October Camp Details - Girraween National Park – 18th- 20th October 2024

If you're lucky,
you may see the
Phebalium whitei
Photo: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phebalium_whitei

Non-members: Please contact fassifernfieldnaturalists@gmail.com for more very important details such as cost, booking sites, etc.

Members: Please check your September newsletter for more important details as above. 

Where: Castle Rock Camping Area in Girraween National Park. This area has sites for both vans and tents. If you don’t want to camp please check out some of the nearby cabin and cottage accommodation options, or motels in Stanthorpe.

When: 18th – 20th October. 

Getting there: Girraween National Park is approximately a 30 minute drive south of Stanthorpe. Take a signed left hand turn off the New England Highway 26km south of Stanthorpe, and follow a windy bitumen road to the park entrance. The road name is Pyramids Rd. Castle Rock campground is 300 metres on from the information centre. 

Google tells me it is approximately 180 km from Boonah, and takes a little over 2 hours to get there.

Things to do: HEAPS! Enjoy exploring the beauty of the granite landscape with its balancing boulders, streams, and the rich diversity of fauna and flora. 

Girraween is an Aboriginal word which means “Place of Flowers”, and at this time of year there should be plenty out. There are a lot of different walks of varying difficulty from 30 minute strolls along well graded tracks, to as challenging as you would like. Or just find a quiet place to sit and enjoy the surroundings. 

August Outing Details - Land for Wildlife, Waterfall Creek area – Saturday, 17th August 2024

Waterfall Creek

This outing is still going ahead despite the wet weather.

Time: 9 am at the property

Where: A Land for Wildlife property in the Waterfall Creek area.

Directions: members please check your newsletter for directions, non-members please contact fassifernfielnaturalists@gmail.com for details.

Activities: Although the property is a sloping block, the area around the cabin is moderately level and offers a range of opportunities to wander and explore. For those who wish to do so, there is a 400m steepish gravel road down to Waterfall Creek. But you are welcome to stick around the cabin itself, where the deck is fully screened against insects and beside it is a deep pond stocked with native fish.

Level of Fitness: Something for every level.

Facilities: An insulated cabin provides cool shade and a mesh enclosed deck on two sides, plus a composting toilet. Solar power is available to boil the kettle and a fridge to put things in to keep them cool if you wish. Extra drinking water will also be available on site.

What to Bring: suitable clothing and footwear for walking in the bush, sunscreen, insect repellant, water, morning tea and lunch, chair, and the usual naturalist stuff of your choice; binoculars, camera, field guides, notebook, etc. Walking sticks are recommended.

Upon Arrival: Please register in the Attendance Book and pay your $2 per person participant fee. 

Outing Report - Campsite 6, Tarome – Saturday, 20th July 2024

Cunningham's Gap in the Main Range
from Campsite 6

 A good number of members met at the Tarome Fire Brigade shed on a cool, bright morning in July. We watched some birds of prey and tried to identify them but they were either too far or too fast to name.

The crisp views of the Main Range were stunning. The morning sun picked out every detail, and there was no haze to blur the escarpment.

The road in is good gravel but has some deep ruts though no mishaps occurred to mar our morning.

It wasn't long before the Nats had scattered. Some to be blown backwards on the wind blown slopes, Others to stay in the shelter near the dry creek.

We all gathered back to the sunny shelter of the cars. Here we had a leisurely morning tea chatting about outings, past and present, trips we'd been on, and wildlife we'd seen.

Species list for Campsite 6:

Birds: Straw-necked Ibis, Wedge-tailed Eagle, Whistling Kite, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Galah, Crimson Rosella, Fairy-wren sp., Striated Pardalote, White-throated Honeyeater, Scarlet Honeyeater, Eastern Spinebill, Brown Honeyeater, Eastern Whipbird, Rufous Whistler, Dusky Woodswallow, Pied Butcherbird, Australian Magpie, Grey Fantail, Willie Wagtail, Torresian Crow, Tawny Grassbird, Silvereye, Welcome Swallow, Mistletoebird, Red-browed Finch, Australasian Pipit.

Insects: Wanderer (Monarch), Variable Ladybird.

July Outing Details - Campsite 6, Tarome – Saturday, 20th July 2024

Allan Cunningham cairn at Campsite 6

Time: 9 am

Where: The Rural Fire Brigade shed, Hinrichson Rd, Tarome.

Directions: At Aratula turn west (or right, if you’re coming from the Boonah or Ipswich areas) into Elizabeth Street, signposted Tarome and Rosevale. This becomes Tarome Road once you leave Aratula. Continue on this road for about 11.5 km where you will see the large Rural Fire Brigade shed. We’ll meet here. I do recommend high clearance vehicles from this point. Most of the road is good, but there are a few ruts near the end. 

