# West Head - Mt Kuringai



## Sock Puppet (Sep 29, 2009)

My brother & I went for a walk out at West Head the other week. We'd left a little late, so didn't see too much in the way of herps. Saw what I think was a Cunningham's, but he took off before I could raise the camera. Saw plenty of tracks though, so they are obviously active. Saw a number of snake tracks on the sandy path, a small monitor track, & what I think was a bluey track (pic attached if you want to guess otherwise?). Heaps of wildflowers out, especially in the heath areas, & the waratahs were speccy & abundant. We managed to get close to some Yellow Tailed Black cockies who were more interested in the casuarinas than us. Feel free to ID the flora, I have no idea. 

Lizard track (bluey?)






Yellow Tailed Black Cockatoos









Some wildflower pics













































Heath, with distant burning off before summer





Heath & looking over Pittwater


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## ryanharvey1993 (Sep 29, 2009)

nice lot of flowers, have you got anymore habitat pictures? I love the waratahs.


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## Sock Puppet (Sep 29, 2009)

ryanharvey1993 said:


> nice lot of flowers, have you got anymore habitat pictures? I love the waratahs.


 
Nah, unforunately no habitat shots (should really do that next time eh). The whole area is on sandstone, heath up top with mostly small trees & scrub (& some big bloodwoods), then more casuarina, cabbage palms etc down near the water. Seen lacies, heath monitors, RBBS etc on previous trips. Still to find that elusive Diamond though.

There's heaps of walks in the park, a number of aboriginal sites too (rock carvings & paintings) to get sidetracked by. Here's a link if you're interested in heading up there. In the link you can get descriptions of flora & fauna etc found in the park.

DECC | Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park


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## ryanharvey1993 (Sep 29, 2009)

Tonksy said:


> Nah, unforunately no habitat shots (should really do that next time eh). The whole area is on sandstone, heath up top with mostly small trees & scrub (& some big bloodwoods), then more casuarina, cabbage palms etc down near the water. Seen lacies, heath monitors, RBBS etc on previous trips. Still to find that elusive Diamond though.
> 
> There's heaps of walks in the park, a number of aboriginal sites too (rock carvings & paintings) to get sidetracked by. Here's a link if you're interested in heading up there. In the link you can get descriptions of flora & fauna etc found in the park.
> 
> DECC | Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park


 
thats funny, the only snake I have managed to find there was a pair of diamond pythons mating when I went with luke1 lol, I would much rather see a red belly


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## Acrochordus (Sep 29, 2009)

When i went to Kuringai the only snake i saw was a died Red Belly on the road.
Thanks Tim.


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## crocdoc (Sep 29, 2009)

Tonsky, that track in the sand at the beginning of your post was made by a heath monitor, _Varanus rosenbergi. _


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## Sock Puppet (Sep 29, 2009)

crocdoc said:


> Tonsky, that track in the sand at the beginning of your post was made by a heath monitor, _Varanus rosenbergi. _


 
It was only little then, the footprints were only about 10cm apart (left to right) if that. Seen heathies in the area before though (got a pic in my albums of one from a previous trip). Saw another monitor track later on alongside a large boulder. It had the tell tale zig zag tail tracks as it sweeps back & forth, plus the large toes.
Considering the body/tail drag is relatively straight & toes small, I thought maybe a bluey. But yeah, considering the time of year etc, could have been a juvi monitor, would have been this season's if it was one.


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## moloch05 (Sep 29, 2009)

Very nice, Tonsky. Looks like the flowers are putting on a goods show. I enjoyed shot of the Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo as well.

It takes too long to reach Kuringai from Wollongong so I never venture up there. Royal is so much closer.

Regards,
David


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## Sock Puppet (Sep 29, 2009)

moloch05 said:


> Very nice, Tonsky. Looks like the flowers are putting on a goods show. I enjoyed shot of the Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo as well.
> 
> It takes too long to reach Kuringai from Wollongong so I never venture up there. Royal is so much closer.
> 
> ...


 
Cheers, thanks David. Judging by some of your pics mate, I reckon I'm going to have to venture down that way one weekend.


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## Allan (Sep 29, 2009)

Thanks for sharing Tonksy. It's a beautiful National Park. 
Some 20 years ago West Head road was probably one of the best spots you could find for a night drive on a hot, humid night. I believe there is a boom gate at the start of the drive these days.


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## Sock Puppet (Sep 30, 2009)

Allan said:


> Thanks for sharing Tonksy. It's a beautiful National Park.
> Some 20 years ago West Head road was probably one of the best spots you could find for a night drive on a hot, humid night. I believe there is a boom gate at the start of the drive these days.


 
Yep, there is a gate at the entrance now. It's open 6am-6pm (or 8:30pm in DST) & you have to dodge the hordes of cyclists riding along the road out there.


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## -Peter (Sep 30, 2009)

Lots of Cunninghams there. You will see a lot of discreet rocky outcrops. Generally each of these will have a colony.


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## Sock Puppet (Sep 30, 2009)

-Peter said:


> Lots of Cunninghams there. You will see a lot of discreet rocky outcrops. Generally each of these will have a colony.


 
Thanks Peter. Yeah, I didn't get a clear look at it, the first I noticed it was out the corner of my eye as it started to move off. It was sitting on top of the highest rock in the small outcrop, I think playing a bit of "I'm the King of the castle". But it was a robust bodied skink, not slender like the water skinks in the area, so my best guess would be Cunninghams. There are HEAPS of rocky outcrops to explore just off the regular walking tracks in that area.


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## reptilefan95 (Sep 30, 2009)

Nice great pictures!! Must have been a very big bluie!


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## Sock Puppet (Sep 30, 2009)

reptilefan95 said:


> Nice great pictures!! Must have been a very big bluie!


 
About average size (assuming it was a bluey). Foot size & spacing not really that much larger than my blotched blueys, which are only around 8 months old


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