The Wetlands (part 2)–Larger visitors

The remaining environment has seasonal visiting birds,appearing when conditions suit,some often,others occasional.The larger birds I have sighted are as follows --
         AUSTRALIAN PELICAN  Pelecanus conspicillatus                                                        
    A large bird with a wingspan of 2.5M and average weight of 7.5Kg.It feeds mainly on fish but will scavenge for scraps.Breeds in colonies near lakes or the sea.Photo – Lincoln Cove
         BLACK SWAN Cygnus atratus   A large waterbird with a distinctive red bill,mainly seen on fresh water but will visit the sea during dry seasons.It has a wingspan of 2M and can weigh up to 9Kg,the call is a musical fluting that is far reaching. Breeds locally mainly at Big Swamp,the nest a large floating raft of aquatic plants up to 1M high.Food consists of aquatic plants and algae.Photo – Lincoln Cove
          CAPE BARREN GOOSE  Cereopsis  novaeholandiae                                                              
  A large bird reaching 1M in length and weighing 4 - 7Kg. One of the world's rarest geese,they breed locally on offshore islands,especially Sir Joseph bank's group where their ability to drink salt water ensures their survival.They travel to the mainland to graze on legume and barley crops
.Photo - Ravendale oval
         GREAT  EGRET   Ardea modesta                                                                                                     The largest egret in Australia,averaging 80cms with a neck longer than it’s body and snow white plumage.It feeds by wading and stabbing at prey.Photo – Lincoln Cove

NIGHT HERON  Nycticorax caledonicus                                                                                                       Averaging 60cms,this heron feeds mainly at night and is rarely seen by day although it is common throughout Australia.This photo was taken just after sunrise at Lincoln Cove.During breeding season it sports 3 white plumes at the back of the head.            

         WHITE – FACED HERON  Egretta  novaehollandiae                                                                                                 Also called Blue Crane,it has a distinctive white face and yellow legs.During breeding it displays long nuptual plumes.Photo – Lincoln Cove.

The wetlands (Part 1)

Formerly Salt Creek,the remaining environment is sadly nothing similar to the one I recall.Gone are the Mangroves,the crab burrows and fish nursery.The water is now toxic but supports algae growth,which in turn supports a variety of aquatic life,attracting local and migratory waders.Mullet can survive in this environment and these fish are preyed on by cormorants, pelicans and herons.

 SECTION OF REMAINING NATIVE VEGETATION

The surviving saline flora will disappear as stage 3 progresses,work has already begun on the housing estate,this will lead to an influx of introduced weeds such as the African Daisy (dead vegetation in foreground of above photo ),soon displacing native flora.

 SWAMP PAPER BARK  Melaleuca halmaturorum

A dense shrub,maturing to straggling tree,2 – 7M high.Leaves narrow,lanceolate,3-7mm long.Flower clusters are creamy white,flowering in Spring.Fruit 3-4mm diameter with horn-like spikes on rim.The bark resembles paper and is peeled off by WHITE-BROWED BABBLERS  Pomatostomus superciliosus (below),searching for the insects,spiders and small lizards that hide beneath it,also it provides excellent nesting material. Photo – Lincoln Cove.

         WHITE – BROWED BABBLER  Pomatostomus superciliosus

Also called Hopping Jenny,Happy Family and Cat-bird,it is endemic to mainland Australia,it is usually found in small family groups,feeding on the ground under leaf litter or in the trees,stripping peeling bark.The constant chattering can be heard well before the birds are sighted.Nest building and the feeding of the young are communal activities.Photo – Parnkalla Trail.

 SHRUBBY GLASSWORT  Tecticornia abuscula

The name derived from burning similar species to produce soda-ash used by 14th Century glass makers.It is a perennial,branching shrub to 2M tall,branchlets consist of short segments.Usually inhabits the intra-tidal zone and can be found on the coastlines of all Australian States.This environment is the favourite habitat of White-fronted Chats  Epthianura albifrons (below). Photo – Lincoln Cove.

        WHITE-FRONTED CHAT   Epthianura albifrons

A small finch-like bird,also called Tin-Tack,which feeds on small insects found on the ground on the edges of salt marshes.It will feign a broken wing to distract intruders when the nest is approached.Breeds locally,females are duller.Photo – Lincoln Cove.

