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Legacy of ancient reptilian ancestors, the monotremes (echidnas and Platypus) developed in Australia as they mingled with early marsupials that evolved in South America when those two continents were still connected via Antarctica. The resulting combo of an egg-laying mammal with a pouch is remarkable indeed. Getting great views of the two extraordinary Australian monotremes was one of the foremost highlights of the trip. Though normally considered shy, this Short-beaked Echidna wandered right among us at Cradle Mountain National Park. (photo by participant Fred Dalbey)

It was another trip to the ancient and fascinating land of kookaburras, kangaroos, and echidnas. This year we met in Tasmania, where we spent most of our time in the cool, forested mountains, remnants of the intrusive lavas that ultimately unzipped Australia from Antarctica in the dying days of Gondwana, some 30-40 million years ago. It was then that Australia started sailing northward toward the tropics, drying as it drifted into warmer climes, and triggering one of the planet's great biological experiments in isolation--and the beginning of an incredible radiation of unique life forms.

Tasmania itself has been detached from the world's largest island long enough to harbor a number of its own endemics. By the time we left Tasmania, we had seen all 12 of its endemic birds, the toughest-to-find delivering lerp to its nest hole. And we had had close looks at such iconic Australian mammals as echidnas, Platypus, pademelons, wombats, and even the Endangered Tasmanian Devil, largest extant marsupial carnivore. It would be hard to match such riches on the rest of our route.

But a new form of excitement came the day we flew from Melbourne to Alice Springs. Even the pilot was excited to point out the amount of water in Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre, Australia's lowest point (at 49' below sea level) and the terminal basin for a huge drainage area encompassing much of interior Australia. Normally a sprawling salt pan with little water, Lake Eyre has only filled to capacity three times in the last 150 years. Heavy rains in late 2015 into the spring of 2016 have been filling the lake, which, before it becomes too salty, can attract huge numbers of Banded Stilts and up to 80% of Australia's pelican population to feed on the ephemeral abundance of aquatic life. From the plane, we could see considerable water in the lake, enough to create its own weather--a covering of clouds over the center of the water. We would later witness thousands of Banded Stilts moving inland, away from the coasts, and wonder at how birds hundreds of miles away are able to detect the filling of endorheic inland lakes.

On the ground at Alice Springs, the Outback was in bloom and alive with singing and displaying birds. A Western Bowerbird was spiffing up his bower; Dusky Grasswrens were singing and territorial, as were fairywrens and honeyeaters and such rarities as Redthroat and Chiming Wedgebill. Vast stretches of Spinifex were in seed, and there were displaying Spinifex Pigeons, responsive Spinifex-birds and emuwrens, and nesting Painted Firetails. Mulga Parrots foraged amid the wildflowers, and impressive flights of Red-tailed Black-Cockatoos inspected mulga burns. There were Long-nosed Dragons, leveed Mulga Ant nests, and flowering Sturt's Desert Peas. It was quite a contrast to Tasmania!

Then it was on to Perth and the Southwest, famous for supporting the highest diversity of bird-pollinated flowers on Earth. To be there in the austral spring of a wet year was to witness a fabulous spring bloom! From the Dryandra Forest to Lake Sepping, from Cheynes Beach and Two Peoples Bay to "Muttonbird Island" and Rocky Gully, spring was in the air. The spectacular coastal scenery--from tall eucalyptus woodlands to Banksia-dominated coastal heath--contrasted dramatically with what we'd seen near Alice. Bird highlights ranged from displaying male Musk Ducks to a wonderful diversity of parrots (including an banner year for Purple-crowned Lorikeets!); from seeing the Big Three Southwestern specialties (the scrub-bird, the bristlebird, and the whipbird) to watching displaying Red-eared Firetails carrying long grass stems in courtship; from watching bizarre Shingleback (or Stumpytail) Lizards to cataloging a wonderful array of Proteaceae, Myrtaceae, and kangaroo paws in bloom.

We finished the trip with a day of birding at Royal National Park out of Sydney, mainly to ease the transition to the long flights homeward. But sampling the flora and fauna along the Hacking River and the nearby sandstone cliffs produced some highlights unique to eastern Australia, and new for most. Our final bird highlights ranged from handsome Topknot Pigeons and Australian King-Parrots to a cooperative Superb Lyrebird, the rare and local Rockwarbler, and a singing male Rose Robin--our 11th robin of the trip! It was an appropriate ending to a very memorable tour.

