A visit to Stockyard Swamp

Today John Ross and Donna Sowry from the Sydney Catchment Authority took several of us to see Stockyard Swamp. This was a long-promised tour of the most sensitive area on the Upper Nepean Borefield.

Part of Stockyard Swamp - "perched swamp"
A sedge/rush complex primarily.

I have not taken many photographs, as I sensed that it would not have been welcomed by the SCA if I took lots of photos to "use against them".

Powerline easement - looking east, from near Stockyard Swamp.
Slashed heathland.

In fairness, I would have to report that John Ross gave us a fairly straight run-down on the bores and pumping results to date, out near Stockyard Swamp. This pumping continued to late January 2008. This is much later than the main pumping which occurred along Tourist Road. This pumping was intended to be a second stage trial after the first trial pumping was "deemed a success" (their words, not mine). The SCA also considered this pumping trial was necessary to establish the potential damage (if any) to Stockyard Swamp which the environmental consultants (SMEC) had originally identified as the area on the borefield which was the most sensitive to disturbance by pumping of groundwater.

Powerline easement, looking back past Tourist Road
The ridge on the Moresby Hill area is visible.

Naturally we asked some pointed questions about the effects of "drawdowns" from bores on the local vegetation. John Ross was of the opinion that the pumping would have no effect on the vegetation, and more generally on the environment.

Naturally, I am not inclined to support that view, coming to the issue as a naturalist. To me it is obvious that water is the very essence of this environment, and to take out large volumes of groundwater must surely compromise this environment. Such issues are not subject to "human" assessments as to whether or not there is water "to spare" here. This is not a "equity" issue - it is a matter of how the local environment is mean to work. You cannot look at it and decided that it has more water than it needs or is "fair". Such concepts are simply not appropriate.

We understand that the SCA's Environment Assessment will be available for public comment in April.

Here is a photo looking back towards the top of Mount Murray. It serves to show how close this borefield is to settled areas around Robertson. Click on the photo to enlarge it.

Early morning flight with Jim - along the Shoalhaven Valley

Last night Jim rang me, and suggested that if the weather was suitable, this morning, we could go flying. And so it happened. The surprise was that when I arrived at his place, he told me we were going to fly to Yass, via Wollongong Airport (at Albion Park) to refuel the plane.
Shortly after sunrise, we flew east, over Knight's Hill, and dropped over the escarpment to Albion Park.
That meant that when we had topped up the plane, we were able to fly back along the face of the Escarpment, at Knight's Hill, past the Illawarra Fly, about which I had written yesterday. The early morning light was crystal clear. You can see the Illawarra Fly sitting just above the escarpment cliffline.

Full length of the Illawarra Fly.

Tower and eastern end cantilevered section of Illawarra Fly
(click to enlarge, to get a good view)

We then progressed south-west, but the entire Shoalhaven Valley and Southern Highlands and the area down to Goulburn was shrouded in a low fog. Consequently we could see nothing of the interesting country over which we were flying.
As we passed Goulburn, the fog petered out, and the dry Southern Tablelands country from there to Yass was visible before us, shrouded in a light smoke haze.
By the time we returned past Goulburn (on the way home), the fog had dispersed, and we could see that many of the local dams were quite full, which is good to see. The Goulburn/Mulwaree Shire Website shows dams were at about 65% capacity in January 2008, which is a great improvement over last year's all-time low. We did not see Pejar Dam, but we saw the local Sooley Dam, just north-west of Goulburn.
On the way back home, I persuaded Jim to fly past the huge Limestone Quarry at Bungonia. I was shocked to see how close the quarry has gone to the side of the famed Bungonia Gorge. Unfortunately I missed getting a shot of the narrow gorge itself, but it splits what appears to be a plain grey wall of limestone rock, just beyond the quarry (this side of the red patch of rock). You can read full details of this famous State Conservation Area.Continuing on north and east, towards Carrington Falls, we followed the edge of the mighty Shoalhaven Valley, past Tallong, Penrose, Bundanoon.

We then then crossed the Bundanoon Creek valley and Meryla area, to Fitzroy Falls. At this point Jim did a brief circuit around my favourite haunt of Manning's Lookout, so we got a good view of the "little three sisters" which I have photographed from the adjacent cliff lines at Manning's Lookout.We returned safely to Jim's property at Carrington Falls, after a lovely flight. The return journey, in particular was very interesting, following the deeply eroded edges of the might Shoalhaven Valley, and the Upper Kangaroo Valley.

