Habitat

There wasn’t much habitat loss and none in the high-conservation-value area by the creek. However one of my back-fence neighbours has asked to “clean up” on my side of the fence and others might follow. This will involve removing fallen logs and is not a good thing.

But talking about habitat and fallen logs gives an excuse to post this photo. This particular small piece of habitat no longer exists.

and speaking of echidnas …

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here’s where the bulldozer went up the hill …

… and where it came down again. It continued up to the start of my driveway.

 

 

 

Singed trees

Although no trees larger than saplings caught fire (other than the large dead one – see earlier post below) many trees have singed leaves. The singeing was accompanied by an ominous “fizz!” as the fire approached. It will be interesting to see how readily they recover from this, having already recovered from severe Cup Moth larva damage this season (see earlier post below).

Above is actually a nut tree belonging to the neighbours; below – singed eucalypt (Narrow-leaf Peppermint, Eucalyptus radiata) behind the house, the same tree looking towards the woodshed, and other trees across from the veranda..

Missing?

There was a small community of Black Rock Skinks (Egernia saxatilis intermedia) living in  fallen logs which are now non-existent or heavily burned. These are quite large for small skinks, about 100mm plus tail, although nowhere near the size of blue-tongue lizards, which are also skinks.

And I would post one of my fabulous photos of black rock skinks if I could find them. Until I do, here’s where they lived, in the trunk and branches of a big fallen tree.

Below is roughly the same place on 15 March (you might or might not be able to see a tinge of green in the burnt grass), but I think the bulldozer must have moved the logs around.

Another pair of before-and-afters from roughly the same spot, this time facing the creek, down the winter drainage line. Dull pics but an interesting part of the property, both dry and wet. I’ll try to remember to keep taking photos from this spot.

In the ‘after’ photo you can see where the bulldozer crossed the creek and extended the firebreak up the hill on the neighbouring farm. (If you click and enlarge.)

Background etc

This season had been quite a good one for grass but almost every eucalyptus on the place was devastated by Cup Moth caterpillars in the spring. A few younger trees died but most recovered, although the foliage is not as dense as normal.

If there isn’t another infestation next spring everything will be back to normal. Although missing most of a year’s growth.

Above – unwell in October 2013; below – healthy in January 2012.

Some of the Messmates (Eucaluptus obliqua) badly affected by Cup Moth have put out epicormic shoots – new shoots sprouting densely along limbs or trunks, often seen in fire recovery.

I also often see them on the stump of a tree that has snapped off (which happens uncomfortably often to my Candlebarks, Eucalyptus rubida). These shoots on stumps never seem to come to anything. I don’t know why this should be, as they have the resources of a large tree’s root system. I’ve tried just leaving them alone and I’ve tried trimming all but the strongest – same result.

Below is a view taken three years before the fire, almost to the day. I think the poa was denser and higher this year. The area to the left of the green pathway in the foreground (2011 was a wet summer – no green grass at all this March) had been burned two winters previously, as an experiment. It didn’t seem to me that the poa here came back any stronger or denser than the poa elsewhere on the property, most of which hadn’t been burned for at least 15 years but possibly much longer.

And approximately the same view today. Note the new graded track in the foreground, and the absence of the large dead tree. Also missing is my large pile of cut willow which had been nicely drying-out for several years.

And just for fun, here’s a similar view from summer 2011:

And finally another before-and-after. Notice the lawnmower in the ‘before’.