Black flag - up and away!

Good rains in early autumn have been a stimulus for black flag (Ferraria crispa). We still don't have an effective way of controlling this weed, so are currently marking its locations, and hope to control it when we discover how to!

Also came across some fountain grass (Pennisetum setaceum) which we can just dig out - and have been for the past 12 years or so. Not sure why we keep finding it - whether the seeds are long-lived in the soil, or whether the occasional plant setting seed is all it needs to keep on maintaining its presence in the bushland.

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A ramble around The Barrens

Spent most of our time adjacent to the area we call 'the barrens' - formerly a rubbish dump, badly degraded and weed infested, and slowly regenerating back to bushland. It contains quite a few weeds that we have to keep an eye on.
This time we came across pelargoniums and geraldton carnation weeds that we must return to in the future. Also removed a flinders ranges wattle.

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A paddle on The Swan

Autumn time is the most beautiful time of year for a paddle on Perth's Swan River. After spending the morning weeding in Shenton Bushland Kerri and I decided to go for a paddle on the river. The photo on the left is the beach at Claremont where we launch our kayaks.
We paddled at a very leisurely pace for an hour or so, and landed on the beach at Chidley Point in Mosman Park. The tide was high (as usual at this time of year), so we paddled straight across the sand bar that juts out from Point Walter. After our picnic we headed back to Claremont, admiring the great swarms of beautifully delicate jellyfish in the clear waters of the Swan. It was a bit noisy from all the power boats rushing past, but otherwise very enjoyable.

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Here comes the rain!

It is always a relief when the first rain of Autumn comes - it means that we can relax and not have to worry about some bored kid lighting fires in the bushland.
The rain also means that life returns to the bushland after a long dry summer. Dragon flies have been in the bushland all summer. The overnight rain slowed down this one enough to let me take a portrait.

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