 BEADED GLASSWORT  Sarcocornia quinqueflora

A edible succulent,growing to 0.5M high,often used as a salad vegetable to compliment fish dishes.Also called Samphire or Sea Asparagus.The seeds are eaten by Rock Parrots Neophema petrophila  (below) Photo – Lincoln Cove 

        Rock Parrot  Neophema petrophila

A medium size parrot,difficult to locate till in flight,as it blends well with the surrounding vegetation when feeding on the seeds.Sexes are similar and it breeds locally on off-shore islands in crevices in rocks or cliffs.Photo –Lincoln Cove

 AUSTRAL SEABLITE  Suaeda australis

A common perennial,succulent to 75cm high.It is native to all Australian States and favours the intra-tidal zone of sheltered bays and inlets.the leaves were pickled and used as a vegetable by early settlers.Photo-Lincoln Cove

Ecology of a beach

The beach at South Point,Lincoln Cove is a typical example of the areas beaches,protected at both end by rock groynes which halt the erosion by prevailing winds,it is composed partly by introduced sand and natural processes.Above the high water mark various coastal vegetation flourishes,helping to prevent erosion by their spreading root systems.

 TAPE WEED  Posodonia australis    Coastal  plants are in turn fertilised by dead and decaying sea grasses,washed ashore during rough weather and broken down by seaweed worms,sand hoppers and wave action.

 South Point beach,Lincoln Cove 

 NITRE BUSH  Nitraria  billardierei  A perennial salt tolerant shrub flowering mainly in Spring,the fruit is edible and was a valuable source of Bush Tucker for local indigenous Australians during Summer.

 COASTAL SPINIFEX   Spinifex hirsutus  This grass is useful in preventing drift in coastal sand dunes.The female flower heads break away on maturing and roll along the sand,even floating to other beaches and starting new colonies.

COAST CUSHION-BUSH  Leucophyta  brownii  Also called Snow-bush,a round shrub to 1M,found on all coastline dunes and cliffs.It is often used in landscaping dry areas.

 KNOBBY CLUB RUSH  Isolepis nodosa Grows to 1M high and 1.2M diam,native to all States, it prefers margins of saline lakes and beaches.

 COASTAL BONEFRUIT   Threlkldia diffusa   An attractive,succulent perennial herb,occurring in saline areas of Australia.Plants are mainly prostrate but may grow to 40cm

 COAST BITTER-BUSH  Adriana  klotzchii  Occurs on beaches and sand dunes of S.A and Vic,flowers all year ,but mainly Spring.The male and female flowers are on separate plants, grows to 3M.

AMERICAN SEA ROCKET*  Cakile edentula  An introduced plant native to North America,found on most beaches in Australia above the high water mark.The seeds are buoyant and drift to other beaches and become established.

 SEA SPURGE*  Euphorbia paralias  An invasive beach weed,native to Europe,found on beaches from W.A to N.S.W.The seeds are salt tolerant and live for years at sea and once established on a new beach they displace the native plants.

Nature of the shoreline

The shoreline of Porter Bay provides an abundance of food for wading birds at low tide.Photo taken from Parnkalla Trail shows a SOOTY OYSTERCATCHER Haematopus fulginosis searching for shellfish amongst the GARWEED Zosteera muelleri ssp mucronata and in the background clumps of the bi-valve RAZORFISH Pinna bicolor are exposed.

                                 SOOTY OYSTERCATCHER Haematopus fulginosis  patrolling the shoreline
    Here, a PIED OYSTERCATCHER Haemotopus longirostrois has found a BLUE MUSSEL Mytilus edulis at the entrance to the tidal wetlands.

A COMMON GREENSHANK Tringa nebularia searches amongst BEADED GLASSWORT Sarcocornia quinqueflora. Photo Parnkalla Trail
           A RED-CAPPED PLOVER Charadrius ruficapillus ,a small plover 140-150mm,searching for small crustaceans in the dead TAPE WEED Posodonia australis.Photo Billy Light’s beach
A female RED-CAPPED PLOVER  sitting on her eggs (above right) in the car park at Billy Light’s boat ramp.(bottom right) a new hatchling investigates the shoreline.
A BLACK-FRONTED PLOVER  Elseyornis melanops,another small plover,not often seen on the coast, searching for morsels left by the receding tide on the beach at Billy Light’s Point.

February 4

At last!,ideal conditions to venture outdoors so I visited Billy Light’s Pt,and I was amazed at the dry condition of the scrubland.Shrubs dead or dying,Eucalypt branches down due to lack of moisture and flexibility and the new growth on the tips burnt by the wind.The only flowers sighted were Dryland tea tree and Alcock’s wattle (see Wattles ),both appear to thrive in the dry environment.The top soil is dry and powdery,resulting in the wheelchair being bogged,and me being stuck in the scrub for an hour waiting for a passer by, with with no phone and the bush flies for company.