For a wonderful review of the wonders of Australia, we highly recommend two programs: the 4-part Nova series "Australia's First 4 Billion Years"; and "Australia: Land Beyond Time," a video that can be seen on YouTube. Plus, Tim Low's book, WHERE SONG BEGAN (2014, Penguin EBook or Viking paperback), which I've referenced liberally in the annotations below, deserves a reread after any birding trip to Australia.

We thank Karen in our FG office, Len and Pat, our hosts at Mountain Valley Lodge, and all of our driver-guides in Australia for a seamless tour. Thanks to Fred, Peggy, Don, Ron, and Nancy for processing and uploading photos under time pressures; their photos adorn the html version of this triplist. And special thanks to our botanists--Linda, Nancy, and Ron--for photographing, identifying, uploading, and compiling the list of representative flowers we encountered; you can view the Aus16p-FLOWERS gallery at the URL we sent you.

And thanks again to all of you for all the fun. John and I had a grand time, and I'll remember it fondly as my final scheduled FG tour--shared with a select group of wonderful people.

--Grebe (& Kingfisher)

KEYS FOR THIS LIST
One of the following keys may be shown in brackets for individual species as appropriate: * = heard only, I = introduced, E = endemic, N = nesting, a = austral migrant, b = boreal migrant

We had a grand time throughout, here below a blooming Coast Banksia in the coastal heath at Cheynes Beach--after having seen two of the toughest birds of the trip! (photo by participant Don Taves)

The unique Musk Duck, Biziura lobata, is the sole living member of its genus. It seems to be part of an ancient Gondwanan radiation of the Anatidae, with no close relatives. It exudes a musky odor during the breeding season, and the drake sports a large, black lobe of distensible gular skin hanging from the bill (hence the specific moniker "lobata"). This male, photographed by participant Don Taves, was at Sepping Lake near Albany.

Spring was definitely in the air for this displaying male Musk Duck! (photo by participant Don Taves)

Some of our best sea-birding was from The Gap, in Torndirrup National Park, Western Australia. Here, from dramatic cliffs fronting the Great Southern Ocean, we watched shearwaters, terns, and even albatrosses riding the strong winds. (photo by participant Nancy Dengler)

Although medium-sized by pelican standards, the Australian Pelican has the largest bill--and surely some of the biggest eyes--of any living bird! We saw small numbers scattered throughout the Southwest, but they can gather in huge numbers when Lake Eyre fills temporarily. In March 1990, over 200,000 adult birds were breeding there! (photo by participant Peggy Keller)

Did I mention that the Australian Pelican is big!? It certainly dwarfed the nearby Little Black Cormorants in the Vasse River Wetland, where we watched these birds from a blind. (photo by participant Don Taves)

First described by John Gould in 1838, the Yellow-billed Spoonbill is generally scarce in SW Australia, where we enjoyed watching two birds interact in a freshwater wetland near Busselton. Genetic studies in 2010 found this species and our Roseate Spoonbill to be each other's closest relatives, implying the two were descended from an early sibling to the ancestors of the other four living spoonbills--all Old World species. (photo by participant Don Taves)

As we flew from Melbourne to Alice, we could see extensive salt flats bordering Lake Eyre, which showed shallow water in the distance as far as the eye could see. Water had been draining into its basin since November of 2015, slowly bringing life back to what varies from a sprawling dry salt pan to Australia's largest lake. (photo by guide Rose Ann Rowlett)

Typically found in open or lightly wooded country near water, the Whistling Kite was first seen on our trip around the Alice Springs sewage ponds, where participant Don Taves photographed this bird, capturing essentially every feather.

Formerly considered a part of Purple Swamphen, the melanotus group has been elevated to full-species status by recent genetic work. The new name, Australasian Swamphen, applies to birds found in Australia, New Guinea, parts of New Zealand and various Indonesian islands. This one was photographed by participant Don Taves at Sepping Lake.

Participant Peggy Keller captured this spiffy Pied Stilt in flight over the Alice Springs water treatment ponds.

Could it be some distant reflection of water in the skies? What triggers the occasional migration of these normally coastal Banded Stilts to rich but ephemeral inland lakes? This little group, photographed by participant Don Taves, was joining thousands of others on Lake Parkeyerring in Western Australia.

This handsome Sooty Oystercatcher was one of many we enjoyed along the Australian coasts, here at The Neck connecting North and South Bruny Island. (photo by participant Peggy Keller)

We had close studies of a cooperative Red-capped Plover at the Alice Springs sewage ponds. (photo by participant Peggy Keller)

The petite Silver Gull is Australia's most common and widespread gull. We saw them from our first day in Launceston to our final morning at Royal National Park. Participant Don Taves photographed this one on the beach at Hamelin Bay, Western Australia.

