Bv dint Of .hi carl\ rise, Ml ea.lv 

 huMktast. and A iii'vc through the 



m.sl\ p.cdawn. I WW :ihlc to be 

 walkin.t; ifttQUgh the bos ami gum 



sections in bright moonlight. The 



small ho\ leaves made D line Iracciy 



gainst the ski toll iruaJW 



looked like black WHs in the fafnl 

 [igttt, Birds already calling iiwludwj 

 r.iih.i t iiekoos. vviiiv Wagtails. Map 



pies. Parrots. Wrens, Kookaburras 

 UHd others not recognised I slowed 

 [0 a StOB when U powerful whistling 

 close by was answered by a low *bu- 

 huo". 1 waned until it w is light 

 ciioneh to St» an IfrtlfiBCMlntC (iolden 

 Whistler Mill vibrating with song, and 

 •still being answered hy his demote 

 mate, 



I he sun was now up hut not 



visihic. oft tin- fnontiut Irwn 



drenched ground had ttseu to produce 

 ;i blanketing mist The tine globules 

 of moisture clothed the gr.ss. leaves 

 and hanksia cones ;iitd festooned the 

 many orh webs. It was difficult to 

 avoid deslruclion of these delicate 

 concentric patterns when leaving the 

 track. Some were slung in the forks 

 61 branches, while others hy mentis 

 of hon/i>nial lilies ctlcndkd llny-llkc 

 from verticil -dicks.. Another wet, 

 which resembled a space -frame con 

 sisted of munerous right angled tri- 

 angles of web lying in various planes. 

 Ind dipping into a bmiiiiel that led 

 lo a hole. One balNneh hole con- 

 tained u hrowmsh wolf-like sp.de. 

 thai came to his frr.ni door to study 

 me with large eyes, hut refused to 

 come out. 



The moon, still a glow in (he 

 mist, had its halo replaced by a semi- 

 circle nf light— almost i mootihow 

 The area was like a newly planted, 

 well stocked garden. Muntnes spread 

 mg Desert Bunksi^ m flower, yotmg 

 malice cucalypts with fresh tips, 

 much Callittis regeneration. Baepkea 



irlXSSlfOllQ, Shruh Violet. I !, ,,,, 

 Hake;,, L.Minea Howes and Bio,- I 

 Horn.., a A kal,e:.,.oo on .he U:e. 

 -.,,[ p.i.kntlv until I had .,l.n„e 

 screwed tin- tele lens on the earner.,. 



Hwi intctBd Ekwxy Wrens appwred 



close In and thai a well i:,,iiwu 



iiaued striated biw with a *w»-Jiki 



plume of a tail jumped up an. I dovai 

 in a inflflfc of hanksia stems, sijigiriyj 

 js energetically us it moved—., 

 Sn.ated Crass Wren. C'liesinnt-taikJ 

 IhoruhiHs Hew into the low ma He: 

 while a Hock ol lawns -crowned 

 Houcvealc.s plp-p.pped" and chased 

 huher iu<l ih.ther, now near. HOVl :';n. 

 hut never In one place long enough 

 to have themselves photographed. 



One is always loth 10 turn bad 

 in such iiu are., knowing thai so 

 many Ireasurcs remain to be dis- 

 covered, and thai B few more steps 

 may prov.de the clues leading t» 

 AM) However I mined back down 

 the track to the car. and on to the 

 van where S.mvne artd Mcathct were 

 wo. king in a -dedicated" mnnne. on 

 matriculation studies I hat afternoon 

 I persuaded Ihe studious ones to pul 



as Konnd Lake. W« walked hlllf \tr. 

 nature trail then tjiularf IBM ih 

 hare dry lake where Pipits \n ,if c j 

 jerk. Is and a Sp.r w i.^-cd Plover 

 called scraichily as .r starched the 

 lakeside vegetation. A track hjd brm 

 worn hy many fee. over the nc\l 

 dime ;md a_s tor av the lirst bigl' 

 dune to Ihe west, Here I noted Nv.d 

 hacked Parrots. Wh'te-i nmpe 1 M 

 cts. White-cared Honcvcatcts. Oicst 

 mil -tailed Thornhtlls. Ringtteek Pat- 

 rots, ami Red Waitie-birds. On the 

 way back a solitary Pink Cockatoo 

 ttew overhead 



We completed Ihe nalu.e walk. »m 

 ,t was not the same HjS D had hec.v 

 Human mretfereucc hail caused a 

 real loss ol .Is natural intern. y I" 



260 



V.ct N»l Vol 88 



