Jack’s Creek on a Cool Day
Saturday, May 28th, 9am excursion was held at Jack's Creek with 5 of us braving the overcast skies and clouds threatening to drench us as we headed along the track through the gorge.
On arrival we spotted a Swamp Wallaby with a joey that slid out of its mother's pouch and hopped along behind mother who then decided it was best to go further afield. We were also greeted by a bellow of sounds from further up the hill range. Found that in the distance, there were goats moving about.
Max spotted a Wedge-tailed Eagle flying overhead. Nella spotted an Eastern Yellow Robin, Golden Whistler and a Grey Shrike-thrush.
On the walk there was a flock of White-browed Babblers, an occasional Speckled Warbler, Buff-rumped Thornbills, Inland Thornbills, Yellow Thornbills, White-plumed Honeyeaters, White-eared Honeyeaters, a Goshawk species, and a few Ravens.
On the flora subject, the area was carpeted in fresh green ferns, lichens, mosses, small rosette leaves and grasses after the recent rains. Nella and Eric found a Leek Orchid on the walking slope up to the ridge and I found a small patch of the Autumn Greenhood Orchids Pterostylis revoluta. We saw a further patch on the down hill track.
The rock formations were just as spectacular as ever in the strong orange, red, brown and black streaking colours, made more so with the rain showers overnight. Some were fascinated by the ripple rock that was layered at one stage when there was a river beach creating a tell-tale event of rippling sand covered into immortality.
On the track up the slope and looking back over yonder to the sheer rock face, we noticed a large oval hole in the rock that had an interesting dangling cream coloured ribbon fringe around the inner entrance of the hole. Nella came up eventually to join us and she solved our mystery. It was a beehive!
There were a number of fresh wombat scats found along the way in the gorge.
By the time we reached the picnic area, the scattered misty showers were beginning. We stood under the sheltered BBQ for a cuppa and admired the colours of the Yellow Box tree trunks and the Speckled Warbler scrounging around nearby.
Next stop was Mt. Bingar to find the past Autumn Greenhoods. On the way I saw a couple of emus, many Grey kangaroos, two Ringneck Parrots (probably) fly by, Bronze wing Pigeons, a couple of Willy Wagtails and Noisy Miners. Reaching the summit, we found it to be in the clouds raining heavily. So we back tracked partly down the hill and stopped for a look around for the endemic Pomaderris found here on a previous excursions, as the rain had stopped. [we found a few small ones which had signs of being eaten. Ed.] Found another Autumn Greenhood. We said our farewells and went our own way. I stopped further down the road again and found another patch of the Greenhoods.
As I drove along the dirt (water -filled potholed) road, I came across Box trees filled with a flock of Blue Bonnet Parrots and Noisy Miners.
It was a worthwhile day of refreshing air, colours of the local landscape and warm company.
Virginia Tarr