DRYLAND TEA TREE Melaleuca lanceolata Also called Moonah,a shrub or tree to 5M,leaves alternate,linear to narrow-elliptic,5-15mm long,1-3mm broad.Flowers creamy-white,barrel-shaped,Summer months.Fruit smooth,spherical,4-5mm diam.Found in S.A,W.A,Vic,Qld,N.S.W. (Photo-Billy Light’s Point )

The beach was quieter than normal,apart from a few terns,gulls and ducks.I never reached the Point where the main activity is because of the soft conditions.The arrival of bait-fish in Porter Bay ,probably Anchovies,which appear every Summer,has attracted the terns.There are 3 terns common in Lincoln Cove

CASPIAN TERN                                   

Hydroprogne  caspia

The worlds largest tern,with a

length of 50-60 cm,a wingspan

of 130-145 cm and an average

weight of 650 g.Adult birds

have black legs and a thick red

bill.Food is mainly fish and it

breeds locally on offshore

islands.Found Worldwide.

(Photo-Billy Light’s Beach )

Note the size compared with

the Silver Gull

 

CRESTED  TERN   Thalasseus  bergii
Our most common Tern,breeding in large colonies on offshore islands.Upper parts are grey,bill yellow and the distinguishing crest black.This crest recedes in Winter and is used for breeding displays.
Photo shows Crested Terns with Silver Gulls resting amongst Neptunes Necklace ( Hormosira  banksii ) at low tide,Billy Light’s Pt.
Note the non breeding adult with the baldy head at the back.




 
                                                                        FAIRY  TERN  Sternula nereis nereis   Australia’s smallest tern,22-27cm in length, wieghing 70g and a wingspan of 45-53cm.It has a white forehead,yellow beak and legs.Breeds locally,feeding on small bait –fish caught by plunge diving.Sexes similar and usually found in pairs.
( Photo – Billy Light’s Beach )    

wattles

WATTLES

GENUS - ACACIA

About 1300 species exist worldwide,of these around 900 are found in Australia,30 on Lower E.P.Local Aborigines used various forms of certain species as bush tucker and medicine.I think I have found 11 species around Lincoln Cove,please correct me if you know I'm wrong.

ALCOCK'S  WATTLE   Acacia  alcockii                           Named after Mr C. R. Alcock who collected plants extensively on Eyre Peninsula.Bushy shrub or small tree to 3 m, bark grey or brown, reddish on young branches. Phyllodes (leaves) narrowly elliptic to oblanceolate, 6-9 cm long.Legumes (pods) to 90mm long. Flowers globular, pale yellow, 10mm December and February.(Photo - Billy Lights Point )

COASTAL WATTLE Acacia  longifolia

Tall erect, or low bushy, spreading shrubs, 3-7 m high; branchlets angular, bark dark grey, roughened. Phyllodes linear-lanceolate, oblong, 6-15 cm long.Legumes 5-10 cm long, 4-6 mm broad, Flowers are spikes rather dense or sometimes loose , bright yellow, 2-4 cm long.Chiefly restricted to coastal sand dunes,S.A Qld, N.S.W., Vic. and Tas. Flowering July — October.   (Photo - Lincoln Cove )

                SPINY  WATTLE    Acacia  spinescens                                                                   Small,erect,rigid,spreading shrubs to 1M high,branches spinescent,grey-green.Phyllodes absent,flower-heads small,globular,bright yellow,July - Oct.Legumes curved,light brown,2-3 cm long and 3mm broad.Occurs S.A,N.S.W,Western Vic. (Photo-Billy Light's Pt )

                                                                                                                                                                             

KANGAROO  THORN   Acacia  paradoxa

Dense,bushy,spreading ,prickly shrubs to 3M high.Phyllodes obliquely long or lanceolate.Flower heads globular,golden-yellow,August - Nov.Legumes cylindrical,straight or curved,4-7Cm long,4-5mm broadusually soft and hairy.Occurs in dense patches,open scrubland,all States but N.T.( Photo - Parnkalla Trail )

MYRTLE  WATTLE    Acacia  myrtifolia

Erect, glabrous, bushy shrubs 1-2 m high; branchlets acutely angled,reddish.Phyllodes variable in shape, linear-lanceolate, oblanceolate, obliquely ovate or more or less elliptical, 2-10 cm long, 4-30 mm broad, flat,1 prominent vein. Flower racemes about as long as, or occasionally, longer than phyllodes; flower-heads more or less globular, pale yellow,July — October.Legumes 4-7 cm long, c. 4 mm broad, curved, light brown.Occurs S.A, WA, Qld, NSW, Vic, Tas. ( Photo-Parnkalla Trail ).

MALLEE  WREATH  WATTLE   Acacia  triquetra
Spreading shrub to 1.5M tall,branchlets angle towards apex.Phyllodes narrowly oblong,
oblanceolate to elliptic,10-25mm long,2-6mm wide,straight or slightly curved.Flower heads 
globular,yellow,July - Oct.Legumes linear,to 6cm long,3-4mm wide,straight to shallowly curved.Restricted to S.A on Eyre and Yorke peninsula and on Kangaroo Island.
 ( Photo-Lincoln Cove ).

