Crackneck to Cromarty

Carmel and I walked from Crackneck Lookout to Cromarty Hill in the Wyrrabalong National Park on Thursday. The track is well-known for its flowers. We were a bit early for the flowers; probably because we have not had a lot of rain. However the Eriostemon australasius was flowering as usual, and attracting the bees.

They and the Flannel Flowers are the dominant species in the area. There were a lot of Flannel Flower plants almost to the bud stage but it will be a couple of weeks before they start flowering in earnest.

I will have to find the name for this white flower.

The Purple Coral Pea (Ardenbergia violacea) was also starting to flower quite well. Carmel always calls this vine "Snake Bush". She says it was because whenever they found snakes when she was a child it was always near this plant.

There were not a lot of birds around. We heard the Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos but did not see them. Other birds included the aggressive Lewin's Honeyeater and Little Wattlebirds. At the top of Cromarty Hill there was a Spotted Pardalote calling. It came withing shooting distance eventually but was much too fast for me to get a good photograph.

On the way back home I called in at the Ocean St Walk to see if the Emu-wrens would put in an appearance. They didn't but the Superb Fairy-wrens were aggressively present suggesting that they may be nesting in the grass and low scrub somwhere.