Birding along the beach of Adventure Bay, South Bruny Island, on a chilly morning in Tasmania (photo by participant Ron Dengler)

Belonging to a monotypic genus, the widespread Crested Pigeon is one of only two Australian pigeons with an erect crest, the other being the Spinifex Pigeon. (photo by participant Fred Dalbey)

The spiffy Spinifex Pigeon is exceptional among desert birds in being a sedentary specialist of arid Spinifex habitats, including some of the hottest places on earth. It is primarily terrestrial, feeding on drought-resistant seed plants within a few kms of permanent surface water--and usually amid hummock-forming Spinifex grasses. We saw them in a couple of places in Ormiston Gorge, this one photographed by participant Ron Dengler at a place where they are now being fed and have become incredibly confiding!

Another Outback inhabitant that requires permanent surface water is the Centillian Green Treefrog, Litoria caerulea. This one was photographed by participant Fred Dalbey beside the creek at Simpsons Gap.

Red-tailed Black-Cockatoos flew past in groups, stopping now and then to investigate a big burned area along the Santa Teresa Road. (photo by participant Fred Dalbey)

The pink eyering and gray bill distinguish this Baudin's Black-Cockatoo as a male. It was one of a pair that flew in and landed where we were hoping to see them--at the Bluff Knoll entrance to Stirling Range National Park. The species has a tiny range and is considered Endangered. (photo by participant Fred Dalbey)

Endemic to mainland Australia, the fancy pink Galah is common and widespread in open country and has been introduced to Tasmania, where some folks saw them. Some of our best views of it were at the Olive Pink Botanic Gardens in Alice Springs--where participant Don Taves captured this image.

We made a sudden stop for a pair of Cockatiels that landed beside the road, this male showing well. As a caged bird, Cockatiels are second in popularity only to Budgies. It was exhilirating to find this "cage bird" in its native habitat in the wild! (photo by participant Peggy Keller)

Participant Fred Dalbey captured this male Australian King-Parrot, endemic to eastern Australia, at Royal National Park on our final morning of birding.

The Australian (Port Lincoln) Ringneck was common at Alice Springs and throughout the Southwest. (photo by participant Don Taves)

The Crimson Rosella feeds on nectar, fruit, seeds, and nuts. When feeding on nectar, it functions to spread pollen widely. But when feeding on fruits and nuts, it crushes and destroys the seeds in the process of eating them, thus not proving useful to the plants as seed-spreaders. It also eats many insects. The species is monogamous and is said to be able to identify other individuals of its own subspecies by smell! (photo by participant Fred Dalbey)

One of five species of the genus Psephotus, the Mulga Parrot ranges through dry, interior Australia. We were delighted to find them feeding on the ground in the mulga scrub near Alice Springs. (photo by participant Fred Dalbey)

Specializing in feeding at the blossoms of Eucalyptus and Melaleuca--both of which were in bloom in the Dryandra Woodland--the little Purple-crowned Lorikeet is locally nomadic. We encountered LOTS of these canopy specialists this wet year in the Southwest, especially in the Dryandra Woodland, where they were nesting. (photo by participant Fred Dalbey)

Lady Carrington Drive parallels the Hacking River through Royal National Park. It was along this track that we saw the Superb Lyrebird and most of the other easterners on our final morning afield. (photo by guide Rose Ann Rowlett)

Like most bowerbirds, the Western Bowerbird is polygamous, the male attracting females to his bower, where he displays to them. The Western Bowerbird, formerly considered a race of Spotted Bowerbird, decorates his avenue bower with a collection of green and white objects, especially fruits, shells, pebbles, etc.; at the Olive Pink Botanic Gardens, the white objects were mostly manmade! Participant Fred Dalbey photographed this male (showing the pink crest on its neck) as it was rearranging objects at its bower.

For a feather-by-feather view of the same male Western Bowerbird, here is participant Don Taves's photo.

The treecreepers are a fascinating group, having diversified over a long period. Their foot design is unique among perching birds, as they lack hindclaw ligaments, allowing them to walk under limbs upside down. And they hang from trunks to sleep (fide Low). Plus, the form of their syrinx is unique among the other 4500 songbirds! This Rufous Treecreeper was photographed by participant Fred Dalbey near Manjimup.

