KWINANA/ROCKINGHAM/MANDURAH BRANCH, 24 November 2024
The November field excursion was to Yeedong Nature Reserve in Falcon, Mandurah, and we had a good group of members attend on a nice, fine morning.
Yeedong Nature Reserve is a coastal reserve in the dunes close to the beach. It was a new location for a KRMB outing, and no one knew what to expect. We would be pleasantly surprised by the condition of the vegetation, given the hot, dry conditions of the previous summer that had left the vegetation in similar reserves in poor condition.
From the car park we headed off along the paved shared path parallel to the beach. The path was popular with locals for walking, running or cycling. Honeyeaters were spotted foraging through the shrubs, though the sightings would only be fleeting as they were soon hidden amongst the greenery. In the middle of the reserve, something was spotted towards the top of a dead Acacia that proved to be not a bird but a Bearded Dragon sunning itself. Alongside the path, Alyxia buxifolia (Dysentery bush) was thriving, and Acacia sp. looked good. The Alyxia buxifolia was in flower, and the flowers attracted many different types of insects, including Blue Banded Bees (Amegilla cingulata), Masked Bees (Hylaeus sp.) and Tyde’s Sand Wasps (Podalonia tydei). Amongst the foliage, we spotted other insects, such as Schellenberg’s Soldier Bug (Oechalia schellenbergii) and a Flat-faced Longhorn Beetle (Tribe Desmiphorini Subfamily Lamiinae). Both adult and nymphs of Schellenberg’s Soldier Bug were seen, with one of the nymphs found to be eating a caterpillar.
with caterpillar prey
At the end of the reserve, the shared path met a road, and close by was a track that would take us back through the centre of the reserve to the car park. From this track, we would see more birdlife, with Singing Honeyeaters and Brown Honeyeaters active amongst the shrubs. Pelicans flying overhead reminded us of our proximity to the beach, hidden from view by a sand dune. As we approached the car park Thick-leaved Fan Flower (Scaevola crassifolia) was in flower and attracted many of the Tyde’s Sand Wasps. Soon, we were back at the car park.
It had been a great morning’s walk, and it was great to find the reserve in such fine condition.
Colin Prickett