Durikai State Forest – 7 August 2011

This was certainly a day for honeyeaters as far as birders were concerned. 16 different species were seen. The highlight would have been the lunch stop at Durikai Waterhole where we had wonderfully close views of a number of species as they came in to drink. Particularly amazing as there were about 20 people sitting around chatting. The lone Bell Miner was a very unusual bird to get at the waterhole.

The group of 5 Emus on the way home was also a special sighting for our overseas guest.

Durikai Waterhole (28° 11’ 20”S/151° 37’ 27” E) 
Little Lorikeet, Striated Pardalote, Yellow-faced Honeyeater, Yellow-tufted Honeyeater, Fuscous Honeyeater, White-plumed Honeyeater, Bell Miner,  Scarlet Honeyeater, Brown-headed Honeyeater, White-naped Honeyeater, Noisy Friarbird, Crested Shrike-tit, Grey Shrike-thrush, Olive-backed Oriole, Eastern Yellow Robin, Mistletoebird. 

Lorraine took us to the Scientific Area of the Durikai, and we searched along the fence line with success for fossils of the fern Otozamites feistmantelli from the Jurassic period. 

Looking for fossils

And finding them!

There was plenty for the botanists too, with 3 types of mulga, several different wattle in flower, and other plants of the 'traprock' country.

Green Mallee Eucalyptus viridis flower

The wonderfully coloured calyptus, the bud-cap,
of the Baker's Mallee Eucalyptus bakeri.

Butterfly List

There was only one species seen flying on the day, a White or Common Migrant Catopsilia pyranthe. One was caught by Nicholas Matheson and identified by members before being released. There were two individuals fluttering around the morning tea spot at the Karara Showgrounds.

The brown hairy caterpillar found on the mistletoe (possibly Smooth Mistletoe Dendrophthoe glabrescens) was the larvae of a Scarlet Jezebel Delias argenthona. An ugly duckling of a larva compared to the beautiful butterfly it becomes. 

Scarlet Jezebel caterpillar