Thirteen people met at the Ticket Box car park on a fairly cool and overcast morning before driving up to Gerraty’s car park for a brief morning tea. At about 10:30 am we set off on a walk to Helicopter flat.
Just by the main building we inspected the plantings of some of the most significant plants of Lake Mountain which gave us a foretaste of some of the species we could expect to see. As well as the appropriately named Grevillea monslacana there was also a specimen of Podocarpus lawrencei – Mountain Plum-pine which grows at only one site on the Mountain. The we were greeted by a very obliging Flame Robin.
At the Snow Gauge we had a good impression of how the flora had recovered since the bushfire of 2009. The path to Helicopter Flat was decorated with masses of yellow flowers of Leionema Phlicifoliium – the Alpine Phebalium. Even though it was a bit early to see many flowering plants we did find the Rannculus collinus – Strawberry Buttercup, Podolobium aloestre – Alpine Shaggy Pea, Hovea montana, Tasmania xerophila – Alpine Pepper, Acacia alpina – Alpine Wattle, Acacia obliquinerva – Mountain Hickory Wattle, Asterolasia trymaloides – Alpine Star-bush, and Richea continentis. We then headed back to Gerraty’s for lunch. Even though walking had been very pleasant along the trails, the car park was very cold – about 5oC with the wind making it feel more like 0oC!
After lunch we took the short Leadbeaters walk where the dominant flowers were Prostanthera cuneata – Alpine Mint Bush, Philotheca myoporoides – Long-leaf Waxflower and the ground-cover Hydrocotyle hirta – Hairy Pennywort. On the way back to the car park we were entertained for several minutes by a lyre bird which went through a repertoire of at least ten different bird calls.
We then moved down the mountain to Cameron’s Cascade Track where we spent about an hour or so. The vegetation was much different from higher parts of the mountain with many different ferns and a different suite of flowering plants. These included Ozothamnus, Zieria arborescens – Stinkwood, Cardamine lilacina – Lilac Bitter Cress and an unusual fruiting pink lichen – Dibaeis baeomyces.
These included Ozothamnus, Zieria arborescens – Stinkwood, Cardamine lilacina – Lilac Bitter Cress and an unusual fruiting pink lichen – Dibaeis baeomyces.
Bird List
| Crescent Honeyeater | Grey Shrikethrush | Grey Fantail |
| Welcome Swallow | Flame Robin | Crimson Rosella |
| Grey Currawong | Spotted Pardalote | White-browed Scrubwren |
| White-eared Honeyeater | Silvereye | Red Wattlebird |
| Pied Currawong | Black Faced Cuckoo Shrike | Brown Thornbill |
| Striated Pardalote | Little Raven | Lyre Bird |
| Eastern Whip Bird | Leuwins Honeyeater | Golden Whistler |
| Shining Bronze Cuckoo | Olive Whistler | Fantail Cuckoo |
| Eastern Yellow Robin | Unconfirmed call of Pilot Bird | |
ABN 23 918 778 150
Incorporation No A0044963D