Outing Report - Lake Moogerah, 21 September

Strolling beside Reynolds Creek

A good contingent of members turned up at Haig Park ready to enjoy the tranquil surrounds of the parks near the dam wall. After signing on, socializing and naming the mountains which weren't shrouded in cloud most of us headed off for the lower picnic ground. Some people walked out on the dam wall to see if either Platypus or Brush-tailed Rock Wallabies could be seen. Neither showed their heads although they are seen below the dam wall on occasions. However there was plenty of activity in the Drunken Parrot Tree, Schotia brachypetala. This African native was heavy with blossom and the screeching of the Rainbow Lorikeets, Little & Noisy Friarbirds, Noisy Miners and Blue-faced Honeyeaters was loud enough to be heard in Brisbane!

Dead trees on Mt Edwards

It was heart-breaking to see all the dead and dying trees on the slopes of Mt Edwards. They are growing on a very thin layer of soil upon rock and there is no moisture for them. The only trees to show any life were beside the creek. The bottlebrushes were in flower and full of birds. Although we did see some friarbirds here it was mostly the smaller bush birds feasting on the flowers or insects; such as Eastern Spinebill, Scarlet Honeyeater, Silvereye and Black-faced Monarch. We wandered down to the weir and beyond. Skippers, butterflies and damselflies hovered over the Desmodium sp. 

Yellow-faced Honeyeater

Eastern Long-necked Turtle (Chelodina longicollis) sunning itself in Reynolds Creek

Morning tea was in one of the shelter sheds. It was so relaxing to be by the water and much catching up was done as well as trying to identify butterflies and dragonflies that had been caught on camera. Five Kookaburras entertained us and one was seen to go up to a nearby termite nest with a large hole in it. We searched for koalas but there was no luck with mammals on this outing. However more butterflies and dragonflies appeared as the day became warmer.  All sightings were recorded including 29 bird species. Wendy wasn't with us so we didn't go looking for that elusive 30th bird! 

Lunch was back at the shelter shed

Reflections on Reynold's Creek

Dusky Moorhens by the creek

On the side of Little Mount Edwards

Looking for dragonflies at the weir in the lower picnic ground

Fauna

Birds: Australian Wood Duck, Australasian Grebe, Australian Darter, Little Pied Cormorant, Dusky Moorhen, Eurasian Coot, Rainbow Lorikeet, Azure Kingfisher, Laughing Kookaburra, Striated Pardalote, Eastern Spinebill, Lewin's Honeyeater, Yellow-faced Honeyeater, Noisy Miner, Scarlet Honeyeater, Brown Honeyeater, White-throated Honeyeater, Blue-faced Honeyeater, Noisy Friarbird, Little Friarbird, Striped Honeyeater, Grey Butcherbird, Pied Butcherbird, Australian Magpie, Pied Currawong, Torresian Crow, Black-faced Monarch, Silvereye, Welcome Swallow, Mistletoebird.

Butterflies: Greenish Grass Dart (Ocybadistes walker), Orchard Swallowtail (Papilio aegeus), Chequered Swallowtail (Papilio demoleus), Lemon Migrant (Catopsilia pomona), Common Grass-yellow (Eurema hecabe), Wanderer (Danaus plexippus), Lesser Wanderer (Danaus petilia), Common Crow (Euploea core), Meadow Argus (Junonia villida), Small Dusky Blue (Candalides erinus.

Damsel/Dragonflies: Common Flatwing (Austroargiolestes icteromelas), Australian Emperor Dragonfly (Anax papuensis), Blue Skimmer (Orthetrum caledonicum), Common Glider (Tramea loewii).

Other Invertebrates: Native Bee sp., Paper Wasp (Ropalidia sp.).

Reptiles: Eastern Long-necked Turtle (Chelodina longicollis).

Flora especially noted:

Ferns: Common Maidenhair Fern (Adiantum aethiopicum).

Grasses, Sedges, Rushes, etc.: Blady Grass (Imperata cylindrical), Lomandra sp.

Trees: Weeping Bottlebrush (Melaleuca viminalis).

STOP PRESS! Outing reschedule

Lake Moogerah with more water than it has at the moment. 

The Spicers Gap venue has been changed due to the closure of the Mt Mathieson track, and the high bushfire danger. Now meeting at Haigh Park, Lake Moogerah, 8 am for 8.30 am start.

October Outing - Autumn Camp, Mt Barney Lodge

FRIDAY – SUNDAY, 18 – 20 OCTOBER 2019  

Mt Barney from Boonah

PLEASE NOTE: THIS CAMP IS DEPENDANT ON A LOW BUSHFIRE DANGER RATING

(Keep an eye on our Facebook page or blog if you wish to confirm the camp is still on.)

Accommodation: camping/caravanning; un-powered sites only, no other accommodation is available that weekend. $16 per person per night ($10 per child 3-12 years old.), 50% deposit at time of booking  Check-in time is from 1pm and check out time is 1 pm. Please email us for more information. 

Meet: at the campground on Friday.

Where: Mt Barney Lodge Country Retreat - 1093 Upper Logan Rd, Mount Barney QLD 4287

Directions from Boonah: Upper Logan Rd is about 38 km south of Boonah on the Rathdowney Road. From the Upper Logan Rd junction follow the signs to Mt Barney Lodge and Mt Barney National Park for 10km. The last 3kms is a good quality graded gravel road.