Thanks to Jim for a most interesting flight.

Illawarra Fly in the Mist

Yesterday in the late afternoon, the Illawarra Fly was looking terrific, or better expressed, the forest was looking great, in the damp. The leaves of the tall Eucalypts were dripping onto the Tree Ferns below - just the way Nature intended.

Even though the weather was misty, almost threatening, a good number of members of the Robertson Chamber of Commerce turned up for a familiarisation tour of the Illawarra Fly last evening. The Robertson locals are not put off by mist and drizzle.

Bernie and Dorothy

Within moments of starting to walk out onto the metal ramps, there was a real sense of excitement in the group. "Look how high we are - in the treetops already".

Dion (photo: Dorothy Baker)

This is achieved by the clever placement of the start of the Fly, at a point where the hillside drops away steeply, towards the edge of the escarpment proper (the actual cliffline is not far away, but we could not see it last night).But that did not disappoint us, for just the sense of being in the treetops, and then above them, in swirling mist and light rain was very invigorating.

Sean, the Manager of the Illawarra Fly, in the mist.

For the record, several of the group were a touch nervous of the heights, but the kids loved it. Running along the ramps, and inevitably getting a bit of a sway going. The management are fairly relaxed about this, as they know the construction has been designed to cope with movement - it has to be able to sway and flex, to withstand the forces of heavy winds (in a storm).

Penny and Larry,
and several local teenagers in the background

Did I say that in addition to the series of metal posts which support the main load of the structure, there are huge steel guy-wires steading the structure? I am convinced that it is perfectly safe. But for some people, there will always be an uncomfortable feeling of being far higher off the ground than one is normally used to. C'est la vie!

"On the edge of the world"

(photo: Dorothy Baker)

Speaking personally, I love the Illawarra Fly experience. This is my second visit and I have still not seen it on a really clear day. I look forward to the opportunity to see it like that soon enough.

Orchid Hunting in the Southern Highlands

Today I was pleased to be a guide in Orchid Hunting in the Southern Highlands, for Colin and Mischa (of the famous "Retired Aussies.com" website - which I regularly refer to for their fabulous Orchid photos), and Alan Stephenson, the Conservation Officer for the Australasian Native Orchid Society. Colin and Mischa normally reside in Victoria, but were passing through the Highlands today. Alan, with whom I have done a little Orchid hunting previously, was keen to see the green form of Chiloglottis sylvestris I wrote about a few days ago.

As Colin and Mischa are southerners, Alan and I showed them a few flowering specimens of Diplodium pulchellum, the Illawarra Greenhood. This is one of the few genuinely "endemic" local Orchids, so I knew it would be a good one to start with, as they could never see this plant in Victoria. I was able to show them some in a typical habitat, near a waterfall, and also several specimens (long past their prime, but still identifiable) growing in a muddy creekbed, in really dense dark shade, under Melaleuca scrub. Alan was interested to see this species in this non-typical habitat.
Next we went into another patch of dense Melaleuca scrub, also in a creekbed, to see the green form of the Chiloglottis sylvestris, which I wrote about two days ago. Because I knew these plants were unusual, and knowing Colin and Mischa would be coming up today, I had marked the general location of these plants. I found my tag, but could not see the plants. I was very despondent. Had a passing Swamp Wallaby paused for lunch, and eaten these plant? Surely I (or they) could not be that unlucky? Anyway, after searching high and low, with no success, we pushed on, and 20 metres further along the creekbed, Misca suddenly called out: "There's some leaves here, and green flowers". Sure enough Mischa had rediscovered my plant from two days ago. And, yes I had placed a second marker there, but it was so well disguised, we found the plants before I noticed the marker! I don't like leaving markers*** anyway! But, I felt pleased we had found these unusual plants - and at least my honour was restored!

Mischa lining up a photo of the
Green variety of Chiloglottis

Mischa, not content with having found my plants, went on to find a number of other specimens of these green form of the Chiloglottis sylvestris. These latter plants were deeply hidden under Coral Fern and other ferns, still within the thicket.

