Kwinana Rockingham Mandurah Branch, 22 June 2025
The KRMB field outing for June was to Sullivan Rock. After a wet week that lasted well into Saturday, it was great to see 13 members turn up for the walk on an overcast Sunday morning with some rain clouds threatening to provide a shower or two.
With many targeting Fungi, it was not long before numerous specimens had been located around the car park, including one large white Amanita sp. And some tiny, gilled mushrooms on the underside of a thin fallen branch lying in wet leaf litter. Once across the highway, we spotted more fungi along the track between the highway and the rock itself. An Autumn Leek Orchid (Prasophyllum parvifolium) was flowering alongside the track, and we found more on the rock. Once on the rock itself, we found moss-covered depressions with Lichens, Fungi, Resurrection Plants (Borya sphaerocephala), and Drosera sp. all thriving after the autumn rainfall. The Lichens included the beautiful and intricate Coral Lichen (possibly Pulchrocladia retipora), while the Red-leaved Sundew (Drosera bulbosa) was widespread, with most in flower—Laccaria sp. Fungi were also found in these depressions.
A noisy flock of Grey Currawongs grabbed our attention as they flew along the tree line between the rock and the highway. At one stage, six came to rest in the same tree. For those who were first to reach the top of the rock, a lone Emu was a surprise sighting. Nick Smith compiled a bird list that included the Emu plus Splendid Fairywren, Western Spinebill, Spotted Pardalote, Spotted Scrubwren, Western Thornbill, Golden Whistler, Grey Fantail, Australian Raven, Scarlet Robin, Silvereye and the Grey Currawong.
Other bird sightings were a Grey Shrike-thrush plus a Fan-tailed Cuckoo.
Fan-tailed Cuckoo
Image by Colin Prickett
Daniel Heald, as usual, was on the hunt for invertebrates and found a Pseudo-scorpion in a Grass Tree; a Scaly Winged Bark Lice, plus in water-filled depressions in the rock, he found a Water Scavenger Beetle and a member of Limniadiidae (Clam Shrimps and Water Fleas). Red Velvet Mites were seen on one patch of Borya sphaerocephala. Atop the rock, Sea Urchin Hakea (Hakea petiolaris) was in flower, recovering well after the prescribed burn about 12 months ago. Other plants in flower included Styphelia tortifolia, Holly-leaved Hovea (Hovea chorizemifolia) and Pigea floribunda. Heather Adamson lifted a slab of granite and found an Ornate Crevice Dragon, along with a Gecko; the cold conditions allowed her to take photos before carefully replacing its cover.
We then carefully made our way back down the rock and back to the car park. It had been a great morning walk, the threatening showers had all bypassed us, and there had been many interesting sightings.
Colin Prickett
Sophie Xiang, as always, has provided some great photographs of the morning walk that can be seen in the following Facebook Posts:
Sophie Xiang https://www.facebook.com/share/p/19LN8V8wdj/
Sophie Xiang https://www.facebook.com/share/p/16iKUyjdtG/