If you’re late and you miss us, turn into Hinrichsen Road. This has a tiny bit of bitumen then is good gravel. In just under 2 km, veer left continuing on Hinrichsen for another 1-and-a-bit km when the road takes a long curve to the left and becomes Campsite Rd. After another kilometre cross Badcocks Creek (not signposted) and on the other side is the reserve with a cairn.

There are beautiful views on the way

Activities: This is an outing more for the photographers, birdos and bug-hunters than botanists. The views of the Range on the drive in are stunning. As the reserve is very small the walking is along the road and the creek for about 200 m. There should be a little water in the creek to encourage the wildlife.

Remember you are standing in the footsteps of Allan Cunningham. He and his party camped at this spot.

We’ll finish before lunch but for those who want a longer time out there are many ways home to choose from; e.g. via Rosevale and Warrill View, or returning to Aratula and heading home via the southern end of Moogerah Dam.

Level of Fitness: If you can drive a car, that’s all the fitness you need.

Facilities: None. Nearest toilets are at Aratula.

What to Bring: suitable clothing and footwear for walking in the bush, sunscreen, insect repellant, water, morning tea, chair, and the usual naturalist stuff of your choice; binoculars, camera, field guides, notebook, etc.

Upon Arrival: Please register in the Attendance Book and pay your $2 per person participant fee. 

Outing Report - ‘Aroona’ at Mt Mort; 18 May 2024

Natters under the Moreton Bay Fig 
Ficus macrophylla 

Adapted from our newsletter

Our field trip in May was to a little valley at the top end of Franklinvale Creek, tucked into the high hills of the Little Liverpool Range at Mt Mort. Over 20 members turned up quite excited about the trip in. It is a pretty drive with views to mountains all around. Mt Beau Brummel is the highest peak around, and one looks straight at it along Grey’s Plains Road. The smaller Grey’s Mountain is the next highest feature at the far end of Grey’s Creek. 

A lovely sunny morning saw us walking over farm tracks and crossing small streams to see what we could see. The creeks and ridges are well vegetated and likely to have stacks of birds and creatures. Finding them was the tricky part. It was rather cold so all the birds decided to sleep-in. Getting them out of bed was a real chore. But we managed to make a decent list.

Golden Orb-weaver 
Trichonephila edulis

Our Club emblem – Crested Hawk or Pacific Baza – made an appearance. A few butterflies were out surprisingly – the usual culprits plus a Tailed Emperor, and a few spiders.

Garden Orb-weaver
Eriophora transmarina

Dome Tent Spider Cyrtophora moluccensis

The property is owned by Qld Trust For Nature to manage as an environmental reserve and a sustainable cattle property. Thanks to Georgie for showing us around. As the clouds gathered, we all scattered back to our homes and a nice warm fire.

More about Aroona Station

introduced species = *

Fauna

Reptiles: Dragons; Bearded Dragon Pogona barbata. Garden Skink Lampropholis delicata (under Moreton Bay Fig Ficus macrophylla at the homestead.)

Arachnids: Dome Tent Spider Cyrtophora moluccensis, Garden Orb Weaver Eriophora transmarina, Golden Orb-Weaver Trichonephila eduli (grey and brown banded legs), Bearded-legs Uloborid Uloborus barbipes.

Birds: Brown Quail, Common Bronzewing, Peaceful Dove, Bar-shouldered Dove, White-necked Heron, Pacific Baza, Wedge-tailed Eagle, Masked Lapwing, Rainbow Lorikeet, Pale-headed Rosella, Pheasant Coucal, Laughing Kookaburra, Fairy-wren sp., White-browed Scrubwren, Weebill, White-throated Gerygone, Spotted Pardalote, Striated Pardalote, Eastern Spinebill, Lewin's Honeyeater, Yellow-faced Honeyeater, Noisy Miner, Scarlet Honeyeater, Brown Honeyeater, Noisy Friarbird, Eastern Whipbird, Golden Whistler, Rufous Whistler, Grey Shrike-thrush, Australasian Figbird, Grey Butcherbird, Pied Butcherbird, Australian Magpie, Pied Currawong, Grey Fantail, Willie Wagtail, Torresian Crow, Magpie-lark, Rose Robin, Eastern Yellow Robin, Silvereye, Welcome Swallow, Mistletoebird, Double-barred Finch.

Butterflies: Small Grass-yellow Eurema smilax, Scarlet Jezebel Delias argenthona, *Monarch Danaus plexippus, Lesser Wanderer Danaus petilia, Common Crow Euploea core, Tailed Emperor Charaxes sempronius, Meadow Argus Junonia villida, White-banded Plane Phaedyma sheperdi.

