a birding trek that yielded wild bush lemons and processionary caterpillars

8.45 a.m. several cars are ahead, driving down to Dubbo Gully, on the Central Coast 

9 a.m. (daylight saving time), and a lovely mist drifts over the mountain on arrival

seen from a heavy timber-sleepers bridge, over a shallow creek 

 doing what birders do; I'm not in the line-up 'cause I'm taking pics instead.  This' the nearest I get to street-photography!

 when walking through the long grasses path towards this waterhole, the leader of our group casually mentioned that this' an area we always see a black snake.  

I'm not disappointed to  report, we missed it this time.  

Just a lone Purple Swamp Hen was out there.  Thank heavens, because I didn't manage any good bird shots on the day.  The few I did try for were hopeless, just couldn't get settings right, my camera seemed to be fogging up, or ..... whatever :).

It probably was a bit too hot on the day for great birding.  There had been a number of pickups, mostly fleeting, or distant, and included Golden Whistler, and a Drongo too.  I was really hoping on both those shots!

There were a number of wild bush lemons growing, and a wonderfully strong citrus aroma when touching/scraping them.  This one hosts a finch' nest, a little right of centre.

 At the base of Acacia (wattle) trees, this intruiging webbing at their base

My enquiry to Australian Museum was responded to:

"Your image has been examined and identified. What you are seeing is a group of communal living caterpillars that have made this nest and from your image we can see the round caterpillar dropping suspended in the silk. Most likely guess from this image is Ochrogaster lunifer.

More details and images are available here"