An Odyssey to Lake Barrine

After a very good nights sleep I was up - not too early - and out for a run with some visiting friends.  We went to the Curtain Fig Tree where a Black-faced Monarch added itself to the bird list.

On the way back we visited a fruiting fig tree where several Figbirds were evident as was a White-bellied Cuckooshrike.  All the birds then erupted as a Grey Goshawk passed by.  (We came back later in the day and the cupboard was bare!)

Frances then offered to stay home and mind Tammy while myself and our guests went for a loop around Lake Barrine.  This is a lake in a volcanic crater a few kms East of Yungaburra.  Its surrounded by rainforest including these two huge Kauris (named after another species from New Zealand).  They were 45m high and pretty impressive.

Most of the rain forest was as depicted in previous posts, butthere seemed to be more fungus around here - possibly the moist habitat from the lake?

 This knot of creeper was one of the more intricate examples I have seen.

Thus far reptiles have been few and far between.  A few skinks have gone across the patio and a gecko has called at the house.  This skin implies that there are other, less leg-enriched specimens around.

 Dropping into invertebrates this appeared to be a pupa of something.

After we finished our loop we were heading for a comfort stop at the cafe when we noticed Ulysses butterflies on a Calliandra.  The first one was in good nick ...

 but a second looked a little worn ...

 .. especially when viewed from behind

Later in the day Rob noticed a little bit of invertebrate interaction, possibly of a predatory nature. I wonder if the winner here is an Assassin Bug, probably Gminatus australis.

Lunch is a small beetle.

Getting back to Lake Barrine these flowers were growing out of the trunk of a substantial tree.  From an image (and description) in Australian Tropical Rainforest Life by C and D Frith (ATRL) I think this may well be Bumpy Satinash (Syzygium cormiflorum).

The next two images are flowers in the garden of the tourist centre.  They  my well be plantings.  I have no idea what the first is,

This is clearly an orchid and I would take a punt at Cymbidium sp.  From looking at ATRL again I will change my view to being like a Dendrobium (to rekindle an old debate - that is more like an orchid - sort of an anti-Microtis)!

There were a bunch of honeyeaters in the Calliandra.  This was identified by a passing lady (see comment of the day below) as a Bridled Honeyeater.

Our final expedition was a return to the Avenue of Honour.  This is the first memorial I have seen to the dogs involved in conflict.

It turns out the Avenue is here because a soldier who died in Afghanistan was from Yungaburra and his parents raised the money ($300k) to establish it.  The trees in the avenue are Illawarra Flame Trees, apparently chosen as the are red around the date of Remembrance Day.

Just after dark there were the dulcet tones of possums with issues.  Going out with my headlight revealed two rather large brushtails earning points in the "Does not play well others"category.

• Bird of the Day: Bridled Honeyeater - the ones from the fig tree in the morning were contenders, as was the Spotted Harrier seen flying near the Cathedral Fig..  Flock of the day was the 10 Great crested Grebes on Lake Barrine.
• Vegetation of the day:  The Calliandra at Lake Barrinbe which was so popular with honeyeaters and the Ulysses butterflies.
• Memorable moment: Seeing a bunch of pies being made in a cafe advertising "home made pies" .  Apart from questions if a cafe was a home they proved their point..  
• Comment of the day: Unusually this comes from the SBS coverage of Le Tour.  One of the Australian cyclists, expressing concern about the situation in Nice, said he was worried because " My wife and dog are there."   Tammy was pleased about his priorities. 
• Pie of the day: We purchased 3 pies (plain, steak and veg and vegetarian) from the Quincan Cottage cafe.  Again a tad pricey but huge, so good value.  All three pies rated very good.  I can only comment on my plain one but it had chunks of meat not mince, and was very very tasty.  The crust was well formed a tasty but possibly not quite thick enough for the volume of goodies inside.  Overall, the buest pie I have had in Queensland.  8.5/10 is a conservative rating.
• Troppo moment of the day.  Two huge dogs in the back of a ute towing a jet ski to Lake Tinnaroo.  The dogs were not taken out on the ski.

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