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).