Outing Report - Flagstone Creek, Coochin, September 2016

After the preliminaries and a short chat on the area, we walked up the track to an internal fence line where Keith spoke of the geology of the area and the work he has done with the local landholders through the Scenic Rim Regional Council.  Des spoke of the early days of a local family growing crops for sale on top of the hills near a cliff line, which is accessed up Black Rock Road. Des and John used to live immediately west of this area in their younger days and Des gave us an interesting chat on the people and pursuits of the area while we had our lunch. Around 43 birds were recorded on the day as well as other fauna and plenty of interesting flora. 

The floodplain of Flagstone Creek, Coochin

Tiny webs glistening in the morning dew

A web close up

Mt Asplenium to Spicer's Peak (left to right)

Dogwood (Jacksonia scoparia) and Leptospermum variabile

Round Ant Eater (Omoedus orbiculatus)

Keith with Rusty Pomaderris (Pomaderris ferruginea) and Leptospermum variabile

Clambering up the rock face

Species List: compiled by the Club Recorder from members’ sightings.

Beetle: Variable Ladybird (Coelophora inaequalis)

Birds: Peaceful Dove, Bar-shouldered Dove, Wedge-tailed Eagle, Rainbow Lorikeet, Musk Lorikeet, Australian King-Parrot, Pheasant Coucal, Shining Bronze-Cuckoo, Laughing Kookaburra, Rainbow Bee-eater, Red-backed Fairy-wren, White-browed Scrubwren, White-throated Gerygone, Spotted Pardalote, Lewin's Honeyeater, Yellow-faced Honeyeater, Scarlet Honeyeater, Brown Honeyeater, White-throated Honeyeater, Blue-faced Honeyeater, Noisy Friarbird, Little Friarbird, Striped Honeyeater, Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike, Rufous Whistler, Grey Shrike-thrush, Australasian Figbird, Grey Butcherbird, Pied Butcherbird, Australian Magpie, Pied Currawong, Grey Fantail, Torresian Crow, Leaden Flycatcher, Eastern Yellow Robin, Golden-headed Cisticola, Silvereye, Welcome Swallow, Mistletoebird, Double-barred Finch, Red-browed Finch.

Butterflies: Lesser Wanderer (Danaus chrysippus), Wanderer (Danaus plexippus).

Damselflies: Wandering Ringtail (Austrolestes leda); immature male – a pale tan colour, and adult male - blue.

Dragonflies: Scarlet Percher (Diplacodes haematodes); one male, Black-faced Percher (Diplacodes melanopsis); one male.

Moth: Triangular Moth (Epidesmia chilonaria).

Skink: Wall Skink (Cryptoblepharus virgatus).

Spiders: Wolf Spider sp., Round Ant Eater (Omoedus orbiculatus).

Evidence of species: Orts (food scraps) only - Glossy Black-Cockatoo, bandicoot diggings – possibly Northern Brown Bandicoot (Isoodon macrourus), scats only Koala (Phascolarctos cinereus), wallaby tracks - unknown species.

Flora (just some that were discussed on the walk): On the floodplain soil – Moreton Bay Ash (Corymbia tessellaris), Grey Gum (Eucalyptus punctata), Small-leaved Fig (Ficus obliqua), Black Tea-tree or River Tea-tree (Melaleuca bracteata) with mistletoe that attracted the Mistletoebird, Yellow-faced Honeyeaters, and a Shining-bronze Cuckoo. On the rocky slopes – Smooth-branched Ironbark (Eucalyptus dura), Queensland Peppermint (Eucalyptus exserta), Cheese Tree (Glochidion ferdinandi), Dogwood (Jacksonia scoparia), Leptospermum microcarpum - no common name, Brush Box (Lophostemon confertus), Rusty Pomaderris (Pomaderris ferruginea).