Having had a successful hour or so, we returned to Robertson for lunch at Three Creeks Cafe, where Bernie joined us. Then we went to Tourist Road. I saw a Swamp Wallaby beside the road near Mount Murray, and a very fine Copperhead Snake quickly turned and cleared off the road, also in the wet forest, on the eastern end of Tourist Road. Colin and Mischa, in the car behind saw the snake, as I swerved to dodge it (there was no other traffic).

We then stopped briefly at Butler's Swamp, and Colin was very impressed with our tall and strongly coloured "Ladies Tresses Orchids" (Spiranthes australis). We also found a few Horned Orchids, (Orthoceras strictum) (which I had not previously seen in this location.)
There were also a few flowers of Small Tongue Orchids amongst the bark litter, under some Scribbly Gums.

Kirkland Road revealed some nice specimens of Chiloglottis seminuda, and also C. reflexa. I have written about these plants previously.

Colin is using a 10 power hand lens
to inspect a Ch. seminuda flower
Mischa is waiting to photgraph the flower.

We adjourned towards the western end of Tourist Road, and within moments of getting out of our cars we saw two different species of Corunastylis, the "Tiny Greenhoods" (Speculantha sp. aff. parviflora) I have written about these plants recently. There were several Greenhoods, growing in dry grass, beside the road. As yet I have not worked out what species these are.

There were many, many Parsons' Bands Orchids (Eriochilus cucullatus) growing here, as well.

We examined closely some specimens of Corunastylis apostasioides (I believe it is this species).

Click on the photo to enlarge it.

It is certainly very different from the other Corunastylis I have shown you recently. Indeed the flowers of this species are so tiny, it looks like a little bit of "fluff" on the end of the somewhat swollen ovaries which these relatively tall Corunastylis Orchids have. The other species of Corunastylis growing here has a regular sized flower for this genus, with lateral sepals spreading about 15 mm wide. The C. apostasioides flowers (if that's what they are) do not spread their lateral sepals at all - instead they lie tightly beside the dorsal sepal.

As weird Orchids go, this one is pretty "out there".
The "Labellum" is fully reflexed, and very hairy.
The Dorsal Sepal is in the centre of the flower, and also very hairy.
It is much smaller than the labellum.
The two lateral sepals lie close beside the dorsal sepal.
They do not spread wide, as in the neighbouring Corunastylis species.

Finally, we adjourned to The Gib, to examine some very nice specimens of Diplodium coccinum, and also some nice tall specimens of Acianthus exsertus

*** The temporary markers have now been removed!

An all green Chiloglottis !

Is this an oddity, a colour break, a "partial-albino"? I do not exactly know.

Today I found a small colony of Chiloglottis growing in a damp area under a Melaleuca squarrosa thicket in a creek-bed. The area is on a sandstone plateau, and surrounding the creekbed thicket is dense Eucalypt forest and Proteaceous shrubbery. Outside of the thicket is a dense surrounding growth of coral fern. Parts of the thicket are permanently wet (creekbed) with Sphagnum Moss beds. Other areas are simply thick beds of leaf mulch from the Melaleuca trees above. So, what we have is a dense, dark and wet creekbed. At ground level, the shade is probably rated at about 70% shade cover.

In an area about 200 metres from this site,(across the road, in the same creek) is a similar thicket, where there is less leaf mulch, and the creek has a fine mud base. Over there Chiloglottis sylvestris grows. But having just inspected those plants, immediately before finding these plants I could immediately see these were different. The standard C. sylvestris plants have all now closed their flowers, following pollination. These plants appear to be a little larger than the regular C. sylvestris plants, but they are totally green, whereas the regular plants have stems and flowers which are reddish-purple, with black and purplish-red "glands". These plants are all green. Even their glands are green, but in different shades of green.
I have only photographed a single flower, but there is a second flowering plant, which is just opening. It is also going to be fully green.

Examining the shape of the glands in close detail it is apparent that these have the same shape and "distribution" on the labellum as C. sylvestris, but they are lacking the dark pigment. Also, in this flower, there are no dark spots on the base of the column (the tall part of the flower holding the pollinia). This may be contrasted with the lower photo of C. sylvestris (below).
Here is a similar angled view of the labellum and glands of one of the regular C. sylvestris plants from across the road, 200 metres further down the same creek.
This next view shows the regular C. sylvestris in profile, with the glands highlighted, appearing almost transparent. The shape of the main callus (gland) is not divided in the "head", unlike C. reflexa and C. seminuda, both of which occur in the Robertson region, but which prefer drier habitats in Eucalypt forest over sandstone soils.So, on the basis of the shape and distribution of the glands on the labellum of today's plant I conclude that these plants are a green variant of Chiloglottis sylvestris. But it is noteworthy that, although separated by only 200 metres from the other plants, and in a slightly different habitat (moss and leaf mould, instead of a muddy creekbed) these plants are flowering a full month later than their neighbours.

