Castlereagh and Agnes Banks Nature Reserves. 27th September 2013.

A chance to get back to a 'normal' Friday.

 First stop was Boongala Native Garden to check out which plants were being visited by stingless native bees.

 It was then onto Castlereagh Nature Reserve where I hoped the spring display would still be on. Not to be, very warm weather and no rain made for a pretty barren scene but I was still able to photograph some new plants for 'Sydney's Wildflowers and Native Plants', not being able to find enough here in flower it was then off to Agnes Banks Nature Reserve.

A 'Park Closed Due To Bushfires' sign on the gate at the reserve slowed me a little (if I was there yesterday I would not have gone in because of the hot dry winds) but as the conditions were a little cooler, humid and calmer (and I needed some more photos) I pushed on. There was a lot more colour here, even though it seemed to be the same 3 more 4 species it gave me more hope. It didn't take too long before I had found enough to keep me happy, and so with some more new species it was time to head home.




Kunzea capitata  -  Pink Kunzea, Pink Buttons.

The 3 locations visited today.



Dianella revoluta  -   Blueberry Lily, Blue Flax-lily,
 Mauve flax-lily, Black Anther flax-lily, Spreading Flax-lily.
Castlereagh Nature Reserve.



Ricinocarpos pinifolia  -  Wedding Bush.
Agnes Banks Nature Reserve.



Daviesia alata  (no common name).
Castlereagh Nature Reserve.



Dillwynia sp.  (not sure which one).
Agnes Banks Nature Reserve.



Prostanthera scutellarioides   (no common name).
Castlereagh Nature Reserve.




Acacia elongata  -  Swamp Wattle.
Castlereagh Nature Reserve.



Xanthorrhoea sp.  -  Grass Tree.
 Boongala Native Gardens.
Native stingless bees with their socks full of pollen and the flowers, looking
 more like feeding coral polyps.




Xanthorrhoea minor  -  Small Grass Tree.
Castlereagh Nature Reserve.




Babingtonia  (Baeckea)  densifolia  (no common name).
Castlereagh Nature Reserve.



Philotheca salsolifolia  -  Philotheca.
Agnes Banks Nature Reserve.



Dillwynia sp.  (not sure which one).
Agnes Banks Nature Reserve.



Brachyloma daphnoides - Daphne Heath.
Agnes Banks Nature Reserve.



Cymbidium suave  -  Snake Orchid.
A few weeks yet before the buds open up.
Agnes Banks Nature Reserve.



Isopogon anemonifolius  -  Broad-leaf Drumstick.
Agnes Banks Nature Reserve.



Burchardia umbellata  -  Milkmaids.
Agnes Banks Nature Reserve.



Mirbelia rubiifolia  -  Heathy Mirbelia, Wallum Mirbelia.
Agnes Banks Nature Reserve.



Calochilus robertsonii   (???) -  Purple Beard Orchid.
Agnes Banks Nature Reserve.



Calochilus sp. Viewed from above.
 Is it the same as above, or is it Calochilus campestris?
Agnes Banks Nature Reserve.

FEATHERS, FUR and FANG.                 Some Of The Wildlife Seen Today.



In-coming!
Native Stingless Bee.



Wasp on Grass-tree flowers.



Female Blue Ant (Wasp).



Male Rufous Whistler.



Meat Ant on Scribbly Gum.



Ant Lion dens.
No rain sees them living away from over-head cover in the open.

Castlereagh Nature Reserve 25.1.13

Nothing special today, some might say a waste of time. Me, I put it down as just a little speed-hump in the learning curve that is life.
I remember coming here many years ago, during spring, and the area was ablaze with colour but this time, in mid-summer, it was hard to find anything in flower. A return visit in spring will be required to show how colourful this reserve can be.
You could once drive you car though here, but the trouble was that some people took advantage of this by driving other peoples cars into here and then setting fire to them, reminders of these actions can still be found scattered about.

Persoonia linearis  -  Narrow-leaved Geebung

Prostanthera scutellarioides  -  Coast Mint Bush.

