Tag: hiking

notonectidae

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sostomo

The lower parts of Solstice Creek are well-visited, but not many people climb Sostomo Trail to enjoy the gorgeous crossing on the upper creek. The three of us settled into a bed of fallen sycamore leaves and enjoyed the quiet shade. I liked seeing the little backswimmers (Notonectidae family) — I’d also observed these aquatic insects in Australia.

Backswimmers, as the name implies, swim inverted, using their long hind legs to paddle vigorously. They prey on organisms as large as tadpoles and small fish and can deliver a painful “bite” to humans—actually a stab from their sharp proboscis. These insects inhabit still freshwater in lakes, ponds, and marshes, and can also be found in garden ponds and occasionally in swimming pools. Despite being primarily aquatic, backswimmers are effective fliers, allowing them to easily disperse to new habitats.

calabasas peak

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calabasaspeak

Secret Trail has been on my to-hike list for a while. It’s got some really pretty parts, wending as it does through chaparral, oak woodland, grassland and riparian habitats before arriving at the dramatic rock formations in the upper reaches. I’d like to go back in spring to see all the purple sage in flower.

Salpinctes obsoletus

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Salpinctes obsoletus

The rock wren (Salpinctes obsoletus) is a small songbird native to western North America, Mexico and Central America. They are apparently common and widespread, but this was the first time I’d ever noticed one.

I’ve learned that rock wrens usually build their nests in crevices among boulders or beneath large rock ledges, typically on the ground or just a few inches above it, resting on a foundation of small rocks. Uniquely, they create a “paving” or “front porch” at the entrance of the nesting site, often lined with small stones, bones, and various debris. The purpose of this “paving” remains a mystery, but it is evidently significant, as rock wrens construct it before building the nest itself.

The other fun sighting on this hike was a bobcat, calmly crossing the trail quite close to humans. I’ve seen these gorgeous cats in the same area of the Park on several other occasions; they are clearly habituated to hikers.

galambary

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Galambary

Telstra Tower (also known as Black Mountain Tower) is one of the most visually imposing structures on the Canberra skyline, visible from many parts of Canberra and Queanbeyan. It provides important communication facilities for the area. 

Prior to its closure to the public in mid-2021, it was a major tourist attraction, with visitors enjoying 360-degree views of the surrounding city and countryside. Telecommunications giant Telstra is currently considering plans to give the tower a makeover and reopen it to the public, perhaps as a site that celebrates Ngunnawal (local indigenous) culture.

Galambary (Black Mountain) holds deep cultural and spiritual importance for Aboriginal people, particularly as a sacred site for men’s business. Safeguarded by the Canberra Nature Park, it remains largely covered in native bushland—a lovely place to hike. We have happy memories of making the climb with Dad, so it was sweet to do it again.

glass house mountains

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glasshousemtns

The Glass House Mountains are a group of thirteen hills that rise sharply from a plain on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast. The mountains lie within the traditional lands of the Jinibara and Gubbi Gubbi people. First Nations Australians hold a rich legend surrounding these mountains, with Mt Beerwah being especially significant as the “mother” of the range.

Both Indigenous groups request that visitors refrain from climbing Beerwah and Tibrogargan out of respect for their sacred importance, a call they have voiced publicly since the mid-1990s, to little avail. In Gubbi Gubbi tradition, climbing Mt Beerwah is believed to bring bad luck.

My daughter and I did not climb Mt Tibrogargan—we circumnavigated its base, and saw some really cool invertebrates, flowers, and birds, as well as views of more distant mounts.

leaves

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hondo canyon

‘Twas a grand day to hike Hondo. I spotted a new caterpillar, and learned more about it when I got home. The genista broom moth, Uresiphita reversalis, is light to medium brown with a dark spot on each top wing. The hindwings are yellow or orange with some brownish-gray shading toward the edges. Genista caterpillars feed on acacias, brooms (Genista spp., thus the common name) and lupines, among other species. They ingest and store alkaloids from their host plants, which make the worms bitter or even toxic to mammals, birds and some insect predators. So don’t try eating them!

arroyo hondo

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arroyohondo

We didn‘t know anything about Arroyo Hondo Preserve before we showed up at the gate; we just saw it on the map and decided to hike there. We were unaware that entry was by reservation, on only two weekends a month. By a stroke of luck, it happened to be one of the right weekends, and they graciously let us in.

This place is a delight! We hiked for a couple of hours, with Allie following her nose (“Smell that? Sulphur!”) to hunt for a hot spring. I don’t know who killed the great blue heron, but their wildlife cam shows several possible suspects.

Due to the construction of a fish ladder under the 101, Arroyo Hondo has one of the only creek populations of southern steelhead trout along on the coast. This is definitely a place to return to.

Phrynosoma blainvillii

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Alli and I explored a back route into Topanga State Park this morning, then hiked the familiar and much-loved Musch Trail. (Who was Musch? I’ll have to ask Suzanne, she’ll probably know.) We spotted a Blainville horned lizard close to where I saw one (my first!) last year. Nice!