*****

This morning I received the following note from Alan Stephenson, of the Illawarra Branch of the Australasian Native Orchid Society:

• Congratulations you have found an alba form of C. sylvestris. "Alba" normally means white but the same genes which produce white flowers also produce green flowers and they are considered the same. Last year I found an alba form of Nemacianthus caudatus and I have also found an alba form of Eriochilus cucullatus. Most species can produce an alba form but these are not common, although I have seen quite a few alba flowers of Glossodia major and Glossodia minor but never a Chiloglottis. The more you look the greater variety of flower types you will find.

I like Alan's concluding point - the more you look the more you will find..... So true, and such a thrill to find something unusual like this.

Denis

Children's Pet Show at the Robertson Show

The Robbo Show of course does a great set of "kids' pet" awards. In this particular case it has an award for the "most unusual pet". I confess to failing in my job as amateur reporter, because I was so taken with the Stick Insect that I failed to note which "pet" won the main prize. Instead I rushed over to get a couple of close-up shots. That's right a "Stick Insect" won the second prize for the Most Unusual Pet. What beat it out of first place? Clearly the award was not judged by your humble reporter, for this Pet would have won hands down, if I had been a judge of this competition.

Did the First Prize go to the three-legged cat, the pet tortoise, the flop-eared rabbit (I am pretty sure it won the cutest pet award), the pet rats, the Tree Frog in the aquarium, or the Raccoon skin ("Pet Road Kill" - my favourite, if just for imagination) .

It seems the family of the owner of the Stick Insect had attended an Open Day at CSIRO (in Canberra, I assume) some time ago, and there were a number of "hatchlings" which were available for the public to take home. Unfortunately I forgot to ask the obvious question of when that visit took place, for then I would have known more about the life history of this amazing "pet". This amazing Stick Insect has happily grown since then. Judging by the way it was devouring Eucalypt leaves, flat-out, while I was observing it, it probably does not take a lot of "looking after", other than providing it with a regular supply of Gum leaves. I was fascinated by the way its mouth was positioned so that it can eat vertically along the edge of the leaf. You can clearly see the notches along the edge of the leaf where it had eaten previously. Obviously it eats its way down along the edge of the leaf, then returns to the top, and starts again. It eats down in a straight line, for you can see the leaf underneath the head is approx 3mm higher than the leaf above its head. In other words, it shaves about 3mm off the edge of the leaf in each "pass".

For the record, the insect was at least 10 inches (approx 25 cm) long. The insect is sitting on the up-turned red plastic lid of its cage, which was about 18 inches (approx 45 cm) long.

This variety of Stick Insect might well be an interloper, from Brisbane, where it is reported to be quite common. From information on the Chew Family website, it is obvious that this Stick Insect is a mature female Goliath Stick Insect. These insects are reported to be very weak fliers, just moving as little as possible, eating their way around whatever plants they are located on. The males, which are much smaller, are apparently more mobile, actively seeking a mate.

I have only seen one relatively small, brown Tesselated Phasmid Stick Insect in the local area.

Here is the full insect which I found low down in the bush in Kangaloon, at the base of a large Eucalypt tree.And here is an "head-on" view of the head of the wild specimen I had found (obviously viewed from above, because I did not wish to disturb this insect).My original report on the finding of this insect is found here.

For the record. My little friend, Tas entered Lena in the "Scruffiest Pet" award, and she got second place, which I thought was just great. It takes "judgment" to come second in that competition. If she had won outright, that would have taken some explanation, but second scruffiest, I think is just great.

Here is Lena licking her nose with her pink tongue, while Tas poses with her for this photo. Seriously, I think Lena would have been a serious competitor in the happiest pet award, but there is no such category.

And for a quirky insight into the running of the Robbo Show, how about this? I had no small change to pay for Tas to enter Lena in the Competition (which was about to start). So the Steward agreed to me paying the entry fee in a few minutes (as soon as I could get some change). An honour system. Fine with me. Then Lena won second prize, and suddenly we had $2:00 in prize money, which I promptly paid to the Steward, to retrospectively cover Lena's entry fee! Don't you love it?