Other Invertebrates: Ants; Southern Meat Ant Iridomyrmex purpureus - many, Dragonflies; Wandering Percher Diplacodes bipunctata.

Camp Report - Inverell NSW; 25-29 April 2024

Lake Inverell - a great birding spot
Photo: L.Beaton

We had a marvellous weekend. Seventeen members and a friend spent three or more days exploring the area and seeing some great wildlife. It's always exciting to go off our local patch and see a different set of animals.  

We saw 110 bird species, 9 mammals, also butterflies, reptiles, frogs and more including a beautiful Murray Cod which was released back into the Macintyre River.

The flora was different which was to be expected. The Caley's  Ironbark Eucalyptus caleyi was in flower though the birds didn't seem to care. The native bees thought it was wonderful. If you stood underneath one of the trees all you could hear were the bees buzzing. The Xanthorrhoea johnsonii seemed stouter than the ones we get up here.

Xanthorrhoea johnsonii at Five Corners
Photo: P & T Shields

The weather was kind to us being warm and sunny during the day and not too cold at night.

There was lots of chat during "happy hour" when we happily reviewed our sightings, told jokes and listened to anecdotes of camps and outings past.

Freshwater molluscs from Frazer Creek
Photo: P & T Shields 

Brown Treecreeper
Photo: G. Pardey

Jacky Dragon Amphibolurus muricatus
Photo: G. Pardey

Swamp Wallaby Wallabia bicolor
Photo: G. Pardey

Eagles at Lake Inverell
Photo: L.Beaton

 

Joseph Wills Park  
Photo: L.Beaton

Mid-week Outing Report - Bus trip to O'Reilly's Rainforest Retreat, Monday, 15 April 2024

 Adapted from the newsletter report.

View from the coffee shop
at O'Reilly's

This was a new experience for the Field Nats to actually travel by bus to an outing, but 21 members participated.

The chatter of conversation abated somewhat to ‘gasps’ and ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’ when our bus met up with oncoming trucks, and tankers on the steep, very narrow, winding road and there was a noticeable movement and lean away from the windows on the driver’s side of the bus as the trucks slid past centimetres outside the windows while those seated on the other side kept an eye on the centimetres of wheel track on the cliff side drop.

King Parrots in a tree as the rain blows in

Little groups headed in different directions. The fitter ones for the longer walks and steeper tracks, but the majority ambled off towards the boardwalk and Tree Top Walk area. Easy walk, plenty of lush vegetation to see and admire, little clusters of fungi, fruiting, flowering and fresh new growth on trees, buttresses and ancient twisted vines, all the time keeping an eye and ear open for the bird sightings and sounds. 

Plenty of calls from the many parrots, especially King Parrots and Crimson Rosellas but it was the little birds that caught our attention as they scuttled around the understory and on the ground. White-browed and Yellow-throated Scrubwrens, and Logrunners. In the trees Satin Bowerbirds were observed and Brown Pigeons but we did not see a Regent Bowerbird or Lyrebird. We did not collate species lists for the day so others may have had quite different observations on their individual walks.

Looking down from the Tree Top Walk

The canopy tree top walk is always a special place to take a leisurely stroll with excellent views into the canopy at eye level. The Mountain Garden, established long ago by Col Harmen with its mix of natural rainforest plants and introduced species is still maintained and
worth a walk through its many meandering tracks. There are just so many walks for differing levels of fitness to choose from but any walk, short or long, in the rainforests of Lamington National Park are most enjoyable.

Most of us arrived back from our walks for a late lunch to be followed by Ranger Will Buch giving us a half hour talk on the positive impact regular and controlled edge of rainforest burns have had on threatened bird and marsupial species

A most relaxing, social and enjoyable outing. Thanks to those who planned and organized it.

Outing Report - Sandy Creek Track, Flinders Plum Reserve, Saturday, 20 January 2024

Adapted from the Fassifern Field Naturalists newsletter. 

January 18, here we go again. 70mm of rain at home in a 2-hour period. January 19, and a check of the council website to see if the park was still open. No closure reported. 

The Sandy Creek track was boggy underfoot in places and the creek crossings required careful navigation to avoid filling the boots. One look at the natters and you would have thought that we had swum across the crossings. Our ‘frantic’ natters pace must have got those sweat glands working overtime.

Birdlife was not as prolific as expected and several birds were heard rather than seen. The sighting of the morning was a good viewing of the club emblem, the Pacific Baza. In flight we were able to see the barring on the body and when perched we could also clearly see the bright yellow eye and also the crest that these birds are recognized by (previously known as the Crested Hawk). Several Red-browed Finch were observed carrying nesting material to nests in the fronds (leaves) of the Hoop Pines near the old stockyards. Of note of the birds heard were the Pacific Emerald Dove and the Rose-crowned Fruit-Dove.
Butterflies were quite prolific and other insects and spiders were observed including Stick insects, Harlequin Beetles and the ‘deafening’ Cicadas. A well-populated Tree Brown Paper Wasp nest was also observed in a bush.

