Spring emergence in Blue Gum woodlands

Spring emergence in Blue Gum woodlands

I recently visited Fairview Conservation Park (in the mid south east, north of Lucindale) and noted water, water everywhere. “Not a surprise”, I hear you say, but it was nice to see the Melaleucas with water lapping at their feet, in a lagoon I’d never seen with water before. I must have only been a summer to autumn visitor in the past perhaps.

Kangoora Lagoon in Fairview Conservation Park

Kangoora Lagoon in Fairview Conservation Park

Eucalyptus leucoxylon - SA Blue Gum

Eucalyptus leucoxylon – SA Blue Gum

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Meadow Argus (Junonia villida) butterfly common in Blue Gum woodlands

Meadow Argus (Junonia villida) butterfly common in Blue Gum woodlands

The Blue Gum woodlands surrounding this lagoon were wafting with nectar from the creamy yellow to white flowers beginning to pop out.

Invertebrates were busy, with the first butterflies for season being Meadow Argus and Painted Lady gliding about and sunning themselves on the ground. Our first dragonfly was also out, the Australian Emperor (our largest dragonfly in the region) was hawking around the water edge, catching and eating smaller insects also on the wing.

Australian Emperor dragonfly parading around the edges of Kangoora Lagoon

Australian Emperor (Hemianax papuensis) dragonfly patrolling at the edge of Kangoora Lagoon

 

 

 

 

The Restoring Under-represented Ecological Communities project is scheduling some field work up in this part of the world this spring to revise the vegetation map for the park, remove woody and herbaceous weeds currently invading the open Blue Gum and Stringybark woodlands and to take in the amazing scenery… quite a sight when you are surrounded by water. We hope to get up there in the not too distant future, so if you are interested to come along to help or just to see a fabulous upper south east park hidden away, register your interest now.

Contact us on (08) 8797 8596.

This project is supported by Natural Resources South East and the Australian Government.

Bryan Haywood