All day long, Lena very proudly wore her red sash (2nd scruffiest) and also a white sash for the 4th smallest dog. (The winner of that competition was a Chihuahua puppy which could easily have sat on the palm of my hand.)

The Triumph of the Robertson Show

Over the last two days there has been a village full of "winners" in Robertson (award winners at the Show are legion, because of the nearly endless lists of "categories" for which prizes are awarded). However, my vote for the biggest winner, in the sense of achievement goes to this young girl who gets my vote for the "Littlest Winner". Make no mistake about it, she is also the "Biggest Winner".

While all the "Juniors", mostly big strong youngsters were getting ready, this little girl, who was fully registered (she had the sponsor's "Rentquip" T-Shirt on, and the compulsory wrist band) calmly walked up beside the Potato Truck, to ask for her 20 Kilo bag of Robertson Spuds to carry around the oval - a standard 400 metre course.
The booffy teenagers were all up the other end, mobbing around, measuring themselves against the others' supposed testosterone levels. Compare their size, to hers, against the side of the Potato Truck. Her head barely reaches over the height of the tray of the truck. They boys were ignoring the little girl at the other end of the Potato Truck.
One of the attendants, however, very carefully assisted the littlest competitor. He obviously knew that the key to success lies in the hand-grip of the corner of the Potato Sack.
He made sure the little girl had a really good grip on the corners of the bag.
He then checked her balance, before allowing her to steady herself, under the weight. Have you got it? OK - You're ready! Then she launched herself.
At this point she walked to the starting line, and the crowd was calling out things like "Its not fair", and "Child Labour went out in the 19th century"!

The Stewards realised they needed to make some attempt to handicap the race, to give this little one some chance. They decided to allow her to start about 100 yards along the track. But she still had to walk down the track to the new starting mark, carrying the sack all the way, on her shoulders. Pat Cleary, one of the Stewards for the event went with her.

Then the Starter's hat was dropped to the ground (the signal for the start of the race). The boys were off down the track, in a cloud of dust.
What happened next was a total surprise. while the race caller up in the tower was telling us who was in the lead, as the boys approached the far side of the field (out of our view), suddenly the little girl was seen trotting steadily across the middle of the field. She was taking a "short cut". Clearly the artful Mr Cleary had put her up to this "lurk". The official track is just inside the rails, visible on the far side of the oval, beyond the cars.
We had a bit of a giggle when we realised that there was a "lurk" being pulled here. But did we care? Not a bit of it. This little tot was working just as hard as everybody else, just the course was shortened for her, in proportion to the shortness of her legs.

The crowd started to get behind her, when they realised a giant "upset" was about to occur. But could she possibly keep it up? Could she make it? It seemed unlikely, really, given her tiny size.
But as she drew closer, we could see the determination on this kids face. Her muscles were screaming, but her legs kept moving, and those hands never let her grip slip one fraction. She had about 50 metres to go at this stage, and it was clear she was going to win, if only she could make it to the finishing line. The "pack" was well behind, even though the two leaders were in fact gaining on her rapidly, a mere 40 metres away, at this stage.
She has made it back to back of the the Potato Truck, and the starting/finishing line was at the front end of the truck. Its just a few tired steps away. The crowd was going wild at this point. Cheering, clapping, and laughing like crazy things.
First things first, lets just check she is all right, and can she get her breath back?
Are you OK, dear?
Course she is. She's tough, this little one! Still puffing, but why wouldn't she be?
And now for the moment of truth. The judges decision (a very popular one indeed) was to declare out littlest competitor the "Half-Course Potato Race Championship Winner". And a winner she was and is, in every sense. Pat Cleary (in red) made the official announcement, to a roar of approval from the crowd. Bruce Knight, in the background, is adding his own inimitable commentary. I suspect the lady in black, in the background, might just be the proudest Mum in Robertson (but I don't know that for sure - its just a guess on my part!)For me, this result was far and away the standout of the entire Robertson Show.

Who officially won the Junior Potato Race? I don't know. I don't have a photograph of the official "winners", unfortunately. Their names will be recorded in the Show records, no doubt. But this "Littlest Winner" is the "Biggest winner of all".

Congratulations to her - from the crowd, from the People of Robertson, and I am sure, from all the readers of this blog!