
Other vertebrate fauna (not mentioned in text above):
Spiny Anteater (diggings)
Eastern Grey Kangaroo
Sugar Glider (scratches on tree trunks)
Rabbit (scats)
Brown Hare
Feral Pig (rooting)
Bearded Dragon (basking 4–5 m up a tree trunk)
possible Lace Monitor (scratchings on tree)
Invertebrates:
Australian Painted Lady (butterfly)
Common Grass Blue (butterfly)
caterpillar
Hover Fly
Blue-banded Bee
Dragonfly (at dam)
Damselfly (at dam)
Other plants (not mentioned in text above):
Yellow Star (Hypoxis vaginata/Pauridia vaginata)
Urn Heath (Melichrus urceolatus)
Creeping Bossiaea (Bossiaea prostrata)
Creamy candles (Stackhousia monogyna)
Bears Ears (Cymbonotus lawsonianus)
Australian Buttercup (Ranunculus lappaceus)
Austral Bugle (Adjuga australis)
Hovea linearis
Luzula sp.
Plantago varia