Local Birds – 27 and 29 July 2017

Posted on August 1, 2017 by Dave Noble

I recently spent part of two days photographing the local birdlife.

The venues included the Cooks River, The Landing Lights Wetland and Botany Bay at the mouth of the cooks River. Here is a selection of photos –  Continue reading →

Posted in Birds | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Taronga Zoo – 28 July 2017

Posted on August 1, 2017 by Dave Noble

This was another pleasant day at Taronga Zoo photographing the animals.

One of the animals I was keen to see and try and photograph was the new baby Langur. I visited their enclosure a number of times, and was eventually fortunate to see the mother with the baby fairly close to the observation window. The Langur babies are born bright bright orange. Quite different to their darker parents. So it is good to see them when they are young.  Continue reading →

Posted in Nature, Photography, Sydney | Tagged | Leave a comment

Burning Palms Walk – 26 July 2017

Posted on August 1, 2017 by Dave Noble

It was pleasant to join Alan and Megan Pryke, Digi Dave and some cavers on a walk with Carsten Peter to Burning Palms Beach at Royal National Park. Carsten, was on a visit to Australia to attend a caving conference being held in western Sydney. We had met him back in 2011 when he was in Australia taking photographs of the canyons of the Blue Mountains for an article for National Geographic Magazine. Carsten is however better known for his photographs of limestone caves.

I headed down to Burning Palms from Garrawarra with Digi Dave and we met the rest of the party at the beach.  Continue reading →

Posted in Bushwalking, Photography, Royal National Park | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Kurnell to Cronulla Walk – 25 July 2017

Posted on August 1, 2017 by Dave Noble

The section of the Sydney Coastal Walk from Kurnell to Cronulla was one that I had not done. I had been to Cape Solander in the Botany Bay – Kamay National Park quite a few times for whale watching and I had also been on a walk down a short section of the Coastal Walk to Cape Baily Lighthouse and back. Recently there has been some trackwork on the track to Cape Baily, so it seemed like a good time to do this walk.

I caught the train to Cronulla and then crossed the road to the bus stop for the bus to Kurnell. At Kurnell I got off the bus at the National Park entrance. I then walked along the shore path at Botany Bay to where Lieutenant James Cook had landed. I then continued past the visitor centre and along a track to Cape Solander.  Continue reading →

Posted in Birds, Bushwalking, Sydney | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Round Willoughby Walk – 24 July 2017

Posted on August 1, 2017 by Dave Noble

The Willoughby Council have created a “Round Willoughby Walk” that combines bushwalking tracks and roads and provides a large loop walk around the municipality. Details of the walk are available here on their website. It is possible to do the walk in one long day (of over 30 kms) or you can do any of the many stages as a shorter walk.

On previous walks and fungi trips, I had already visited most of the western sections of the walk – along Blue Gum Creek, The Lane Cove River and Ferndale Park. But I had not visited the eastern sections, so that is what I intended to do. During the day I completed the first 5 (of 8) stages. Continue reading →

Posted in Bushwalking, Sydney | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

The Mermaids Cave and Orphan Rock – 20 July 2017

Posted on July 23, 2017 by Dave Noble

I was heading up the mountains with Bob for a walk. As usual, we had not decided where to go – leaving it up till when we saw what the weather was like – and often over a coffee at the cakeshop at Lawson.

Orphan Rock

The day was quite cold. Just above 0°C and with a considerable wind chill. So a long exposed walk higher up the mountains was out. On my list for a while had been a visit to the Mermaids Cave at Blackheath. This was one place I had never been to and it seemed interesting. I know there was a track to it from the Megalong Road, but that was only a ten minute walk. But I also knew there was supposed to be two tracks to the cave from the escarpment above. These sounded worth looking for. So this was what we decided to do. Continue reading →

Posted in Blue Mountains, Bushwalking | Tagged , | 3 Comments

Fungi at Ferndale Park, Chatswood – 19 July 2017

Posted on July 23, 2017 by Dave Noble

I spent a day in the north shore looking for fungi. I first visited a site near Lane Cove – but found the fungi poor, so then headed to Ferndale Park at Chatswood. The fungi were not that good, but better than the other site.

Careful hunting in the leaf litter revealed a number of waxcaps, including the Ferndale Park – Green-pink waxcap. Continue reading →

Posted in Sydney | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Wolli Creek – Fungi and Orchids – 18 July 2017

Posted on July 23, 2017 by Dave Noble

I completed another walk along Wolli Creek from Bexley North to near Turrella looking for fungi. There had been a little rain the week before and I was hoping it would bring some fungi out. But it seems the rai was not enough. The fungi was generally fairly poor. But there was still a huge number of Greenhood Orchids out. These were in two species.

Early on, in the upper section of the two Valleys Track, before Bardwell Park, I did see a few of the interesting Cortinarius Phallarus out. This is unusual for a Cortinarius as it has a volva. Continue reading →

Posted in Bushwalking, Sydney, Wildflowers | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Starlights Trail to the Nattai River 15-16 July 2017

Posted on July 22, 2017 by Dave Noble

We had two birthdays to celebrate and the nice grassy flat on the Nattai River at the bottom of Starlights Trail seemed a good venue.

So we met at the bakery at Hilltop and then set out along the Wattle Ridge Road to Nattai National Park. At the carpark, we shouldered our packs and set off along the track. The first part of this is a fire road, but you soon leave this and head down into the valley. A short way down, we left our packs and walked out to a nearby lookout which provided good views of the Nattai Valley and Mt Jellore.  Continue reading →

Posted in Blue Mountains, Bushwalking, Nattai National Park | Tagged , , , | 7 Comments

More Passes of Narrow Neck – Diamond Head and Redledge Pass – 13 July 2017

Posted on July 21, 2017 by Dave Noble

Bob was keen for some more passes of Narrow Neck and as neither of us had been up or down Diamond Head Pass – we decided that this should be one that was visited. It would link up nicely with Redledge Pass.

Here, I am using the name “Diamond Head” for the headland of Narrow Neck between Diamond Creek and Corral Creek. Continue reading →

Posted in Blue Mountains, Bushwalking | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments