G'dye mates. We are finishing up our visit to the Stirling Ranges, which is a biodiversity mini-hotspot with 1700 or so species of native plants, including many endemics. The vegetation here is mallee scrub, eucalyptus woodland and a low, dense "alpine" scrub on the mountain peaks. We have had a lot of rain, but we lucked out yesterday on our climb to the top of Bluff Knoll, the highest peak in all of Western Australia -- at about 3,600'! (Did we mention it's a flat country.) A very steep climb - 700' elevation gain per mile - with craggy outcrops at the top and steep slopes below. We saw the peak of the alpine flowers, and a view over the wheatlands to the north and strange oval lakes (salt?) south towards the coast. Met a young Norwegian guy who is appreticed to a local farmer that asked David to take his picture again and again as he inched closer and closer to the precipice. Thankfully, we all survived. Plantwise, I have been photographing so many unknown species, then searching my picture books to identify - when I'm lucky! One high point was seeing two species of mountain bells - Darwinia - in full bloom. These are endemic to the Stirling Ranges, a different species on each peak. Now I just have to identify the ones we saw!
David here. On to the birds. My count is up to over 120 species. Here's the list:
On second thought, how about a few highlights, in "Best Of" categories. These are candidates, and any suggestions on categories gladly considered.
Most Beautiful: any of the tiny little fairy-wrens, which come in an array of iridiscent blues, and have names like splendid, superb, and lovely.
Biggest: I think the pelicans win here.
Noisiest. Well kookaburra would seem like the obvious winner, but the birds here can be very noisy. We have heard noisy flocks of black cockatoos, big and black and the size of a red-tail hawk, noisy flocks of magpies, noisy flocks of ravens, noisy flocks of noisy miners, and noisy flocks of noisy friarbirds. You get the idea.
Most tuneful noisy flock. Magpies, with these unexpectedly bell-like, ringing, melodic choruses.
Cutest. A leading candidate is spotted pardalote. Never heard of them? Neither had I. Think of a bird the size and shape of a jumbo egg, and that has been decorated for Easter by a skilled aboriginal artist, with bold reds, yellows, blacks, and lots of spots.
Weirdest. Musk duck, all black and with this bladder like wattle hanging down below its bill. Weird!
Best performance in a comedy role. Willie wagtail (*yes this is the actual common name), based on name and behavior. A ground based flycatcher, wagging its tail to scare up bugs, then darting off in every unexpected direction to catch its prey.
Birding moments. While talking to a fisherman, actually a retired farmer, clean his catch, we watched as he tossed the fileted carcass to a pelican, who caught them on the fly, using his pouch like a lacrosse basket. Following the progress from too big for the nest to fledging of a nestful of restless flycatchers. Having parrots land on our hands as we tried to eat a shortbread in the car park at one of the national parks.
More to come on the awards nomination front I am sure.
Darla, save a few persimmons for us!
Hoping to get a sunburn,
D and A
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