Roadsides and Lake Linlithgow

Leaders. Yvonne Ingeme & Jane Hayes. Morning and afternoon sessions were held.

After an informative introduction, and spraying of shoes with bleach, we proceeded west of Dunkeld, turned south onto the Penshurst-Dunkeld Road,
we took the first road to the right (Lovell’s Lane), we then turned south along Forest Lane; where we had several stops.

Stop 1 – Area that had not been burned for several years.

Stop 2 – Area that had recently been burned.

Stop 3 – Area with spaced roof-tiles looking for leg-less lizards.

Stop 4 – Site with wildflowers.

We then turned left (west) onto North Lake Road, where we proceeded to a swamp near the north east of Lake Linlithgow (Stop 5). We continued west
until opposite the northern shore of Lake Linlithgow (Stop 6). The next stop was at the corner of West Lakes Road and North Lakes Road (Stop 7).
On reaching the Chatsworth Road we turned right, and entered the Lake Linlithgow Reserve and proceeded along the point with Cypress trees (Stop 8).
We then returned to the Chatsworth Road and passed Krause’s Swamp – an area of relatively deep and permanent water (Stop 9).
Continuing past Krause’s Swamp we turned east when we reached North Lake Road and returned to Dunkeld via Forest Lane and Lovell’s Lane.
We then visited the Dunkeld Arboretum north-east of the town (Stop 10).

We were led by two very talented and informative guides.

  1. Stop 1 unburnt area). PLANTS: Blue Devil (Eryngium ovinum), Bulbine Lily (Bulbine bulbosa), Chocolate Lily (Arthropodium strictum),
    Clover Glycine (Glycine latrobeana), Common Rice-flower (Pimelea humilis), Creamy Stackhousia (Stackhousia monogyna),
    Early Nancy (Wurmbea dicoica), Golden Moth Orchid (Diuris sp.aff. chryseopsis), Milk Maids (Burchardia umbellata),
    Running Postman (Kennedia prostrata), Scaly Button (Leptorrhynchos squamatus).

    BIRDS: Long-billed Corellas

  2. Stop 2.
    Plants very similar to unburnt area.

    BIRDS: Straw-necked Ibis, Banded Lapwing (one nesting)

  3. Stop 3.
    FAUNA: Striped legless Lizard (looked like a Pretzel!)

  4. Stop 4. Stackhousia monogyna.
    BIRDS: Banded Lapwing on west side in stubble paddock. Tree Martins
  5. Stop 5. White-necked Heron
  6. Stop 6. BIRDS: Nankeen Kestrel, Brolga
  7. Stop 7.
    Pale Swamp everlasting – Helichrysum ratidolepis (a new find for Yvonne therefore exciting).

    Swamp daisy – Brachyscome cardiocarpa (quite rare and only flowers in good seasons).

    Also Sticky Parentucellia (Sticky Bartsia) – Parentucellia viscosa and
    Prickfoot – Eryngium vesiculosum

  8. Stop 8. BIRDS: Black-winged Stilts, Whiskered Terns, Black Swans, Black Duck, Galahs, Shoveler,
    Chestnut Teal

  9. Stop 9. BIRDS: Blue-billed Duck, Pink-eared Duck, Hardhead, Eurasian Coots, Swamp Harrier,
    Hoary-headed Grebes, White-necked Heron. (saw a farmer who said that the brolgas left 3 weeks ago).

  10. Stop 10. Learned about the critically endangered Golden Sun Moth which breeds here –
    a brief hatching time in December.