​Greetings fellow Foxies,

The bush in Foxes lair is still benefitting from a burn in December 2009, particularly on gravel soils. In the image below taken from the Breakaway Walk area last year, pink Mirbelia dilatata flowers show the burnt area compared to sedge dominated bush to the left that hasn’t burnt for 40 years.

​There is also a great resurgence in lovely hairy flowered Jacksonia epiphyllum on the entry road in late October. Last year I happened to get a pic of a rare weevil and returned regularly to see if I could collect a specimen for the WA Museum. Alas no more rare weevils but many other interesting little beasties.

For a visual exploration of other wonderful beasties click this Google Photos link

The balga Xanthorrhoea preissii, a grass tree, is a striking part of our bush that was use by Noongars for medicine, tools and sustenance. Grass trees are monocotyledons but neither grasses nor trees.
 Carbon dating has found grass tree ages of up to 1,000 years. Also, they have special contractile roots that pull seedlings underground so that plants on sandy soils may not develop an above ground stem for 10 to 30 years. I reckon that the five-metre plant I found in Candy Block must be ancient. Unfortunately, twenty-eight parrots are now attacking its new growth.
 
The grass tree at Foxes Lair is the smaller Xanthorrhoea brevistyla that lacks an above ground trunk. It is an insect magnet when flowering in November.
 
I regularly see severe insect attack on balga flowering spikes and brought one home for examination. The green stem had frequent reddish- brown sunken lesions with gum exuding from small holes. The split stem revealed tunnels containing bardi grubs, surrounded by reddish brown fungal infection. Once again, a canker fungus that affects eucalypts and other shrubs

Interestingly, a previous investigation on wandoo crown decline in Foxes Lair  found a similar combination of insects and fungus. The fungus causes severe damage to trees and shrubs. Fungus doesn’t seem to affect the balga trunk, presumably because flowering spikes naturally die before it can spread further.
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​The bardi grubs are larvae of longicorn and cockchafer beetles. They have tunnelled up through the entire flowering stem.
The flowers and seeds were attacked by a brownish caterpillar that eats them under a protective cover it makes from its frass (poo) and silk.

​Last year I received a shock when one of two apparently healthy balgas that I had photographed earlier snapped off at mid stem

​The centre of a normal trunk is filled with living fibrous material above a woody cone-shaped base that remains long after a plant has died. The living centre is surrounded by old leaf bases held together by natural resin, which provides support and excellent fire protection.
The fibrous centre of the dead balga was completely replaced by a soil-like material containing wireworms, which were attacking the interior of the surrounding leaf bases

​As Noongars ate bardi grubs that were in the centre of dead balgas, I suspect that they had chewed out the living material before wireworms moved in.
This balga had been surviving with a decayed centre for some time until the weakened stem snapped. It is a natural process and dead remnants can be attractive in their own right.
 
Unfortunately, increased in Australian ringneck parrot (twenty eight) numbers are causing premature balga death from them continuously chewing the new growth.

​ Greetings fellow Foxies,
 
There have been many comments recently about widespread shrub death in Foxes Lair due to the exceptionally dry spring and summer.
Certainly, there is more death than usual, but this doesn't explain the scattered pattern in Foxes Lair with dead plants next to healthy ones.
Luckily my esteemed colleague Detective Doug volunteered to investigate this problem.
 
The great man randomly selected two each of dead and healthy Dilwynnia laxiflora (pea flower) plants for examination

​Dead plants.
The roots were very bent and thickened, particularly the tap root that snaps easily. Borer channels were on both the outside and inside, including one that contained a jewel beetle emerging from its pupal case.

 Problem solved?
No, being a true scientist, Detective Doug insisted on also examining the healthy specimens
Roots of both live plants had also  been attacked, although to a lesser extent than dead plants.
The first plant had a few minor lesions but otherwise appeared normal. However when split in half lengthwise the root was hollowed out and contained a hibernating? jewell beetle. These beetles are common on pea flowers in October so presumably they hibernate until spring.

The second healthy plant showed evidence of insect attack that appeared to be confined to the surface. However, when cut in half it was obvious that insects had entered and tunnelled up the centre of the root. While doing this they brought in spores of a canker fungus, shown by the blackened areas. This fungus invades healthy tissue, blocks water and nutrient transport and kills the plant. 
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Conclusion
These plants are routinely attacked by borers and may survive for more than a year until invading canker fungus kills them or they snap off. Increased water stress from extended dry weather hastens plant death.
Case closed
​
Interestingly, a previous investigation on wandoo crown decline in Foxes Lair  found a similar combination of factors.

​Greetings fellow Foxies,
 
This reserve near Tarwonga is not named on any map. The reserve is named after Michael Quinn, one of the pioneering pastoralists in the district, and whose name is preserved in the adjoining Quinn’s Pool.
It is a great area for wildflowers, bushwalking and birds because of so many pristine and varied land and vegetation types, including lovely riverside flats that have mostly been cleared for agriculture. It also contains part of an old bullock wagon trail from Wagin to Williams via camping spots at pools on the way.
About half was surveyed and fenced for agriculture but luckily not cleared. A small block was subsequently designated as a mallet reserve.
Now for the bad news. Most of the entry tracks and some internal ones cross waterways that are too deep and boggy for all but experienced four-wheel drive owners. I found a way in from Tarwonga Road, but one needs to drive on to a fairly steep road cutting to enter. OK if you have confidence and a car like my 2WD-ute that can handle the odd scratch from track-side vegetation. I also take an extra jack and recovery tracks in case I get bogged. Mobile phone reception is poor on the flats. It is a long walk to neighbouring farms, and 27kms to Narrogin.
There is a lot more to see that can be managed in one trip. I really enjoyed the frequent changes in landscape, views and vegetation while wandering through the bush. Numbers below indicate my favourite spots so far. Definitely returning next spring.

​Area 1 can be accessed by a short walk through sheoak woodland to clear “islands” of shallow granite.
This is a delightful area in August/September. I found blue fairy orchids, lemon scented sun orchids growing amongst wetland plants and everlastings.

Area 2 comprises the granite outcrops and mallet ridges further up on the crest of the hill. Walking up to it from area 1 can be a challenge due to dense regrowth of Acacia celastrifolia (great flowers in August). If you are tempted to drive directly up from the eastern boundary, there is a creek crossing that I won’t attempt in my ute in winter. Either walk up the firebreak or take a circuitous route from the (hidden) entrance on a road cutting bank further down.The walk in from the firebreak is a bit challenging via mallet ridges and dense growth, but it is worth it. I also found feral pig diggings on red soil here below a line of granite that marked an ancient fault line

​Area 3 is a long sandy gravel slope that adjoins area 2, with low breakaways on its southern and eastern edges. This is species-rich kwongan scrub with diverse new growth from a recent fire. Nice view from here, and interesting plants.

​ Area 4 is a waterway with shallow rocky soil nestled below mallet breakaways. The track up to it is eroded and a bit rough. Vegetation here is very attractive Calothamnus quadrifidus scrub dotted with Grevillea pinnatifida and Isopogon dubious shrubs. It is a lovely spot to wander around and explore

​Area 5 comprises gentle slopes and flats surrounding the two major waterways. This varies from orchid-rich shrubby sheoak and wandoo woodland, open wandoo woodland on sandy duplex soils to sand over gravel over clay open kwongan with patches of mallee. Pleasant country to have a picnic and walk around looking for orchids

For more photos of this reserve click this Google photos link