Atlas Naturalists Field Day

15th September, 2019

Summary & Follow-up

Wild winds forced us to postpone the walk by a week. And we were so very glad we did. We explored the heath on a mild and near-windless day … most atypical conditions for Green Cape!

The heath in bloom

Despite the dry winter, much of the heath is in bloom.

Most of our group was keenly photographing flowers and looking for insects. Meanwhile, Jackie Miles took a more thorough approach, compiling a full list of plant species and helping the rest of us learn to recognise at least a few new ones. She has kindly typed up her notes to share …

Special specialist birds

An elusive and rare Eastern Ground Parrot made a brief appearance! Three of us saw it burst from the ground just a metre in front, flash its brilliant green wings, and then disappear back into the heath a moment later. Breathtaking!

Other iconic birds of the coastal heath also put on a show. The soft twittering of Emu Wrens alerted us to the presence of these tiny birds. Tricky to spot and even trickier to photograph as they jump about among the heath and fire-killed shrubs.

Tawny-crowned Honeyeaters are more common than the Emu Wrens. They would boldly display in their characteristic spiralling and plummeting flight, and then perch atop trees as they proclaimed their territories. Tawny-crowned Honeyeaters are true heath specialists, only rarely venturing into nearby forest.

Invertebrates - few but varied

We had to look hard to find the insects, but they were there. Tiny moths, native bees, heath cockroaches and more. Spiders and other non-insects too. The youngest members of our group were among the best at spotting them.

Wallabies and wombats

Day-active wombats are almost guaranteed on the grass surrounding the lighthouse. The Swamp Wallabies are a little more elusive, and we’d need a night visit to really get a sense of the mammalian life.

Late lunch at the lighthouse

A day at Green Cape would not be complete without taking in the views from the cape itself. Seals, seabirds, a few whales, and even some marine invertebrates for those with the energy to head out onto the exposed rock platforms.

Sightings on NatureMapr

In the days following the walk, many of us are uploading our photos to NatureMapr. Where possible, the identity of these plants and animals will be confirmed. And once confirmed, these sightings become part of the national, publicly-accessible database, the Atlas of Living Australia.

A very enjoyable day, and a valuable contribution to biodiversity records. Win, win!

Here are a few more photos from the day, kindly provided by Oxana Paschuk-Johnson (and complete with commentary!)