From a rainforest gully …to some Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos..

I’ve come back to the National Botanic gardens of Canberra on a beautiful summer morning, and all the more sparkling because we’ve had some steady rain last night for the first time in a month.

IMG_0729 (1024x670)

The Rainforest fern gully was created in 1960 from a naturally occurring dry gully with a few eucalypts, shrubs and grasses….and as I step into the cool shaded area today it is hard to believe it was ever dry..

IMG_0365 (1024x727)The lower end of the gully begins with Tasmanian cool temperate rainforest plants..and gradually changes to the warm temperate rainforest of northern NSW and south eastern Queensland

…as I follow this path I’m effectively walking the entire east coast rainforest of Australia in ten minutes!

IMG_0776 (1024x932)To create this gully, fast growing wattles and eucalypts were grown, and 2000 fine mist sprays installed to keep the humidity high…

IMG_0761 (1024x639)

the understory has small trees, fallen branches and ferns..

IMG_0769 (1024x888)

 

IMG_0792 (1024x958)
Macrozamia miquelii

Now a canopy of tall plants, like an enormous umbrella protects the ferns below from the direct sun, heavy rain, drying winds and frost…all of which can happen in Canberra.

IMG_0773 (1024x993)

 

IMG_0791 (640x1024)
Blackwood tree Acacia Melanoxylon

I expected to find some birds in the gully, but the rain and soft sunshine has sent them out to the Banksia and Grevillea bushes….a little bird flew into the ground cover and stayed there, forever it seemed, I guess a whole small world of activity is going on in there…

IMG_0822 (1024x834)
Hakea minyma Proteaceae

Here is a New Holland Honeyeater having breakfast at the Banksia café..

IMG_0850 (1024x887)

As good luck would have it, just as I headed for the car park, some noisy Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos arrived..

IMG_0911 (957x1024)

Unperterbed by cars and people nearby, one of them began burrowing into the tree, possibly looking for grubs to eat..

IMG_0890 (1024x876)

In no time at all he has almost disappeared into that hole….

IMG_0892 (1024x669)

… so his mate is coming over to see what it is all about

IMG_0907 (1024x733)

While the ”Boss Cocky” watches on…

IMG_0900 (1024x706)

..A lovely way to spend the morning…