uio

Little Desert National Park

Keith Hateley Nature Walk

Kiata Sanctuary Picnic Ground

Located 10kms south of Kiata the walk is a good introduction to, and celebration of some of the plants and animals that make Little Desert National Park so special.

Self-guided walk 1km, 30 minutes return

Keep your eyes and ears open, between the numbered pegs you are sure to see more!

Kiata Lowan Sanctuary was the original name given to this area prior the establishment of the Little Desert National Park. Keith Hateley was a local resident and major campaigner for the conservation of the Little Desert for the protection of the Malleefowl or Lowan.

1. Mallee and echidnas

An old clump of Yellow Mallee (Eucalyptus incrassata), a multi-stemmed tree with ridged fruits. The large stump is the tree trunk beneath the ground. New shoots grow from the trunk after fire, severe frost or drought.

Watch for echidna scratchings and finger- sized holes along the track. Echidnas have long claws for burrowing into the soil and a hard pointy nose for probing

into ant nests.

Instead of drinking water, echidnas get their moisture from the bodies of ants and termites. Their long sticky tongue is used to extract these insects swarming from inside their burrows as after being disturbed by the echidna.

2. Living brooms

Broom Honey-myrtle (Melaleuca uncinata).

Earned its name from European settlers who would use the branches and foliage to sweep their homes. In more recent times, it has been used to make brush fences.

3. Stringybark

This Desert Stringybark (Eucalyptus arenacea), is the only type of stringybark tree in the Park.

Notice its deep, fibrous stringy bark. Examine the buds of any gumtree; boxes, Mallee or stringybark, and

you will find that they are all covered by

a small cap (eucalypt means well covered).

Yellow-winged Honeyeater on

Silver Banksia

Stop occasionally, close your eyes and listen for bird calls. Early morning and evening are best. Watch carefully also and note the wonderful colours and shapes of the different species.

4. Living cycles boom to bust!

A number of young Oyster Bay Pines (Callitris rhomboidea) can be seen growing around here. These native pines have clumps of woody cones or seed containers that are an important source of food for parrots and cockatoos. When the cones open, seeds drop to the ground and wait for suitable conditions to sprout.

Severe frosts and drought cause problems for growing plants. Some Mallee plants send out new shoots and leaves after such natural disasters, while others have to start fresh from the seed; bushfires usually trigger the beginning of their life-cycle in the new ash bed.

5. A different broom

Broom Baeckea (Baeckea behrii). At first glance it may appear very similar to the Broom bush but if you look carefully, the Broom Baeckea has shorter leaves and more widely spaced fruits.

Baeckea flowers are similar to those of the tea-tree, (also a member of the same plant family Myrtacaceae), but its leaves and fruit are very different .

6. Wallowa

Wallowa (Acacia calamifolia) is an indigenous word meaning wattle tree. It produces copious flowers and seeds. It provides shelter and food for many animals, and is a favourite food of the Malleefowl and Bronzewing Pigeon.

(p a r k n o t e s)

For more information call the Parks Victoria Information Centre

on 13 1963 or visit our website at www.parkweb.vic.gov.au

Many species of Spider Orchids (Caladenia spp.), Greenhood Orchids (Pterostylis spp.) and Sun Orchids (Thelymitra spp.) can be found in this area from June to November. They are not so common in drier years.

Greenhood, Pink Fingers, Spider and Sun Orchids.

7. The remarkable thermometer bird

Twenty metres along the side track is a Malleefowl mound. Unused for many years, re- used in recent years but may be dormant now.

Malleefowl are called thermometer birds as they spend about ten months of the year building and regulating the temperature of their mound.

An active pair of Malleefowl will dig

out a cone shaped hole and rake-in twigs, bark

and leaves to fill the hole. Following rain this is covered by a layer of sandy soil. Heat builds

up inside the mound

from the decomposing leaf matter.

Eggs are then laid into the compost chamber of the mound if the male decides it is the right temperature. Egg laying and brooding last over four months.

During that period of time the temperature inside the egg chamber is kept at 33OC. This is checked daily by the male who balances the

heat of fermentation, the warmth of the sun, and the air temperature by varying the amount of sand covering the eggs.

Can you see any signs of active Malleefowl working this mound? In dry years breeding does not take place.

Retrace your steps to continue along the main track.

8. What is all this shrubbery?

Note the wide variety of small shrubs along the track. Some of the more common ones are Flame Heath (Astroloma conostephiodes), a favourite food for emus, and Fringe-myrtle (Calytrix tetragona).

Partly undigested Flame Heath flowers can often be recognised in Emu droppings. A free ride for the seeds which are spread by the emu as it searches for food.

The springtime flowers of the nearby Fringe- myrtle range in colour from white to vivid pink.

More orchids can be found here in season. Pink Fingers (Caladenia carnea) and the Leopard Orchid (Diuris maculate) are most common.

9. A tough life with spikes

Carefully feel the needle shaped leaves of the Desert Hakea (Hakea muelleriana). They have a hard outer layer called a cuticle.

This and their hard seed cones protect the plant from the harsh summer heat a good example of successful adaptation to a dry climate.

10. The cycle of life - an ageing, unburnt struggling mess

This messy bush actually has order. Plant remains are vital providing homes for plants including lichens, and a host of insects, spiders, lizards and other small animals which in turn serve as food for birds, lizards and mammals. Eventually, the dead plants rot down, releasing nutrients for living plants to use. Fire is the missing trigger to many plants and animals ongoing renewal. Fire is often a fresh start.

11. Different soil different plants

Notice a change in the vegetation? The track has left the sandy soils that favour Desert Stringybark, and moved onto clayey

soils that support Yellow Gums.

The larger trees have light mottled bark and are important habitat with larger hollows for parrots and bat to shelter and breed in.

Parrots and Rosellas depend on them.

Another distinctive tree with dark trunk and long, hanging branchlets is

the Drooping She-Oak (Allocasuarina verticillate).

Take a close look at the leaf-teeth leaves of this tree. The tiny scales form rings around the branchlets and reduce

water loss through the leaves.

12. A rare one

Keep a look out for the dark green shrub called the Hairy-pod Wattle (Acacia glandulicarpa) which is a rare plant with a very

limited distribution. It is found only

in a few areas of this park; near Dimboola and Nhill and further afield in the Burra Gorge of South Australia.

Several other rare plants including Westringia crassifolia also occur within the Little Desert NP.

Healthy Parks, Healthy People

The Little Desert NP area is an excellent example of a regional community fighting to protect, conserve and balance out agricultural and conservation practices, ensuring a healthy legacy for future generations.

We hope you have enjoyed this walk. If you dont wish to keep this leaflet, please return it to the box for someone else to use.Thank you

Updated May 2013