Looking more like a little alien is this seed pod of
 a Grevillea juniperina  -  Prickly Spider-flower.

Spent seed pods of a Prickly Moses Acacia.

Micromyrtus sp.  (possibly M. minutiflora (thanks to 'Unknown') )  

I was once King of my domain. This Ironbark is now
mainly termite fodder.

Goodenia bellidifolia  -  Daisy-leaved Goodenia

One of the peas. Possibly Dillwynia tenuifolia - Coastal Parrot-pea (thanks to 'Unknown')
. Plus the home of a Leaf-curling Spider.

Hakea sericea  -  Needle Bush, Silky Hakea.   (fruits)

Steel springs and Ironbarks.

                                         

                         FEATHERS, FUR and FANG.       Some Of The Wildlife Seen Today.

Common Bronzewing Pigeon

Net casting spider's egg sac.



Golden-tailed Spiny Ant.



Spider's egg sac.

One of the leaf-hoppers.

Amenia sp (?) Golden/Yellow-headed Fly.



Meat ant and nest.

                                          

Agnes Banks (Castlereagh Nature Reserve) and Yellomundee. 17th Aug 2012

Agnes Banks Nature Reserve, near Richmond, is on the east bank of the Hawkesbury River, on a small area of wind-blown sand dunes, which overlay the alluvial deposits from ancient river systems (up to 65 million years old).

This woodland is unique as an anecological community in western Sydney as it includes many species that are more commonly found in both sandstone areas and on coastal sand strips which are some 58km (35miles) away.  Depending on drainage conditions, there is great variation within the community, from low woodland on higher ridges to sedge-type vegetation in low lying depressions. Agnes Banks Woodland is well adapted to periodic fires and most species are able to quickly regenerate from lignotubers, buds beneath the bark and seed eleased by fire.
Agnes Banks Woodland includes significant populations of the threatened species, Dillwynia tenuifolia, Acacia bynoeana and Persoonia nutans.Agnes Banks Woodland has been extensively cleared for sand mining. The remaining remnants are threatened with further sand mining and clearing for rural residential development.

 

Yellomundee Regional Park is on the eastern escarpment of the New South Wales Blue Mountains, north-west of Penrith extending from Yarramundi to Mount Riverview and Emu Heights.  The Park is very special as it contains large areas of natural bushland as well as sites of cultural and historic significance with important areas of alluvial and riverine plant communities.

 

 

A storm blew in not long after lunch which forced me to move from Agnes Banks to Yellomundee.

 

Click here for more photos and videos.









Caladenia sp.  (Terrestrial orchid) 








Leucopogan ericoides  -  Bearded Heath

 



Philotheca salsolifolia

 



Pimelea linifolia -  Slender Rice-flower



 





Cymbidium suave  -  Snake Flower
(I will have to go back in summer to see the  flowers)

 







Bossiaea rhombifolia  -  Appressed Bossiaea

 





Hovea linearis  -   Common Hovea / Narrow-leaf Hovea



Dillwynia sp.



Leucopogon virgatus  -  Common Beard-heath.



Lichens. I saw somewhere that the stamen (grey part?)
is the fungus and the red cap is the algae. I also saw that
the red part was the fruiting bodies.



A nicely coloured grass type plant.



Daviesia ulicifolia  -  Gorse Bitter Pea.



Macrozamia communis  -  Burrawang  (Cycad).



I'm sure it's a Boronia sp. , or is it a Zieria sp.?



Tree Fern at Yellomundee (Yarramundi).



Solanum prinophyllum  -  Forest Nightshade.



Cheilanthes sieberi  -   Mulga Fern,  Narrow Rock Fern.



 Acacia elongata   -   Swamp Wattle



Persoonia nutans  -  Nodding Geebung.
There is a recovery plan for this endangered plant but I
don't think it  means planting them in water pipe as this specimen
has chosen by itself.



Overlooking Agnes banks from Hawkesbury Lookout.
Yellomundee is directly below the cliff-line of the lookout.