CENTENARY EXCURSION
All Branches & Main Club, 9 – 11TH October 2024
Between Wednesday the 9th and Friday the 11th of October 2024, seventeen members and two visitors enjoyed some fine weather at Dryandra Woodland: a favourite Club destination. Some stayed at the Lions Village cottages, some in camping areas within the park. Dryandra Woodland was designated a National Park just over 18 months ago, giving it better protection and funding for its important biodiversity.
Our leader for the two days was none other than Kevin Coate, a legend amongst WA naturalists. For a man of his age, Kevin is very active both mentally and physically. He led us on a ‘difficult’ grade walk from the Lol Gray Tree on Wednesday afternoon, which rewarded us with flora sightings including a small roadside patch of red Leschenaultia formosa seen on the drive there, orange-flowered Drosera hyperostigma, Verticordias serrata (var. serrata) and insignis (subsp. compta), the black, toothbrush-like Grevillea hookeriana, glowing purple patches of Dampiera obliqua, and many more; a full list of flora and fauna will be posted on the website.
The Bush Book Wildflowers of Dryandra Woodland by club members Peter and Jonica Foss and Patricia Gurry (Jonica’s sister) proved extremely useful. Jonica and Patricia grew up in Dryandra as daughters of John Currie, who was Senior Forester there for 35 years. The Orchids of the South-West Bush Book by Andrew Brown was also a handy field guide.
On Wednesday evening, there was a short spotlighting walk on which members saw several Western Grey Kangaroos near the beginning and a Tawny Frogmouth further on. A Bush Stone-curlew and two Boobook Owls were not seen but heard. Back at the cottages some members were entertained by four Brush-tailed Possums feeding on the ground and climbing the nearby pine trees. The possum boxes attached to cottage verandas were all in use.
The following day was full of action and interest. Kevin proposed a slow 23km progression along Darwinia Drive starting from the Old Mill Dam, with stops at some informative interpretive panels along the way. Mid-morning, we saw our first Numbat (Myrmecobius fasciatus) dash into a log along this stretch. We also saw large mixed drifts of pink and yellow everlastings (Lawrencella rosea and Rhodanthe citrina) and a grove of Sandalwood trees (Santalum spicatum). After that, Kevin led us onto a rough (4WD-only) side track, where he assured us plenty of bird life and a good chance of spotting Numbats.
Sure enough, not long before midday, we got the electrifying message by radio from Kevin in his lead vehicle that a Numbat was sitting right by the road, foraging and apparently undisturbed by our presence. We all crept forward, holding our breaths, and were enchanted to see a lone adult who stayed and went about its business long enough for us all to get a good look and capture some images. It was a thrilling experience.
This encounter made us late for meeting Peter Lacey from the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attraction (DBCA) at the Contine Hill picnic area, where we planned to break for lunch. Fortunately, he correctly concluded that we’d been delayed by ‘numbat business’ and waited for us so he could share some of his extensive knowledge of the area. Peter’s parents, Thelma and Malcolm, were early members of the Club.
In the afternoon, members enjoyed a short walk at Congelin Dam, discovering more flora. Kevin Coate and his passengers reported seeing another numbat dashing across the road, and members driving in a single car also saw a fourth numbat crossing the road.
No trip to Dyandra is complete without a nocturnal visit to the protected enclosure at Barna Mia, where we saw one Bilby, one Mala, several Boodies, plus quite a few Woylies and Quendas. Local DBCA volunteer Sally Rogers came out especially for us, sharing comprehensive information about the park, the enclosure and its species.
Tanya Marwood