KRM Branch, 29 September – October 2023

Thirteen members, plus two visitors, were present for the weekend stay at Dryandra Woodlands and assembled at the Lions Village on Friday afternoon. After a members’ get-together, we all went for a short night walk near the Lions Village. A possum with a baby was spotted on the night walk. Earlier, Daniel had erected a fluorescent light trap where numerous insects were caught.

On Saturday morning, the group went on a 3.3km return trip on the Kawana Walk. They were crossing from the Brown Mallet plantation to Kwongan heath. They spotted many birds, insects, and flora, including the Splendid Fairy Wren, Galah, Magpie, Australian Ringneck Parrot, Fantailed Cuckoo, Inland Thornbill, Australian Raven, Wagtail, Purple Crowned Lorikeet, Red Wattlebird, 40 Carnaby’s Cockatoos, Welcome Swallow and Stone Curlew. Flora, including Gastrolobium, Cowslip and Wandoo Beard Orchids, Hibbertia, and Scaevola (blue and white).

Saturday afternoon, we journeyed to the Lol Gray picnic area where Sun Orchids and Pink and Yellow Verticordia, Toothbrush Grevillea and Scaevola were seen. Birds seen were the Kookaburra, Magpie, Ringneck Parrot, and Red Wattle Bird. Galah, Wagtail, Tree Martin, Rufous Tree Creeper, Dusky Wood Swallow, Little Eagle, Purple Crowned Lorikeet, Restless Flycatcher, Goshawk, Currawong, Crested Pigeon, Western Gerygone, Rufous Whistler, Brown-headed Honeyeater, Western Thornbill, Spotted Pardalote, Boobook Owl, and Singing Honeyeater. Many members went to the Barna Mia Nocturnal Wildlife Experience in the evening.

Sunday morning was rather damp and overcast, so we went in convoy on a slow drive to other parts of Dryandra Woodland, including Congelin Dam, where we took the Siding Loop Walk and visited the dam. Many of the birds previously mentioned were seen with the addition of a beautiful Regents Parrot, Red Capped Robin with chick, Weebill, Grey Teal, Pacific Black Duck, Grey Currawong, Stone Curlew (2 adults & 2 chicks), Wood Duck and a Scarlet Robin. We stayed near the Lions Village in the afternoon, hoping to see some Numbats. Unfortunately, none were sighted, but there was no shortage of beautiful Kangaroos.

On Monday morning, it was time to leave. It had been a wonderful three days at Dryandra, and everyone had enjoyed their time there. Gillian and Ric compiled the list of all the bird sightings, plus six more seen on the day of leaving: a Western Whistler, Yellow Plumed Honeyeater, New Holland Honeyeater, Grey Fantail, Yellow-rumped Thornbill and a Silvereye. Ann Bellman gave her expert knowledge of the flora in the area.

Daniel Heald provided the following additional information on the invertebrate fauna encountered. Light Trap results varied widely from night to night and hour to hour, except for a yet unidentified Plume Moth, which outnumbered everything else 100-to-1.

Moths that I’ve got IDs for included an unnamed Cyneoterpna (large grey moth with the little yellow one next to it):

• Australian Apple Looper Phrissogonus laticostata
• Fungus Snout Sandava scitisignata (lichen patterned moth)
• Diabolical Fungus Moth Metalectra diabolica
• Chlenias sp. caterpillars were found on the native pea shrubs near the village.
• Shy Sun Orchid – closed for most of the weekend – I was the only person to see any open, where they were growing right on the edge of the road in abundance.
• Other species of interest – Macrogyrus Whirligig Beetles whirling on the dam, the wingless wasp Ephutomorpha macracantha, and the weed Red Bartsia Parentucellia latifolia, which was covering the oval in literal drifts of windblown seed. The Brushtail with joey that lived in the trees near the village used the top of a stump in the car park as its latrine, and Desiree spotted a Woylie in the wild less than 50m from the huts.

Report compiled by Aisa Rabone from inputs as attributed in the text.

DH. All images provided by Daniel Heald