More terrestrial than the fairywrens, grasswrens have the peculiar habit of feeding by "hopsearch," which consists of hopping a few feet, searching and gleaning, then repeating the movement. This Dusky Grasswren, photographed by participant Fred Dalbey at Simpsons Gap, was exceptionally cooperative.

Among the smallest of Australian birds, the emuwrens derive their common name from the similarity of their loosely barbed feathers to those of the Emu, ironically Australia's largest bird. The stem-like tail can be seen in this photo (by participant Fred Dalbey) of the Southern Emuwren we watched in the coastal heath near "Muttonbird Island."

The evolutionary history of the “chestnut-shouldered” fairywren group is complex, reflecting a northern origin and then a series of spreading southward and westward during warmer, wetter periods, followed by geographic fragmentation during cooler, drier periods. The result has been a diversity of slightly varying forms—all of which are extraordinarily beautiful—that occupy different ranges and habitats. Illustrative of the group is this striking male Blue-breasted Fairywren, here photographed by participant Don Taves in the Dryandra Woodland, where we had an extended family circling around us!

All fairywrens are socially monogamous and yet sexually promiscuous: Adults form pair bonds between one male and one female (and maintain dominance in their extended family group), but each partner will mate with other individuals from other family groups. We witnessed persistent pugnacious behavior of both sexes of these Splendid Fairywrens at Cheynes Beach, where they repeatedly charged their reflections in the mirror of our bus. Perhaps there’s a connection between their promiscuousness and the strength of their territorial behavior. (photo by participant Peggy Keller)

The Superb Fairywren, voted Australians' favorite bird, was the first fairywren we encountered--here at a marshy lake just outside Launceston. It's the only fairywren in Tasmania. (photo by participant Don Taves)

Southwestern Australia has more than a thousand flower species visited by birds--the highest density on earth--and many of them were in bloom during our visit. We would see a number of nectarivorous birds on some spectacular flowers, especially on the various members of the Proteaceae, one of the world's oldest plant families, and the Myrtaceae, the family of Eucalyptus and bottlebrush. Here, a New Holland Honeyeater, one of many important pollinators, feeds at an Albany Bottlebrush (Callistemon glaucus) at Two Peoples Bay. (photo by participant Don Taves)

Wattlebirds are the giants of the honeyeaters, being among the largest nectar-feeding birds in the world. The Red Wattlebird, widespread in southern Australia, was the common big wattlebird in the Southwest. Participant Don Taves photographed this one at our picnic lunch site at King River (near Albany). It clearly eats insects as well as nectar!

Scarlet Banksia (B. coccinea) was only one of the many Proteaceae in bloom at Cheynes Beach and Two Peoples Bay. Others are identified in our FLOWERS gallery. (photo by guide Rose Ann Rowlett)

Known for their aggressiveness, honeyeaters compete fiercely for a rich nectar source—a food worth defending. “A Banksia flowerhead may flow with nectar for 20 days, a eucalypt blossom for a week”(Low). Where the species is common and there is lots of competition for nectar, the feeding territory of a New Holland Honeyeater may be as small as 14 Banksia heads, or 4 cubic meters in the crown of a tree! (photo by participant Don Taves)

It was delightful to see masses of "ice plant" in bloom where it's a native, here in Torndirrup National Park, Western Australia. This species is probably Carpobrotus rossii, locally known as Karkalla or Pigface. (photo by participant Don Taves)

Pardalote beaks are unusually stout—well suited for levering sweets from trunks and leaves. This Forty-spotted Pardalote, photographed by participant Peggy Keller, is carrying to its nest what appears to be lerp—the white, modified excrement of aphid-like psyllids. Lerp and honeydew are produced because tree sap contains far more sugar than amino acids, forcing sap-suckers like psyllids to imbibe excess sap to meet their protein needs. The excess is excreted as honeydew, or sculpted into lerp “castles.” According to some studies, these lerp-producing psyllids are the most plentiful insects on eucalypts in southern Australia, and the Forty-spotted Pardalote, endemic to Tasmania, appears to take advantage of the abundance.

The coastal heath was in full bloom at Cheynes Beach and harbored Noisy Scrub-birds and Western Bristlebirds. (photo by guide Rose Ann Rowlett)

On our final morning of birding--at Royal NP--we saw White-browed Scrubwrens of the race tweedi, a member of the White-browed group, which lacks the spotting on the breast of the birds we had seen in the West. (photo by participant Peggy Keller)

The shy and unobtrusive Scrubtit is in a monotypic genus within the thornbill family. Inhabiting the temperate rainforest, Southern beech forest, and eucalypt woodland of Tasmania, it forages near the ground in dense cover and can be hard to see well. Unlike many Australian passerines, it’s monogamous, with no helpers at the nest. But it is brood-parasitized by Fan-tailed and Shining Bronze- Cuckoos. Participant Don Taves managed to get an exceptionally good photo of this skulker at Leven Canyon.

