Following our successful joint excursion with the NSB of the WA Wildflower Society (WFS) at Mt Flora in April, we again combined with the “flowerists” to conduct an all-day, five-stop excursion, to the Gingin area.
The only fine day for the week brought out 38 attendees.
Our first stop was the Gravity Discovery Centre located on DBCA land at Yeal. Wendy Morris, who had led a previous club excursion here, acknowledged the traditional owners, the Yued people, before leading us on the Solar System Walk, one of several walks through the bush that are available. Along the way several orchid species including cowslips, spiders and snails were sighted among the many other natives that were beginning to flower.
Our second stop was at the property owned by the Taggart family on McHavloe Drive, two kilometres to the west of Gingin townsite. David Taggart, a member of the WFS has spent the last 17 years turning a barren patch of grassland into a native garden. David led us through the garden where we found an understory of Melaleucas, Grevilleas, Dryandras, Banksias, Isopogons, Lechenaultia, Gastrolobum and Conostylis. Overhead there were York Gum, Wandoo, Powder Bark Wandoo and Drummond’s Gum. Among the plants in flower were everlastings, several Grevilleas and some Blue Leschenaultia.
We then walked along McHavloe Drive to find the path leading to One Tree Hill Chalk Quarry.
Don Poynton explained the Gingin Chalk was deposited in a shallow warm sea 85 to 80 million years ago. The chalk is mainly composed of the remains of calcareous algae that have internal plates known as coccoliths. The chalk is very fossiliferous, containing many microfossils (such as coccoliths, foraminifers and ostracodes) and macrofossils including shark’s teeth. The most common fossils found by our fossickers were pieces of broken shell of the giant clam, Inoceramus.
After lunch in Granville Park, we took a walk along the boardwalk of the Jim Gordon VC trail, which meanders beside the Gingin Brook. At the first bridge (below), club member and former Water Board employee, Kim Richardson, explained and then demonstrated how to estimate the flow rate of a stream.
At the second bridge, Don Poynton discussed the results of recent surveys for native fish and crustaceans. (see page 2 for a copy of the table)
Our final stop was at Breera Road Reserve where Sally Page, a member of the WFS and former owner of the land, joined us. Not far along the western firebreak she pointed out some Coastal White Spider Orchids (Caladenia longicauda subsp calcigena).
Despite being classified as rare and endangered, it was easy to spot the Gingin Wax (Chamelaucium lullfitzi,) as it was in flower. Other plants in flower included Pimelia floribunda, Drosera humilis and Blancoa canescens (Winter Bells).
Rare and endangered Gingin Wax, Breera Road Reserve.
We didn’t keep a bird count, but among those that stood out during the day were, Splendid Fairy-wren, Scarlet Robin, Rufous Whistler and Crested Pigeon.
Golly, what an enjoyable day…. except for the ticks.
Don Poynton