Bola Creek and The Forest Loop Walk – 6 April 2020

Posted on April 19, 2020 by Dave Noble

After my walk along the Lane Cove River the day before having been good for social isolation and exercise, I decided to make a visit to Royal National Park for a walk. I caught the train to Waterfall and then walked along the Uloola Trail, and down the Couranga Track to the Hacking River, then around the Forest Loop Track, with a look along Bola Creek for fungi, then completing the rest of the loop and bak up the same way to Waterfall.

Again, I encountered very few people in the train and along the tracks. And it was worth seeing the fungi. Here is a selection. First some coral fungi – Continue reading →

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Lane Cove Valley Walk – 5 April 2020

Posted on April 19, 2020 by Dave Noble

I was keen to get out for some exercise, and wanted to do a walk with less people than I had encountered the day before along the Cooks River. So I decided to catch a train to Thornleigh and walk down the Lane Cove River to Browns Waterhole, then walk up Terrys Creek to Eastwood. This turned out to be quite good – there were very few people on the trains, I could avoid busy interchanges, and although there were a lot of people walking along the tracks of the Lane Cove River, it was never really crowded.

I also took my camera, and look out for birds, orchids and fungi. I was pleased to spot a Powerful Owl roosting in a tree above the track, in a place I have seen them before. Continue reading →

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Wolli Creek Walk – 4 April 2020

Posted on April 19, 2020 by Dave Noble

This was my daily exercise during the lockdown. I caught a bus to Bexley North and then started walking down the Two Valleys Track. I continued all  the way to Tempe, then I headed up the Cooks River Path to Wardell Road and walked home from there.

Wolli Ck at Turrella Reserve

I was on the lookout for birds and fungi as I walked. It was fairly quiet for birds compared to previous visits. And the fungi was not that special. Here is some of the fungi I found in the first part of the walk – Continue reading →

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Birds at Barton Park – 3 April 2020

Posted on April 13, 2020 by Dave Noble

This was another exercise bike ride with a little bit of bird photography. I cycled from home along the Cooks River Cycleway to Tempe, then continued along the cycleway towards Botany Bay. I went as far as Barton Park – and there, spent some time looking for and photographing some birds before returning the same way.

I didn’t stop on the ride out. When I arrived at Barton Park, I first visited the Landing Lights Wetland. The pool was relatively quiet. No Stilts or Avocets. There was one Spoonbill and some Ibis.  A few Herons were around the hinterland. I started walking around to the mangrove area, and on the way, I disturbed a Brown Goshawk  that was perched in a dead tree. It flew off and perched on an overhead cable. Continue reading →

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Homebush Bay Bike Ride – 2 April 2020

Posted on April 13, 2020 by Dave Noble

This was a pleasant and interesting exercise ride from my place, out along the Cooks River Cycleway to Homebush Bay, then visiting some of the birds sites, then a ride back along the same route.

Soon after I started, I has to stop to photograph some of the fungi. What was out were a variety of stinkhorns. Here are some – Continue reading →

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Two Valleys Walk – 31 March 2020

Posted on April 4, 2020 by Dave Noble

Exercise being allowed during the lockdown, I decided to venture out and do the full Two Valleys Walk – which traverses the valleys of The Cooks River and its tributary Wolli Creek.

I set off from home, and walked down to the Cooks River, and then walked upstream towards the Boat Harbour. On the way I photographed this Willie Wagtail with a moth. Continue reading →

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Birds at Barton Park – 29 March 2020

Posted on April 1, 2020 by Dave Noble

My exercise for the day was a bike ride to and from Barton Park. I took my camera with me and rested at Barton Park, at the Landing Lights Wetland and took a few photos of the birds.

WhenI arrived, there were not too many birds in he main pond. No Stilts or Avocets, and very few ducks. In the far distance I spotted a Striated Heron. But by the time I got close it had hidden somewhere. Continue reading →

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Wolli Creek Walk – 27 March 2020

Posted on April 1, 2020 by Dave Noble

This was a walk to get some exercise, but I also took my camera along.

For my exercise I cycled to Earlwood, locked up my bike, then started walking from Girrahween Park. I spotted a Hyacinth Orchid still out. Continue reading →

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Fungi at Birdwood Gully – 24 March 2020

Posted on March 30, 2020 by Dave Noble

This was another in a series of trips to Birdwood Gully at Springwood to investigate the fungi. I was invited to join Liz, who lives at Winmalee on an outing there.

We found quite a few corals out. But one we were looking for – that has a beautiful strawberry pink colour alluded us. Last year, we both saw in on a trip in early February of that year. Liz had also seen it earlier than that. But we did find quite a few other species. Here are some – Continue reading →

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Port Kembla Coastal Walk – 23 March 2020

Posted on March 30, 2020 by Dave Noble

I had been to the coast near Post Kembla a few times – and visited one particular spot a lookout called Hill 60. Its a great vantage point for the coastline nearby. So I had seen this coast but never walked along it. Brian Everingham had a trip to see this coastline on the walks program of the National Parks Association of NSW and I fortunate to be able to join him. This was to be one of the last walks before the Coronavirus lockdown.

As per social distancing, people travelled down separately in small groups and met up on the foreshore near the Port Kembla Heritage Park. I had travelled down in pretty empty trains to Port Kembla Station, and it was a 15 minute walk to the meeting place. In the party were Brian, Faye, Jim, Peter, Lindsay, Gavin, Elide, Sophie, Judith and myself. Continue reading →

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