Our view to "Muttonbird Island" near Albany in Western Australia (photo by guide Rose Ann Rowlett)

Our fearless leader, here in Tasmania, as photographed by participant Ron Dengler

A duetting pair of Gray-crowned Babblers at the Olive Pink Botanic Gardens in Alice Springs (photo by participant Peggy Keller)

Participant Ron Dengler photographed this Long-nosed Dragon (Gowidon longirostris) in Ormiston Gorge.

We saw a number of these Mulga Ant (Polyrhachis sp.) nests as we walked through the mulga near Alice. According to Wikipedia, the rings consist of gathered fallen Mulga leaves, apparently to form levees to protect the nest from flooding when storms cause water to rush across the non-absorbent soil surface. The ants themselves are nocturnal foragers and thus inconspicuous during the day. (photo by guide Rose Ann Rowlett)

The widespread Australian Magpie, perhaps the most aggressive of Australia’s birds, also exhibits the highest levels of female infidelity ever detected in birds (82% in one population), followed by Superb and Splendid Fairywrens (fide Low). Participant Fred Dalbey photographed this male, of the nominate race, at Royal National Park.

This Varied Sittella, of the western race pileata, was quite cooperative, offering great views at the entrance to Bluff Knoll, Stirling Range National Park. (photo by participant Peggy Keller)

The Golden Whistler is a taxonomically complex group, the relationships among the various populations still in dispute. The sexes are dimorphic, the females being dull-plumaged. But the male we watched singing at close range in Tasmania was brilliant! (photo by participant Fred Dalbey)

The Heath Monitor (Varanus rosenburgi) replaces the more widespread Gould's Sand Monitor in the coastal Southwest, here photographed by participant Peggy Keller near Two Peoples Bay.

Hamelin Bay, Western Australia (photo by guide Rose Ann Rowlett)

Given all the flowers in bloom, there were a number of butterflies and other insects of course. Most went unidentified, but Ron Dengler identified this Meadow Argus (Junonia villida) that he photographed in Royal National Park. We need another lifetime for all the other fascinating critters out there!

This was the wonderful lizard in the Dryandra Woodland that Jeff held. The closest I could get to it is a member of the genus Diporiphora, possibly amphiboluroides (Mulga Dragon). (photo by participant Fred Dalbey)

A Grebe and a Kingfisher at Simpsons Gap (photo by participant Fred Dalbey)

The Spinifex (Triodia sp.) grass was in seed when we were in the Outback around Alice Springs. (photo by participant Fred Dalbey)

We saw this sand-colored Central Netted Dragon (Ctenophorus nuchalis) along the Tanami Highway north of Alice Springs. (photo by participant Fred Dalbey)

An unexpected visitor that can crush olive stones with its beak would be unwelcome to some folks. But Peggy seemed to handle it fairly well at our picnic site in Royal National Park. (photo by participant Ron Dengler)

Painted Firetail (photo by participant Fred Dalbey)

This male Red-eared Firetail was waving a long piece of grass-like vegetation in courtship display near Two Peoples Bay. (photo by participant Don Taves)

This head-on view of a Short-beaked Echidna down at its level, its nose tipped with soil, its spines imposing, was captured by participant Don Taves at Cradle Mountain.

Participant Fred Dalbey caught our Wilmot River Platypus as it surfaced just below us for an amazing view.

An Endangered Tasmanian Devil scavenges raw meat outside the Mountain Valley Lodge cabin of photographer Don Taves.

Black-footed Rock-Wallaby at the base of the cliffs at Simpsons Gap (photo by participant Don Taves)

Pouch muscles in a mother kangaroo can be tightened to constrain a Joey from exiting should the scene appear unsafe. We watched this alert Western Gray Kangaroo with its Joey near the entrance to the Dryandra Woodland. (photo by participant Don Taves)

The stumpy tail of the Shingleback Lizard (Tiliqua rugosa) resembles its head and may serve to confuse predators. It also contains fat reserves for slim times. (photo by participant Don Taves)

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

In addition to the birds and mammals, we must mention a few herps that were seen well and identified:

-- Centillian Green Treefrog (Litoria caerulea) - A.k.a. Australian Green Tree Frog, this was the big, bright-green frog we scoped in the permanent water at Simpsons Gap, which is right on the SW edge of its native distribution. It was the first Australian frog to be scientifically described--in 1790, by John White, an Irish surgeon and botanical collector in New South Wales.

