The Dawn Road Reserve is filled with birdlife and, led by Dawn Road Reserve Bushcare mentor Janet Mangan, a handful of volunteers combed the reserve for a couple of hours on Saturday morning, May 23, noting and sightings of birds in and around the bushland. From the outset at a point under the powerlines, we…
The stunning blue triangle butterfly (Graphium sarpedon) is very active and frequently seen around the Dawn Road Reserve. Also known as the common bluebottle swallowtail, its host plant is usually camphor laurel (Cinnamomum camphora) trees, a serious weed that can be found across the Reserve. It will also feed on other, nectar-rich native plants. Sources:…
UPDATE (25/1/2016): Watch the fascinating lifecycle of the Monarch butterfly online. Known as the monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus or wanderer butterfly), this insect is referred to by enthusiasts as the king of butterflies. While this insect is a regular visitor to the Dawn Road Reserve from late summer onwards for up to eight months (their usual…
While you are far more likely to see – or hear – wallabies in and around the Dawn Road Reserve, particularly at night, you may be lucky during the day or evening to see the occasional eastern grey kangaroo (Macropus giganteus). Our local wallabies – thought to be either red-necked wallabies (Macropus rufogriseus) or black-striped wallabies (Macropus dorsalis) – are…
Those residents who live near – or enjoy exploring – the bushland in the Dawn Road Reserve may have noticed the distinctive Mickey Mouse Plant (Ochna serrulata). Its tell-tale green, glossy leaves with serrated margins plus its bright red stalks that carry berry-like ‘drupes’ – which turn from green to black – are not only…
Usually, the shy eastern long-necked turtle (Chelodnina longicollis, or sometimes known as the snake-necked turtle for obvious reasons) keeps fairly close to the creek, but when we’ve had a decent downpour and the normally quiet Albany Creek starts roaring, these delightful creatures head for higher ground. In this case, this turtle ended up wandering around a local backyard…
Australian Wood Ducks (Chenonetta jubata)– medium-sized ‘goose-like’ ducks with a dark brown head and a paler grey or brownish body, with two black stripes along the back – are frequent visitors to the Dawn Road Reserve. This pair (female at the rear, male in foreground) are scavenging along the recently cleared embankment just before revegetation began.…