COAST  WALLOWA   Acacia nematophylla

Bushy shrubs to 2.5M tall,branchlets angled at extremities.Phyllodes narrowly linear,

20-40mm long,0.7-1.5mm wide,ascending to erect,straight or shallowly curved,cylindrical,slightly hooked.Flower heads globular,yellow,mainly Summer.Legumes linear to 11cm long,5-6 wide.South Australia on Eyre and Yorke Peninsulas.

( Photo - Billy Light's Point ).

COAST  GOLDEN  WATTLE    Acacia  leiophylla

Erect or spreading shrubs 1-2.5 m high, either dense compact and single stemmed or spreading and openly branched with a number of stems arising from near ground level.Phyllodes lanceolate, 7-17 cm long, 9-25 mm broad, usually broadest above the middle.Flower-heads globular, bright yellow,August — November.Legumes linear, 9-12.5 cm long, 5-6 mm broad, more or less straight, firmly chartaceous, raised over seeds,dark brown.Endemic to South Australia.

( Photo-Lincoln Cove )

ANGLE  WATTLE   Acacia  anceps

Erect, rigid, glabrous, spreading shrubs 1-3 m high, the same, branching from the ground; branchlets compressed or flattened and very acutely angled or winged. Phyllodes linear oblong, narrow obovate, broadly ovate-oblong oblique 1-5 cm long, 1-3.5 cm broad, thick rigid often undulate. flower-heads globular large, deep golden yellow,: September — February (mainly summer months). Legumes stipitate flat often undulate, straight or curved, 3-5 cm long, 10-12 mm broad.Endemic to S.A

( Photo - Lincoln Cove )

GOLDEN  WATTLE   Acacia  pycnantha

Glabrous, medium-sized shrubs or small trees about 4-8 m high; trunk short, 12-20 cm diameter; bark usually smooth but sometimes scaly or roughened at the base, dark brown. Phyllodes broad-lanceolate, oblanceolate, 6-20 cm long 5-50 mm broad, broadest above the centre, curved or falcate. flower-heads large, globular, golden-yellow, August — October.

Legumes linear, 5-12 cm long, 5-7 mm broad, more or less straight, flat, raised over seeds. This species occurs in S.A,  WA*, NSW, Vic, Tas*.It is the official Australian floral emblem.

( Photo-Parnkalla Trail )  

 UMBRELLA  BUSH  Acacia  ligulata
Bushy, spreading, more or less rounded, compact shrubs 1-5 m high.Phyllodes linear or linear-oblong, 3-9 cm long, 3-10 mm broad, flat, rather thick, wrinkled when dry.Flower-heads globular, bright yellow,August — November.Legumes linear, 5-10 cm long, 4-10 mm broad, thick, light brown, margins thickened, more or less constricted between seeds. S.A,W.Aust., N.T., Qld, N.S.W. and Vic. ( Photo-Lincoln Cove )

WESTERN  COASTAL  WATTLE   Acacia  cyclops
Dense, bushy, rounded, spreading shrubs 2-4 m high, branching at or just above ground level often with foliage almost to the ground, a conspicuous feature is the old legumes which often persist on the bush after the seeds have been shed. Phyllodes narrowly oblong to narrowly obovate, 4-9 cm long, 6-12 mm broad, straight or curved.Flower-heads, globular, yellow, December — March. Legumes narrowly-oblong, 4-10 cm long, 8-12 mm broad, curved.
Found only in S.A and W.A.  ( Photo- Lincoln Cove )



pigface

PIGFACE

These succulent ground cover plants are quite showy when in flower.They prefer a dry,saline location near the coast,two species are common here.

ANGULAR  PIGFACE  Carpobrotus  rossii  

A spreading succulent 2 -3M wide,name derived from the triangular cross section 

of leaves.Stems to 1 m or more long, 3-11 mm thick; leaves glaucous, often slightly 

thicker than wide, mostly 3.5-10 cm long, 6-11 mm wide. Flowers 3.5-5.5 cm diam.

 light-purple, white at base, Aug. — Oct. Fruit purplish to red. Predominantly coastal. 

S.Aust; W.Aust.; Vic.; Tas. 

( Photo - Lincoln Cove )

ROUND - LEAVED  PIGFACE    Disphyema  crassifolium

Stems prostrate,to 1M or more long,leaves clustered along stems,green-tinged reddish.
Flowers 2 - 5cm diameter,bright pink,October - Feb.Fruit 5 - 12mm diam,valves at first
red and succulent,becoming dry and hardened.Occurs along the coast or in other saline
locations.S.A,W.A,Vic,Tas,N.S.W,Qld.  ( Photo - Billy Light's Point )