--Buchanan's Snake-eyed Skink (Cryptoblepharus buchananii) - I think this was the species (the pair interacting) we watched at our picnic lunch spot in the Dryandra Woodland. They occur in SW Australia and are fairly common.

--Shingleback or Stumpytail (Tiliqua rugosa) - These fabulous big lizards with the short, fat tails belong to the skink family. We saw the nominate race, which occurs in SW Australia and fascinated us at our lunch stop in the Dryandra Woodland. Familiar to most Australians, it may have more common names than any other lizard.

--Diporiphora sp.? - The dragon with the long, curled tail that Jeff held in the Dryandra Woodland seems to fit this genus. But I couldn't determine the species for sure.

--Central Netted Dragon (Ctenophorus nuchalis) - This was the red-sand-colored lizard we encountered along the Tanami Highway on an afternoon walk through the bush near Alice.

--Long-nosed Dragon (Gowidon longirostris) - These were the fancy big lizards with the long pale stripe from the cheeks all along the sides and the extremely long toes. We saw them at the Alice Springs sewage ponds and in the West MacDonnell Range NP. They're typical of the arid, western interior.

--Sand Goanna (Varanus gouldii) - This big lizard is Australia's most widespread and abundant goanna, found over most of the mainland. It was the one we saw in the Dryandra Woodland. We were assuming the ones on the SW coast were darker variations of the same species; but the next species replaces this one in the coastal heath areas of the extreme south.

--Heath Monitor (Varanus rosenbergi) - This was the one we photographed at Two Peoples Bay. It's found in southern Australia and is much darker, with blackish banding. But it also like coastal sands.

Another of the highlights of our trip was witnessing the exceptional spring bloom in the Southwest, which has more than a thousand flower species visited by birds--the highest density on earth. The poor soils of one of the world's oldest landscapes suit floral diversity because they prevent any one plant from dominating the landscape. And the nectar flows generously because plants compete for visitors to spread their pollen (fide Low).

Southwestern Australia is the center for the family Proteaceae, one of the world's oldest families--the one containing Banksia, Grevillea, Hakea, and Adenanthos, all of which we saw in bloom and being visited by honeyeaters. Representative photos of many of the flowers we saw, identified by Linda Verbeek and Nancy Dengler, are in our aus16p-FLOWERS gallery and are listed in phylogenetic order in the Word document Nancy prepared for everyone. That document includes some species we saw but failed to photograph as well. As folks add new flowers to the gallery, we can update that list and rearrange new additions into their proper sequence. We invite everyone who photographed flowers to contribute if you have photos of flowers you can't find in the gallery.

At this point, I include below the list of FLOWERING PLANTS identified as of Dec 13. The family circumscription and order are as per Angiosperm Phylogeny Group website – Missouri Botanical Garden, Version IV, 2016 (www.mobot.org/MOBOT/research/APweb). Those marked with an asterisk following the location were identified, but not represented (as yet) by a photograph in the gallery.

Gymea lily family (Doryanthaceae)

GYMEA LILY (Doryanthes excelsa) – Royal National Park, restricted to Sydney area of NSW

Asphodelaceae (Asphodel family)

AGROSTOCRINUM (Agrostocrinum sp.) Two Peoples Bay, WA

BLUE FLAX LILY (Dianella sp.) –This species seen in Royal National Park, NSW

BLUE FLAX LILY (Dianella sp.) – Dryandra Forest, WA*

HOODED LILY (Johnsonia teretifolia) – Two Peoples Bay, WA

GRASS TREE (Xanthorrhea preissii) – Dryandra Forest, WA

Iridaceae (Iris family)

CORN LILY (Ixia sp.) – Rest area near Rocky Gully, native to South Africa

MORNING IRIS (Orthrosanthus polystachys) – near Manjimup, WA

PURPLE FLAGS (Patersonia occidentalis) – Two Peoples Bay, WA

Orchidaceae (Orchid family)

BLUE CHINA ORCHID (Cyanicula sericea) – Two Peoples Bay, WA

SUN ORCHID (Thelymitra sp.) – Borden rest area, WA

COWSLIP ORCHID (Caladenia flava) – Stirling Range NP, WA

Asparagaceae (Asparagus family)