Morning tea (breakfast for some) was held back at the picnic area under the supervision of a large Green Tree Frog who must have been cooking on a beam under the tin roof of the picnic shelter.

Thank you to those who attended and to those who doubted my persistence, well

Bird list: Wonga Pigeon, Pacific Emerald Dove, Rose-crowned Fruit-dove, Bar-shouldered Dove, Pheasant Coucal, Koel, Channel-billed Cuckoo, Fantail Cuckoo, Brush Cuckoo, Pacific Baza, Laughing Kookaburra, King Parrot, Superb Fairy-wren, Red Backed Fairy-wren, Brown Honeyeater, Lewin’s Honeyeater, Australasian Figbird, Grey Shrike-thrush, Eastern Whipbird, Cicadabird, Pied Currawong, Spangled Drongo, Leaden Flycatcher, Torresian Crow, Eastern Yellow Robin, Silvereye, Mistletoebird, Red-browed Finch.

Outing Report - Wild Mountains Environmental Education Centre , Saturday, 18 November 2023

Adapted from different articles in the Fassifern Field Naturalists newsletters.

Views from the meeting place

We couldn’t have wished for better weather on this outing to Wild Mountains. As planned, we met up at the start of the 4WD sign. This was a prime photo area with majestic views of the ranges and surrounding scenery and people took full advantage of their cameras and scopes. 

It’s not easy to move 15 field nats however, we needed to make progress and go on one of the many walks. We chose the downhill section towards the creek. We were fairly spread out when Steve caught our attention. He was so excited; he could barely speak but was pointing to a tree down from the track. There, perched in a large hollow was a Masked Owl. It was a new bird sighting for the majority of us, but to see this rare owl in daylight made it very special.

Fungi at Wild Mountains

Onwards to the bridge. Due to past rain, the vegetation had thickened considerably, but taking our time, we managed to scramble down the steep terrain to view the creek and the mini waterfall. A delightful place to spend some time, that is if you don’t mind leeches. After that we headed in the vehicles to the majestic rainforest walk that borders NSW.

Throughout the day there was plenty to see, especially the birds enjoying the regeneration efforts in the ex-lantana dominated gullies. A huge Small-leaved Fig Ficus obliqua, with roots all over a rocky waterfall, was in fruit. The canopy was in constant motion with a dozen Topknot Pigeons and Regent Bowerbirds standing out. A couple of Barred Cuckoo-Shrikes looked quite trim in contrast.

Further up the road to the top gate and another avian avalanche. Fruit pigeons calling out everywhere. A Noisy Pitta wanting to go “off to work”. A Paradise Riflebird screeching in our ears. A Green Catbird “meowing” – probably wanting a bowl of milk.

The variety of tall trees on this mountain is truly amazing. Far too many to put in a small newsletter. But the Silver Booyong Argyrodendron trifoliolatum, a common tree, were in fruit – little helicopters spinning around and littering the track. 

All too soon it was time to depart. The folk at Wild Mountains took good care of us, even though they were working hard preparing for a big event the following week. We thank them very much for their generosity of time and friendship. We will look forward in the future to pay another visit to this amazing property.

A wild place and a wild gang of Field Nats – what more could you ask for?

Bird List

Wompoo Fruit Dove, Topknot Pigeon, Brown Pigeon, Rose-crowned Fruit- Dove, White-headed Pigeon, Little Black Cormorant, Wedge-tailed Eagle, Fantail Cuckoo, Brush Cuckoo, Australian Masked Owl, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Australian King Parrot, Crimson Rosella, Noisy Pitta, Regent Bowerbird, White-throated Treecreeper, Scarlet Honeyeater, Eastern Spinebill, Lewin’s Honeyeater, Yellow-faced Honeyeater, Bell Miner, White-throated Honeyeater, Noisy Friarbird, White-browed Scrubwren, Striated Thornbill, Brown Thornbill, Brown Gerygone, Barred Cuckooshrike, Black-faced Cuckooshrike, Common Cicadabird. Eastern Whipbird, Grey Shrikethrush, Golden Whistler, Rufous Whistler, Pied Currawong, Rufous Fantail, Grey Fantail, Spangled Drongo, Black-faced Monarch, Spectacled Monarch, Torresian Crow, Paradise Riflebird, Eastern Yellow Robin, Silvereye, Mistletoebird.

FEBRUARY OUTING CANCELLED

 Due to the inclement weather, the outing to Waterfall Creek Road Maroon  for 17^th Feb 2024 has been cancelled.

Sorry, no Plan B.