I had a spare day, and thought another visit to the zoo would be worthwhile. It was – the day was very pleasant.
It is interesting to note that on different visits, different animals are active. So there is always something good to photograph. Continue reading
This was a nice bike ride along the cycleways of the Cooks River visiting some of the wetlands and photographing the birds.
The first place I stopped was Gough Whitlam Park. The I cycled to TheLanding Lights Wetland at Rockdale. Then back to Tempe and the wetlands there. Then back up the river to the Boat Harbour and the Cup and Saucer Creek Wetlands. Quite remarkable was a very large gulp of cormorants at the Boat Harbour (Yes, “gulp” is the collective noun for cormorants, like a murder of owls or a parliament of owls). I counted over 60 birds. Continue reading
Interesting. Mt Banks last post, Cape Banks this one. This was a short, late afternoon walk from La Perouse to Cape Banks in Botany Bay National Park.
Conwong Beach
I like the rock formations, their textures and patterns, on the platforms on Cape Banks and my aim was to photograph them during the golden hour late in the afternoon. I also thought it would be a good place to photograph the sunset. Continue reading
This was a midweek walk with Bob. We both had the traverse along the side of Mt Banks on our short lists for a while.
I am not sure who first completed this traverse as a bushwalking trip. It links up old routes used by climbers on the side of Mt Banks. These routes would have been in use since the early 1960’s. Springwood Bushwalker Phil Foster calls the route the “Traverse of the Gods” and has named a large gulch which needs to be crossed the “Devils Throat”. He has also placed a log book in a cave along the way. In the book he records that he found the route when looking for stone “hut” used by climbers for bivouacking. However that shelter lies on a lower level. Continue reading
This was a short visit to the Cooks River. I was on my bike and on my way home when I stopped at the Cup and Saucer Creek Wetland to what was about.
On the visit before with Digi Dave, we had spotted a turtle sitting on a rock in one of the pools. But by the time we got our cameras out and ready it had vanished. I had seen this turtle before a year or two ago. This visit, it was back out on the rock. So I quietly unpacked my camera and managed to get a few shots of it. Continue reading
During the week I had given a talk to the Menai Wildflower Group about fungi and their importance and this was followed by a field trip to Bola Creek on the Sunday.
Digi Dave also came along. I was initially concerned that there may not ben too much fungi out after my recent visit to Sassafras Gully where I had not found much. But it seems there had been more rain at Bola Creek and the fungi turned out to be quite good. Continue reading
This was a very pleasant two days spent at Donkey Mountain in the Wolgan Valley. The mountain lies within Gardens of Stone National Park. It is not a large mountain but its top is a maze that you can easily spend two days exploring. Bob had never been on top of it before and was keen for a look.
When we pulled up at the parking area on the Newnes Road we were surprised to see other cars pull up too. There turned out to be two other parties on the mountain that day (a Friday). One group was from UNSW and I knew Laura from that party. Continue reading
It had been a while since I had inspected the fungi in Sassafras Gully and thought it about time to make a visit. I had been away in Tasmania and was not sure how dry it had been. I found the gully very dry and was disappointed with what I was able to find.
I did find a few cordyceps – but they were perhaps the same ones I had photographed on my last visit. They seem fairly robust. Continue reading
This was one of our regular bush care days at Barrenjoey. This time we walked around the headland and weeded on the far side. We were mainly removing Bitou Bush and Asparagus Fern.
But we were also lucky on the day to observe some great natural spectacles. As we started out, we noticed a pod of dolphins. Later our weeding was interrupted by the shrill call of some fairy penguins. During the day, we saw more dolphins and field penguins. And, as we were walking out, we noticed a seal sleeping on a rock. Continue reading
This was a field activity organised by the Sydney Fungal Studies Group Inc, held at Mill Creek on the Hawkesbury River.
It was a popular place on the day with campers, a bird watching group, a didgeridoo player and many groups of bushwalker being there as well as our group of fungi enthusiasts. Continue reading