PURPLE TASSELS (Sowerbaea laxiflora) – Dryandra Forest, WA*

FRINGED LILY (Thysanotis sp.) – near Rocky Gully, WA

Xyridaceae (Xyris family)

YELLOW-EYED GRASS (Xyris sp.) – Two Peoples Bay, WA

Poaceae (Grass family)

SPINIFEX (Triodia sp.) – Alice Springs area, NT

Haemordoraceae (Bloodwort family)

CAT’S PAW (Anigozanthos humilis) – Stirling Range NP, WA

RED AND GREEN KANGAROO PAW (Anigozanthos manglesii) – near Rocky Gully, WA

CONE FLOWER (Conostylis sp.) – Dryandra Forest, WA*

Ranunculaceae (Buttercup family)

OLD MAN’S BEARD (Clematis pubescens) – near Manjimup, WA

Amaranthaceae (Amaranth family)

GREEN PUSSYTAILS Ptilotus macrocephalus - Santa Teresa Rd, Alice Springs, NT

PINK PUSSYTOES Ptilotus manglesii – Dryandra Forest, WA*

Iceplant family (Aizoaceae)

NATIVE PIGFACE (Carpobrotus rosii) – Adventure Bay, Bruny Island, TAS

Droseraceae (Sundew family)

PINK RAINBOW (Drosera menziesii) – Two Peoples Bay, WA

BLACK-EYED SUNDEW (Drosera platystigma) – Stirling Range, WA

Loranthaceae (Mistletoe family)

CHRISTMAS TREE (Nuytsia floribunda) – Cheynes Beach, WA

Geraniaceae (Geranium family)

AUSTRALIAN STORKSBILL (Pelargonium australe) – Two Peoples Bay, WA

Protea family (Proteaceae)

BASKET FLOWER (Adenanthos obovatus) – Two Peoples Bay, WA

COASTAL WOOLYBUSH (Adenanthos sericea) – near Muttonbird Island, WA

GREVILLEA (Grevillea sp.) – Bruny Island ferry dock, TAS

COAST BANKSIA (Banksia attenuata) – Two Peoples Bay, WA – backdrop for group photo

SCARLET BANKSIA (Banksia coccinea) – Cheynes Beach, WA

PROSTRATE BANKSIA (Banksia gardneri) – Stirling Range NP, WA

BULL BANKSIA (Banksia grandis) – near Muttonbird Island, WA

YELLOW BANKSIA (Banksia marginata) – Bruny Island, TAS

PINGLE (Banksia polycephala) – Dryandra Forest, WA; originally the genus Dryandra, for which the forest was named

CUT-LEAF BANKSIA (Banksia praemorsa) – The Gap, Torndirrup NP, WA

MOUNTAIN NEEDLE BUSH (Hakea lissosperma) – south of Deloraine, TAS

CONEBUSH (Petrophile sp.) – Stirling Range NP, WA

SYNAPHEA (Synaphea gracillima) – Dryandra Forest, WA*

Hibbertia family (Dilleniaceae)

GUINEA FLOWER (Hibbertia scandens) – common in Royal National Park, NSW

Cunonniaceae (Cunonia family)

BLACK WATTLE (Callicoma serratifolia) – along Lady Carrington Drive, Royal National Park, NSW

Fabaceae (Pea family)

MULGA (Acacia aneura) – Olive Pink Botanical Garden, NT

BLACKWOOD (Acacia melanoxylon) – Mountain Valley Lodge, TAS

CASSIA (Senna artemesioides) – Tanami Rd, NT

FLAME PEA (Chorizema sp.) – near Rocky Gully, WA

SMALL-LEAF ORANGE PEA (Daviesia podophylla) – Dryandra Forest, WA*

PRICKLY POISON (Gastrolobium spinosum) – Dryandra Forest, WA

POISON PEA (Gastrolobium sp.) – Dryandra Forest, WA

HANDSOME WEDGE PEA (Gompholobium venustum) – Two Peoples Bay, WA

GLORY PEA (Gompholobium sp.) – Borden rest area, WA

GRANNY BONNETS (Isotropis cuneifolia) – near Muttonbird Island, WA

CORAL VINE (Kennedia coccinea) – near Manjimup, WA

AFRICAN SCURF PEA (Psoralea pinnata) – near Lake Powell, WA

PRICKLY BEAUTY (Pultenaea juniperina) – near Mountain Valley Lodge, TAS

STURT’S DESERT PEA (Swainsonia formosa) – Olive Pink Botanic Garden, Alice Springs, NT

