AGM Report - Boonah, 16 March 2019

Our President speaking about
the Friends of Mt French at our AGM

Our AGM was another successful event, once again with rain in the air which raised everybody's spirits.

The President gave his report on the year's activities, and what was going on behind the scenes with the committee. The Treasurer relieved all our minds, informing us that our coffers were not empty, the insurance was paid, and he thought our dues should remain at the current rate.

The Recorder gave a short summary on what had been seen and recorded in our local area in the last year. With a breakdown of what animals were most common and those sightings that were more unusual.

The only other piece of business was to update our constitution to the latest Model Rules (of the Office of Fair Trading), Version 6. This was done in no time and we were able to get on with the entertainment for the evening.

The  98 amphibian reports in 2019 was well down from the 178 recorded in 2018,
and unfortunately the Cane Toad was the most common.

This consisted of four presentations by our members on our iconic mountain, Mt French:

• geology and special plants
• butterflies
• native orchids
• fauna records from the Club database

Only a small section of Mt French is national park, and an even smaller area has been covered by the Club. As a Club we already survey as much of Mt French as possible, both in our outings and as individual members. 

Rough mud map of national park within Mt French (the blue outline)

There is a variety of different vegetation types within the park which provide habitat for a number of rare plants and animals. More could, and should, be known about this mountain. The talks gave an insight into this magnificent treasure we have on our doorstep, and gave rise to much suppertime conversation.

AGM - Boonah, 16 March 2019

Time: 6.15 pm for 6.30 pm start

Featuring talks on Mt French

Where: Baptist Hall, cnr Church & Macquarie Streets, Boonah

What to Bring: a plate of supper to share, show-&-tell relating to Mt French

Upon Arrival: Please register in the Attendance Book and pay your $4 per person participant fee (This helps to pay for the hire of the hall. 

Agenda:

• Executive reports
• Motion to change the constitution – a general tidy-up to match the Model Rules set by the State. (You must be a financial member to be eligible to vote.)
• Voting for the executive positions for 2019 
• Guest Speaker: This year we feature Mt French. A number of our members will paint a wide-ranging picture of the many treasures that are found around our iconic mountain. We have been visiting Mt French for decades. So, bring your memories/records/photos of Mt French to share.
• This will be followed by supper and socializing with time to view the interesting items and photos.

Outing Report - February Outing - Scenic Tag-along and Rainforest Walk, 16 February 2019

Adapted from the newsletter report:

Overcoming the obstacles along the rabbit fence walk

The first stop for the group was at a small clearing just over a Teviot Creek causeway crossing, now very dry, just below the steep ascent to The Heads. In usual Field Nats style there were soon little groups and individuals heading in all directions. Plenty to see and do. The ‘birdos’ had their ears and eyes attuned, the ‘butterfliers’ were stalking with their cameras in hand, while others just strolled.

Next was the slow, steady drive up to the Teviot Falls viewing area. Just over the top we parked adjacent to the rainforest access to the Wilsons Peak rabbit fence. This walk brings us close to the huge trees in this particular area of Wilsons Peak. The forest floor was littered with a heavy leaf fall and amongst the litter the bright coloured fruit of the rainforest trees glowed. After a leisurely stroll in the area, the group once again tagged along the road to the Koreelah National Park campground for a prolonged later lunch stop. After lunch we strolled the couple of hundred meters to the Koreelah Gorge falls and viewing area. It was the driest many of us had ever seen. No water over the rocks and only shallow pools visible in the Gorge.

Natural art on the rabbit fence walk

Birds: Pacific Black Duck, Brown Cuckoo-Dove, White-necked Heron, White-faced Heron, Collared Sparrowhawk, Dusky Moorhen, Masked Lapwing, Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Rainbow Lorikeet, Scaly-breasted Lorikeet, Little Lorikeet, Australian King-Parrot, Crimson Rosella, Pale-headed Rosella, Pheasant Coucal, Laughing Kookaburra, White-throated Treecreeper, Green Catbird, Satin Bowerbird, Superb Fairy-wren, Variegated Fairy-wren, White-browed Scrubwren, Large-billed Scrubwren, Brown Gerygone, White-throated Gerygone, Brown Thornbill, Eastern Spinebill, Lewin's Honeyeater, White-cheeked Honeyeater, Bell Miner, Noisy Miner, Scarlet Honeyeater, Brown Honeyeater, White-naped Honeyeater, Eastern Whipbird, Golden Whistler, Grey Shrike-thrush, Australasian Figbird, Dusky Woodswallow, Pied Butcherbird, Australian Magpie, Pied Currawong, Rufous Fantail, Grey Fantail, Willie Wagtail, Torresian Crow, Black-faced Monarch, Eastern Yellow Robin, Silvereye, Welcome Swallow, Mistletoebird, Red-browed Finch.

Spotted Katydid
(Ephippitytha trigintiduoguttata)
seen near the Teviot Creek crossing

Butterflies: Blue Triangle, Orchard Swallowtail, Black Jezebel, Common Albatross, Wanderer,  Lesser Wanderer, Brown Ringlet, Common Grass Blue.

Other Invertebrates: Three-punctured Diving Beetles (Cybister tripunctatus), Spotted Katydid (Ephippitytha trigintiduoguttata). The case of a Saunders Case Moth (Metura elongates).

Spiders: Sac Spider sp.

Damsel/Dragonflies: Common Flatwing, Scarlet Percher, Blue Skimmer.

Mammals: Brown Hare, Red Deer.

Some plants of interest: Teviot Crossing, Head Rd: Black Bean (Castanospermum australe), River Oak (Casuarina cunninghamiana), Cissus sp., Blue Quandong (Elaeocarpus grandis), Dunn's White Gum (Eucalyptus dunnii), Bolwarra (Eupomatia laurina), Creek Sandpaper Fig (Ficus coronata), Cheese Tree (Glochidion ferdinandi), White Beech (Gmelina leichhardtii), Silky Oak (Grevillea robusta), Round Leaf Vine (Legnephora moorei), Brush Box (Lophostomen confertus), Red Kamala (Mallotus philippensis).

Rabbit Fence: Black Booyong (Argyrodendron actinophyllum), Birds Nest Fern (Asplenium australasicum), Flame Tree (Brachychiton acerifolius), Hares Foot Fern (Davallia pyxidata), King Orchid (Dendrobium speciosum), Tamarind (Diploglottis australis), Crows Ash (Flindersia australis), White Beech (Gmelina leichhardtii), Brush Box (Lophostomen confertus), Elkhorn (Platycerium bifurcatum), Yellow Carrabeen (Sloanea woollsii), Purple Cherry (Syzygium crebrinerve).