moloch
08-Dec-2013, 12:57 PM
The last couple of days have been beautiful so I headed out on short walks. As usual, I saw few species of butterflies but it was a great time to be out with a few flowering plants, birds and herps.
Royal National Park:
I walked a section of the coastal track from Garie Beach to Eagle Rock. The surf was rough today so Garie Beach was almost deserted.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c386/moloch05/RoyalNationalPark/8Dec2013/GarieBeach2_zps70f78500.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c386/moloch05/RoyalNationalPark/8Dec2013/GarieBeach1_zpsafe3c8ae.jpg
The highlight for me was observing and photographing these butterfly-like moths with clubbed antennae. I saw them for the first time a couple of years ago but missed them last summer. Sun Moths (Synemon magnifica), Castniidae, spend lots of time flying back and forth over the trail and then chasing any other moth that they encounter. They look a little like a large skipper in flight. Once they land, though, they fold their wings in the manner typical of other moths.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c386/moloch05/RoyalNationalPark/8Dec2013/SunMothSynemonmagnificaCastniidae3_zps9ce11162.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c386/moloch05/RoyalNationalPark/8Dec2013/SunMothSynemonmagnificaCastniidae_zps58b3a1b8.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c386/moloch05/RoyalNationalPark/8Dec2013/SunMothSynemonmagnificaCastniidae2_zps0afe679e.jpg
I only saw a few other lepidopterans and none remained long enough for photos.
Here are additional non-lep photos from the walk.
Small creek:
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c386/moloch05/RoyalNationalPark/8Dec2013/heath1_zps440d318e.jpg
This Bush Rat was drinking from a pool of the creek until it saw me and then scampered away:
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c386/moloch05/RoyalNationalPark/8Dec2013/BushRat_zps338ef138.jpg
Flowering Silky Hakea (Hakea sericea). These are members of Proteaceae and have stiff, needle-tipped leaves.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c386/moloch05/RoyalNationalPark/8Dec2013/Hakeasericea_zps92944318.jpg
Royal National Park:
I walked a section of the coastal track from Garie Beach to Eagle Rock. The surf was rough today so Garie Beach was almost deserted.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c386/moloch05/RoyalNationalPark/8Dec2013/GarieBeach2_zps70f78500.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c386/moloch05/RoyalNationalPark/8Dec2013/GarieBeach1_zpsafe3c8ae.jpg
The highlight for me was observing and photographing these butterfly-like moths with clubbed antennae. I saw them for the first time a couple of years ago but missed them last summer. Sun Moths (Synemon magnifica), Castniidae, spend lots of time flying back and forth over the trail and then chasing any other moth that they encounter. They look a little like a large skipper in flight. Once they land, though, they fold their wings in the manner typical of other moths.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c386/moloch05/RoyalNationalPark/8Dec2013/SunMothSynemonmagnificaCastniidae3_zps9ce11162.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c386/moloch05/RoyalNationalPark/8Dec2013/SunMothSynemonmagnificaCastniidae_zps58b3a1b8.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c386/moloch05/RoyalNationalPark/8Dec2013/SunMothSynemonmagnificaCastniidae2_zps0afe679e.jpg
I only saw a few other lepidopterans and none remained long enough for photos.
Here are additional non-lep photos from the walk.
Small creek:
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c386/moloch05/RoyalNationalPark/8Dec2013/heath1_zps440d318e.jpg
This Bush Rat was drinking from a pool of the creek until it saw me and then scampered away:
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c386/moloch05/RoyalNationalPark/8Dec2013/BushRat_zps338ef138.jpg
Flowering Silky Hakea (Hakea sericea). These are members of Proteaceae and have stiff, needle-tipped leaves.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c386/moloch05/RoyalNationalPark/8Dec2013/Hakeasericea_zps92944318.jpg