Wildflowers near Peterborough
Wildflower Ashy-haired Swainson-pea
The wildflowers I saw and was able to photograph in this reserve were a delight. The reserve in question was the Greg Duggan Nature Reserve just north of the township of Peterborough in the mid north of South Australia. Over recent weeks I have shared many of the photos I took there in September last year.
Today I am sharing a few more photos, including the beautiful pea flower shown in the photo above and below. According to the interpretive sign near the entrance (see below) this particular species is rare in Australia, and that there are several specimens in the reserve. I managed to find several in the reserve plus about a dozen or so on the roadside verge near the entrance, most of them flowering.
With a size of only 10 acres this is a great little nature reserve protecting some of the local wildflowers. It is an region where there are very few areas set aside to maintain a viable pool of local flora. This makes this .a valuable reserve along with roadside verges in the district.
But it is not just the wildflowers it protects. A few days ago I wrote about the great diversity of fauna in the area, especially the birds, reptiles and insects. It is therefore pleasing that the local council has protected this area and continue to maintain it. As a bonus, it is a delightful spot for visitors like myself to enjoy.
Wildflower Ashy-haired Swainson-pea
Ashy-haired Swainson-pea
Wildflower in the Greg Duggan Nature Reserve
Wild peach tree near Peterborough
Wild peach fruit (quandong)
It is always a delight to see fruit on wild peach trees in South Australia. The bright red fruit the size of a small apricot stands out in the drab grey/green of much of the natural vegetation in the drier parts of South Australia. The trees are relatively common throughout our state in bushland, bush reserves and roadside verges.
This delicious fruit – also known as the quandong (Santalum accuminatum) – grows just up the road from our front gate here in Murray Bridge but I haven’t checked out the trees in recent times to see if they are fruiting. The tree and fruit shown in today’s photos is growing in the Greg Duggan Nature Reserve near Peterborough. I have been posting photos of the wildflowers in this reserve over recent days (look back through my archives to see them).
The quandong fruit can be eaten straight from the tree but can be a little on the dry side for my taste. It is also prone to infestation from grubs, so biting into a wild peach can ensure an extra element you hadn’t bargained for! Where this fruit really excels is when it is used to make a quandong fruit pie. Eating the pie slightly warm with cream or icecream is heaven in a bowl. Trust me.
Interestingly, some orchardists have attempted to produce this fruit commercially in recent years. I am not up to date about how successful they have been because the growing requirements for this plant are quite demanding, in so much as they need a host plant.
The photos on this post are not as good as one my wife took some years ago and posted on her site about Australian Native Plants here. She has written another article about the species here.
Wild peach tree (quandong)
From the lookout at Peterborough
From the lookout at Peterborough
When visiting family at Peterborough in the mid north of South Australia I try to take some time out to do a little birding, and then write about my sightings on another of my sites, Trevor’s Birding. The area around Peterborough is quite good for birding because most of the species are familiar to me but there is also a sprinkling of dry land species more common further north, birds I don’t often, if ever, see down south in Murray Bridge where I live.
On a visit last September I visited the lookout on Tank Hill at the end of Government Road. While I had done some birding there some years ago it had been while since my last visit. Since then the local council has installed a great lookout overlooking the township.
Leading up to the wheelchair friendly ramp is a well maintained gravel path through the reserve. Over recent days I have posted photos of some of the wildflowers I saw in this, the Greg Duggan Nature Reserve. While the predominant plant in the reserve is native pine (Callitris spp) there is quite a variety of other Australian native plants in the reserve as well. I have posted photos of some of these over recent days, and have more to share in coming days.
The Lookout just north of Peterborough township.
From the Lookout just north of Peterborough township.
From the Lookout just north of Peterborough township.
Photos of wildflowers in Peterborough
Wildflowers in the Greg Duggan Nature Reserve
Today’s photos of wildflowers were all taken in the Greg Duggan Nature Reserve. The small 10 acre park is on the outskirts of Peterborough in the mid north of South Australia. Although it is only small, it is well worth a visit by anyone interested in native plants and birds, especially in the late winter and early spring. All the photos shown here were shot in mid September last year.
The reserve is named after a local council worker who has made a long study of the plants and birds and reptiles in the district. Lists of these can be obtained at the local information centre – a train carriage in the main street (just east of the Town Hall).
Wandering through the reserve is relatively easy through the grassland area and the wooded area in the south where the plants are predominantly native pine (Callitris spp). For those who find it difficult to wander through the scrub there is a well maintained walking track through the reserve, as well as a ramp leading up to the lookout with great views over the town of Peterborough. Watch out also for the excellent interpretive signs at the entrance gate just off Government Road.
For more photos of this reserve, look back over the last few posts and come back over the next few days as I post more.
I have written many articles about this area on this site, so for more information on things to see at Peterborough, use the search button in the top right hand corner.
Further reading:
- Mallee Native Plants – for more information about and photos of Australian Native Plants
Wildflowers in the Greg Duggan Nature Reserve
Wildflowers in the Greg Duggan Nature Reserve
Wildflowers in the Greg Duggan Nature Reserve
Wildflowers in the Greg Duggan Nature Reserve
Wildflowers in the Greg Duggan Reserve
The Greg Duggan Nature Reserve is on the northern edge of Peterborough in the mid-north of South Australia. For those visiting the town it is well worth spending a hour or so wandering through this park, especially in late winter and early spring. The photos I feature on today’s post here were all taken in mid-September.
The walking tracks through the reserve are all smooth and well maintained and provide easy walking, as well as wheelchair access. In the centre of the park there is a lookout which has wheelchair access. The lookout has excellent views over the town.
The reserve is named in honour of local council worker Greg Duggan. He is a keen naturalist with a life-long interest in birds and other fauna, as well as local plant species. Some of the plants found in this reserve are rare and endangered.
The reserve is home to a wide range of local flora and fauna, with several species of Native plants found there being extremely rare in South Australia. These plants are Mallee Hop-bush (Dodonaea subglandifulera – Endangered), Two-bristle Greenhood (Pterostylis biseta – one record only) and Ashy-haired Swainson-pea (Swainsona tephrotrich – Rare).
On my visit to the reserve last year I was able to capture a number of photos of the range of plants in flower. Some of these are shown below and others I will post in the coming days.
To learn more about Australian native plants you can access my wife’s site Mallee Native Plants here.
Mallee Hop-bush (Dodonaea subglandifulera
Wildflowers in the Greg Duggan Reserve
Wildflowers in the Greg Duggan Reserve
Wildflowers in the Greg Duggan Reserve