SWAINSON’S PEA (Swainsonia flavicarinata) – Tanami Rd, NT

Polygalaceae (Milkwort family)

MILKWORT (Comespermum confertum) – Two Peoples Bay, WA

Fagaceae (Oak family)

MYRTLE BEECH (Nothofagus cumminghamii) – Mountain Valley Lodge, TAS

Myrtaceae (Myrtle family)

NARROW-LEAVED BOTTLE-BRUSH (Melaleuca linearis) – Royal National Park, NSW

PAPERBARK (Melaleuca parviceps) – Dryandra Forest, WA*

PAPER BARK (Melaleuca sp.) – Bruny Island ferry dock, TAS

PAPER BARK (Melaleuca sp.) – Gleneagle rest stop south of Perth, WA

ALBANY BOTTLEBRUSH (Callistemon glaucus) – Two Peoples Bay, WA

MARRI (Corymbia calophylla) – Gleneagle rest stop south of Perth, WA

KARRI (Eucalyptus diversicolor) – Four Aces Reserve, WA

BUSHY YATE (Eucalyptus lehmanii) – Cheynes Beach, WA

MOTTLECAH (Eucalyptus macrocarpa) – Dryandra Forest, WA

WANDOO (Eucalyptus wandoo) – Dryandra Forest, WA

Malvaceae (Mallow family)

STURT’S DESERT ROSE (Gossypium sturtianum) – Ormiston Gorge, NT

Rutaceae (Citrus family)

TAMALA ROSE (Diplolaena grandiflora) – Hamelin Bay, WA

STINKWOOD (Ziera arborescens) – near Mountain Valley Lodge, TAS

Thymeliaceae (Daphne family)

YELLOW BANJINE (Pimelea sulphurea) – Stirling Range, WA

ROSE BANJINE (Pimelea sp.) – common on sandy soils, coastal heaths, WA

Ericaceae (Heath family)

FOXTAILS (Andersonia caerula) – Cheynes Beach, WA

ANDERSONIA (Andersonia involucrata) – near Muttonbird Island, WA

FUCHSIA HEATH (Epacris longiflora) – seen along Lady Carrington Drive, Royal National Park, NSW

Solanaceae (Tomato family)

STICKY TAILFLOWER (Anthocerus viscosa) – near Muttonbird Island, WA

Scrophulariaceae (Figwort family)

POVERTY BUSH (Eremophila bignoniiflora) – Olive Pink Botanic Garden, Alice Springs, NT, identified by Harry

Pittosporaceae (Pittosporum family)

BLUEBELL CREEPER (Billardiera heterophylla) – Borden Rest Area, WA

Apiaceae (Carrot family)

SOUTHERN CROSS (Xanthosia rotundifolia) – Two Peoples Bay, WA

Goodeniaceae (Fan-flower family)

DAMPIERA (Dampiera eriocephala) – Dryandra Forest, WA

DAMPIERA (Dampiera spicigera) – Dryandra Forest, WA*

DAMPIERA (Dampiera sp.) – Two Peoples Bay, WA

LECHENAULTIA (Lechenaultia biloba) – Foxes Lair Reserve near Narrogin, WA

LECHENAULTIA Lechenaultia floribunda) – Dryandra Forest, WA*

FAN FLOWER (Scaevola depauperata) – Tanami Rd, NT

FAN FLOWER (Scaevola platyphylla) – near Rocky Gully, WA

Stylidiaceae (Trigger flower family)

MILK MAIDS (Stylidium caricifolium) – Foxes Lair Reserve near Narrogin, WA

TRIGGER FLOWER (Stylidium caespitosum) – Foxes Lair Reserve near Narrogin, WA

TRIGGER FLOWER (Stylidium fasiculatum) – Stirling Range, WA

YELLOW TRIGGER FLOWER (Stylidium luteum) – Two Peoples Bay, WA

COW KICKS (Stylidium schoenoides) – Two Peoples Bay, WA

Asteraceae (Sunflower family)

SWAN RIVER DAISY (Brachyscome iberidifolia) – near Muttonbird Island, WA

BILLY BUTTONS (Calocephalus platycephalus) – Tanami Rd, NT

AFRICAN DAISY (Osteospermum sp.) – Two Peoples Bay, WA, non-native

PINK PAPER DAISY (Rhodanthe chlorocephalum) – Dryandra Forest, WA

Totals for the tour: 247 bird taxa and 16 mammal taxa