Brownhill Creek Meadow

Today was Brownhill Creek day to see what we could find. It is usually a very good hunting ground for blips and only a short distance from the Mitcham Shopping Centre.

We did not stay long as the place was covered in flies, the pesky variety that will stick to every piece of skin they can find - like glue! I am sure the fly explosion has been caused by our late spring and late rains over the recent months.

Grabbed a few shots of the creek but nothing spectacular and on my way up the bank I spotted this interesting meadow of cow peas and these old logs. Cowpeas are a weed in this environment, but they do look attractive and colourful, poking up through the grass all around the creek.

Cowpeas are a fast growing, annual legume planted by farmers for grazing, hay/silage, grain, or green manure. The cowpeas in the park surrounding the creek are obviously escapees from nearby farmland.

Purple flowers.

Scientific names for the Cowpea are Vigna unguiculata (formerly Vigna sinensis).