Saturday, February 6, 2010

Sandstone Escarpments And Escarpment River Gorges

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As the rainfall has tapered off its now possible to walk on the creeks flowing through the sandstone escarpment table-tops because the water levels have subsided. The same is true for the sandstone monsoon forests down in the escarpment gorges, except the rivers are still pretty fast moving and the adjacient soil is just starting to dry out.
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It was very exciting because I managed to see a few flowers I have been interested in locating for some time now. The Hoya plant which clings to the side of gorge walls is starting to flower and I managed to billygoat into position to get the long awaited photo snaps. An Acacia plant with round flowers and very small leaves has been the motivation for many an extended walk up into the escarpment country. I finally located a very happy community sitting next to a tabletop creek. Finally, I spent a day walking in a Kakadu escarpment monsoon rainforest two weeks ago looking for a purple moth. The moth is plant specific. I have found many plants flower at different times of the year, depending on where they are located in the Northern Territory. Therefore, I am very surprised that this moth's lifecycle seems to be the identical even though separated by over 400km.
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There is no doubt that all that rain means an abundance of life is on its way again.
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Litchfield Escarpment Stone Country
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Escarpment Table-top Creek
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Acacia nuperrima
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A bit slow to shoot but I was surprised he took the high road.
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Antilopine Wallaroo Macropus antilopinus
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Cajanus acutifolius
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Cartonema spicatum
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Crab’s-eye Vine Abrus precatorius
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Crotalaria novae-hollandiaea
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Golden Orb-weavbing Spider Nephila ornata female
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Goniaeoidea sp.
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Hibbertia cistifolia
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Hoya australis
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Hoya australis
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Four O'Clock Moth Dysphania numana
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Oak-leaf Fern Drynaria quercifolia ephiphyte
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Painted Grasshawk Neurothemis stigmatizans
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Spotted Opal Nesolycaena urumelia
Restricted to specific plants
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Sundew Mitrasacme nudicaulis
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Waltheria indica
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Wandering Pennant Macrodiplax cora
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