Last Saturday we went to a slide show and field walk with the North East Field Naturalists to learn about the local burrowing crayfish. The two that are local to this area are Engaeus mairener (Mt Arthur Burrowing Crayfish) and Engaeus spinicaudatus (Scottsdale Burrowing Crayfish). The Scottsdale one is endangered.

These two little guys were found at North East Park at Scottsdale. They are E. mairener.

This is the type of mound the burrowing crayfish produce. They dig a burrow and roll pellets of earth up and out the top of the entry. The mound looks like a little chimney made out of sheep pellets.

This is a Button Grass plain, where the NE Field Nats were looking for E. spinicaudatus. They weren't lucky enough to find one wandering about (they spend most of their lives in the burrows) but they did find some mounds.

DH among the more seasoned Field Nats.

Plover eggs, lovely camouflaged eggs in olive greens.

It seems we may have some prime E. mairener habitat on the farm, in the big seep with trees and tree ferns. I plan on hiking down for a look this week.