Outing Report - Koala Crossing, Flinders Peak, 19 May 2018

Camouflaged Bearded Dragon

On our May outing 21 members from the Fassifern and Queensland Field Naturalists Clubs met at the Queensland Trust for Nature property, Koala Crossing. This property is situated at the base of Mt Flinders, 5km from the township of Peak Crossing. It joins the Flinders-Goolman Reserve and is the largest remaining stretch of open eucalypt forest in the region. Koala Crossing provides an important linkage for koalas in South East Queensland and the property is managed according to national koala recovery action plans.

The property has four different ecosystems, one of which has an ‘endangered’ biodiversity status, and another is ‘of concern’. These ecosystems are able to support a large variety of fauna including the koala, the powerful owl and the brush-tailed rock-wallaby. Not that any of these were seen on the day.

The first walk was on a track that wound its way down to a little dry offshoot of Sandy Creek then curled up to higher ground. The creek is well-named as the sandstone rock of the area weathers into a sandy bed. On the rocky ridges conglomerate rock with quartz was evident and we examined some petrified wood embedded in a type of silt or mudstone. At the top of the ridge we came across a very dozy Bearded Dragon sleeping in the grass.

Lunch was a very social time with talks about the local district, and the koala program by the Queensland Trust for Nature. Almost 100,000 koala fodder trees have been planted since 2015.

Scarlet Jezebel (Delias argenthona)

Later a ridge on the southern section of the property was explored. This had a mixture of Spotted Gum (Corymbia maculata) and Narrow-leaved Ironbark (Eucalyptus crebra) with small stands of Brush Box (Lophostemon confertus) and Moreton Bay Ash (Corymbia tessellaris) interspersed here and there with Bat-wing Coral Tree (Erythrina vespertilio) and Broad-leaved Kurrajong (Brachychiton australis). Here we saw some of the more open woodland bird species, such as Weebill, Speckled Warbler, Jacky Winter and White-throated Honeyeater. There was also both Scarlet and Black Jezebel butterflies in the higher canopy and a couple of Tailed Emperor butterflies rushed through hardly giving us time to identify them.

Tailed Emperor (Charaxes sempronius)

Overall 42 species of birds were recorded on the day, including the Speckled Warbler which is not often seen as it usually forages very quietly in the leaf litter. It is well camouflaged too, being brown and cream with dark brown stripes and streaks. Surprisingly for the time of year 16 species of butterfly were recorded. The Long-tailed Pea-blue being one of the more cryptic ones in the grass.

Two species of Milkweed Bug on Milkweed

One of the dams at Koala Crossing

A cool early-morning start

Koala Crossing Species Lists (numbers in brackets refer to abundance)

Birds: Peaceful Dove (1), Bar-shouldered Dove (1), Wedge-tailed Eagle (2), Brown Goshawk (2), Galah (2), Rainbow Lorikeet (8-10), Scaly-breasted Lorikeet (4), Little Lorikeet (a number of small flocks), Australian King-Parrot (8), Pale-headed Rosella (4), Fan-tailed Cuckoo (1), Rainbow Bee-eater, Red-backed Fairy-wren, Speckled Warbler (1), Weebill (3-4), White-throated Gerygone (1-2), Spotted Pardalote (1-2), Striated Pardalote (5-6), Eastern Spinebill (1), Yellow-faced Honeyeater (small flocks in flowering Ironbarks), Noisy Miner (8-10), Scarlet Honeyeater, White-throated Honeyeater (6-8), Blue-faced Honeyeater (1), Noisy Friarbird (1), Striped Honeyeater (1), Eastern Whipbird (1), Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike (1), Golden Whistler (4-6), Rufous Whistler (2), Australasian Figbird (8-10), Grey Butcherbird (1), Pied Butcherbird (1), Australian Magpie (2), Pied Currawong (1), Grey Fantail (3), Willie Wagtail (1), Torresian Crow (2), Jacky Winter (2), Rose Robin (1), Silvereye (12-20), Mistletoebird (1).

Butterflies & Moths: Greenish Grass Dart (Ocybadistes walker) (1), Clearwing Swallowtail (Cressida cressida), Common Grass-yellow (Eurema hecabe) (many), Small Grass-yellow (Eurema smilax) (3), Scarlet Jezabel (Delias argenthona) (2), Black Jezabel (Delias nigrina) (2), Wanderer (Danaus plexippus) (many), Lesser Wanderer (Danaus petilia) (3-4), Blue Tiger (Tirumala limniace) (1), Common Crow (Euploea core) (2), Tailed Emperor (Charaxes sempronius) (2), Meadow Argus (Junonia villida) (3), Glasswing (Acraea andromacha) (several), Small Dusky Blue (Candalides erinus), Long-tailed Pea (Lampides boeticus) (1), Common Grass Blue (Zizina labradus) (many). Mottled Cup Moth (Doratifera vulnerans) - four cocoons on a small Callistemon.

Mammals: Red-necked Wallaby (Macropus rufogriseus) (1).

Spiders: Golden Orb-Weaver (Nephila plumipes) (1), Australian Jewel Spider (Austracantha minaxer) (1).

Other Invertebrates: European Honey Bee (Apis mellifera) (3), Common Small Milkweed Bug (Arocatus rusticus) (5), Large Milkweed Bug (Spilostethus hospes) (2), Wandering Percher (Diplacodes bipunctata) (1), Crane Fly (probably Family Tipulidae) (numerous).

Some Grasses: Threeawn Speargrass (Aristida vagans). This grass likes eucalyptus communities on rocky and sandy soils. Flowering and fruiting all year.

Pitted Bluegrass (Bothriochlaoa decipiens). Prefers low fertility soils receiving above 500mm annual rainfall.

Barbed Wire Grass (Cymbopogon refractus). A grass native to eastern Australia, widespread and common, prefers lighter, poorer soils. The leaves give off a spicy, lemon-ginger smell when crushed. Habitat for small mammals and frogs. The seeds are eaten by rosellas.

Black Speargrass (Heteropogon contortus). A tropical, perennial tussock grass and a valuable pasture species across much of its range however it has also been responsible for the elimination of the wool industry over much of Australia due to the seeds becoming embedded in the wool and skin of sheep, devaluing the wool and killing the animals. Also troublesome in the socks and skin of bushwalkers.

Slender Rat's Tail Grass (Sporobolus elongatus). Found in higher rainfall areas it is more common on lighter, well-drained soils. In drier areas, it is more common along sandy creek-lines or on heavy clays of the plains.