Features: Mt Barney Lodge, once a bare, old farm, has been transformed into a prolific native habitat for sugar gliders, possums, bandicoots, wallabies, insects, lizards, bats and a large variety of birds. An extensive amount of native flowering trees, bush food trees and grasses to feed and house the native wildlife has been planted over the past 15 years.

Activities: usual camp stuff; flora walks, birdwatching, night-spotting, happy hour and species count, etc.

Mt Barney Lodge’s Terms & Conditions:
• amazing mountain views
• modern amenities block with hot showers (no charge), toilets and washing up area
• drinking water on tap
• minimum of 2 nights on a weekend
• no Wi-Fi, limited mobile phone coverage
• no pets, generators, drones or chainsaws
• single use plastic water bottles have been banned onsite since June 2018. Please do not bring 600ml -10 litre containers onsite to reflect your support of our eco principles.
• wet weather is not a valid reason for cancellation, and will result in the loss of your deposit if you choose not to camp.

Outing Report - World's End Pocket, Pine Mountain 17 August 2019

Flinders Peak in the distance

It is not often we venture into the Ipswich area and a number of our members had not had the chance to see this part of the world, or World's End! More than twenty people met at the yellow tank and it wasn't long before we were marching to the top of the hill. This track took us through some lovely Dry Vine Scrub. Although this habitat is adapted to dry conditions there were many trees that showed signs of drought stress, and there were copious amounts of leaves strewn across the ground.

Merrilyn, up close and personal
with a Giant Ironwood

One of the first exciting sightings for the day was an Emerald Dove feeding on the road. It soon scuttled into the undergrowth when it saw us coming. Meanwhile some others were watching a number of Caper White butterflies hanging around the Scrambling Caper (Capparis sarmentosa) and hilltopping over the taller trees. We noticed Button-quail platelets on the edge of the track. They were fairly recent but no Button-quail. Further along Keith pointed out a Giant Ironwood (Backhousia subargentea). This is a rare Australian rainforest tree, growing from Boonah to Imbil in south eastern Queensland and near Mullumbimby in north eastern New South Wales.

We walked back to the cars for morning tea where a little green spider kept us company; possibly a type of lynx. 

Green spider

After the break we slipped through the fence into the adjacent reserve and strolled down the slashed track to the lower section of the vine scrub. Here we saw more platelets and as we checked out some fresh droppings to see if they were Black-breasted Button-quail, our fearless leader flushed three BBBQ from under our noses to a little way up the gully. A few of us were lucky to see them on the wing or scattering after they landed. Nobody had a chance to take a photo unfortunately.

All this excitement called for a lunch break so we headed back to Kholo Gardens where we had a very sociable time in the shade. Surrounded by Ipswichians enjoying the balmy weather in this lovely park beside the Brisbane River.

Fauna:
Birds: Emerald Dove, Bar-shouldered Dove, Black-breasted Button-quail, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Laughing Kookaburra, Rainbow Bee-eater, Superb Fairy-wren, Red-backed Fairy-wren, White-browed Scrubwren, Yellow Thornbill, Spotted Pardalote, Striated Pardalote, Lewin's Honeyeater, Yellow-faced Honeyeater, Scarlet Honeyeater, Blue-faced Honeyeater, Noisy Friarbird, Eastern Whipbird, Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike, Varied Triller, Golden Whistler, Rufous Whistler, Grey Shrike-thrush, Australasian Figbird, Pied Butcherbird, Pied Currawong, Grey Fantail, Torresian Crow, White-eared Monarch, Rose Robin, Eastern Yellow Robin, Silvereye, Mistletoebird, Double-barred Finch, Red-browed Finch.
Butterflies: Common Grass-yellow (Eurema hecabe), Small Grass-yellow (Eurema smilax), Striated Pearl-white (Elodina parthia), Cabbage White (Pieris rapae), Wanderer (Danaus plexippus), Brown Ringlet (Hypocysta metirius), Meadow Argus (Junonia villida), Glasswing (Acraea andromacha).

Some flora noted along the way:
Grasses: Slender Bamboo Grass (Austrostipa verticillata).
Vines, Scramblers & Climbers: Scrambling Caper (Capparis sarmentosa), Pandorea sp.; probably Wonga Vine (P. pandorana) - too high in tree to identify.
Shrubs: Brush Caper Berry or Caper Bush (Capparis arborea), Small-leaved Canthium (Everistia vacciniifolia). 
Trees: Wild Quince (Alectryon subcinereus), Hoop Pine (Araucaria cunninghamii), Sweet Bursaria (Bursaria spinosa), Giant Ironwood (Backhousia subargentea), Corkwood (Endiandra sieberi), Scrub Blind-your-eye (Excoecaria dallachyana), Crow’s Ash (Flindersia australis), Leopard Ash (Flindersia collina), Long Jack or Yellow-wood (Flindersia xanthoxyla).

Birds for Kholo Botanic Gardens (We didn't explore very far from the picnic spot): Australian Brush Turkey, Pacific Black Duck, Great Cormorant, Australian Pelican, White-bellied Sea-Eagle, Laughing Kookaburra, Rainbow Bee-eater, Spotted Pardalote, Striated Pardalote, Lewin's Honeyeater, Noisy Miner, Varied Triller, Pied Butcherbird, Australian Magpie, Torresian Crow, Welcome Swallow.
Butterflies for Kholo Botanic Gardens: Common Grass-yellow (Eurema hecabe), Small Grass-yellow (Eurema smilax), Wanderer (Danaus plexippus).