Outing Report - Mt Mathieson Trail, 18 July 2020

Spotted Amber Ladybird
(Hippodamia variegata)
Photo: M. Podlich

Sorry, somehow I forgot to post this! (Adapted from our Club newsletter)

A beautiful day and great scenery greeted 30 Field Nats on our first outing since February (due to COVID restrictions). It appeared all of us wanted to get out in the bush once more and soak in the smells, sounds and sights. Not only our club, but a whole bunch of bush walkers were congregating and assembling at the entrance to the Mathison Trail as well, but they had long gone by the time we got our act together. 

The track was a bit stony and tree-root riddled at the start, but towards the top of the 2km walk the journey was easier to negotiate. There were a few larger rocky outcrops but that did not cause too much effort to pass through. The past fires in late 2019 had left much of the forest blackened with many of the older trees severely damaged as well. However, a lot of the bush was recovering and clumps of fresh eucalypts sprouting out of the sides of the trunks. It lifts the spirit to see this growth after the fire devastation. The grass trees Xanthorrhoea had spouted fresh upright grass-like leaves and many had formed a flowering spike, but alas we were a few weeks short of the prime blooming period and missed out on birds and bugs feeding on the tiny flowers. 

Mt Mitchell from the lookout
Photo: F. Shute

Those who made it to the lookout were well rewarded with some magnificent scenery. The Cunningham Highway leading up to The Gap was clearly visible. Mt Mitchell looked stunning from a different angle. Plenty of rocks around made great seating for morning tea. 

Looking around it was hard to imagine that we were standing on what was once an active volcano. The eastern part of this volcano once spread over the Fassifern Valley, Boonah, and even to Ipswich. The western side spread towards Warwick. 

The return 2km journey was mostly downhill and quicker than the upward journey. However, there were a few stops to see fauna, at one in particular a male Rose Robin was seen.

The picnic spot soon had a large circle of Field Nats seated around to chat and compare photos, notes and generally socialize. Thanks to all who attended including new members and guests. 

Correct social distancing at lunch, Spicer's Gap campground
Photo: L. Beaton

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Notes on Vegetation and Other Things at Mt Mathieson by the President

Our first outing since the Covid-Crash was a very pleasant affair. Everyone was ready for some fresh air and company. It was good to check-out this particular landscape after the fires late last year. 

Cunningham’s Gap area was repeatedly hit by serious bush-fires. Some areas seemed to be totally devastated, with lots of black dead trees, whilst some areas were nice and green with minimal coppicing. Most areas though were blackened, with lots of resprouting going on. Of course, some big trees fell down and some large logs disappeared into a pile of ash. 

Burnt out tree trunk
on the edge of the escarpment
Photo: F. Shute

The burnt understorey was a mass of regenerated weeds mixed with natives. Inkweed (Phytolacca octrandra) was thick and it shows the resilience of weed seeds to remain dormant for decades, waiting for a fire to release them. Silvereyes were having a ball with the quickly ripening fruit – they go from green to black. Another weed (or perhaps a native – some botanists think it is native) was Indian Weed (Sigesbekia orientalis) with tiny yellow flowers. Indigo (Indigofera australis), a native, was prolific and almost ready to start flowering. 

The drier areas are dominated by Tallowwood (Eucalyptus Microcorys) and some Yellow Stringybark (E. acmenoides) and the understorey was thick with younger trees. They were all black sticks but resprouting from the base. I did notice a lot of fresh galls on the new branch tips. They were small ball-shaped growths coloured green or white or red. Once again it shows how some organisms (gall wasps or mites) wait a long time, perhaps decades, to go through their lifecycles.

Grass tree flower spike with fly sp.
Photo: L.Beaton

Of particular note were the Grass Trees (Xanthorrhoea latifolia?). They were in flower everywhere. The flower arrangements – comprising a scape (or tall woody stalk good for making temporary walking sticks) and a spike with tiny white flowers – were not very tall. They were in a rush to flower, so didn’t have much time for making tall spikes.

With so much growing going on, insects were still busy and the birds seem to have stayed for winter – they usually leave and come down to my place closer to the coast. Yellow-faced Honeyeaters were common, which is quite unusual.

Species Lists for Mt Mathieson Trail, 18 July 2020 from members' observations

Birds: Brown Cuckoo-Dove, Wonga Pigeon, Australian Pelican, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Rainbow Lorikeet, Little Lorikeet, King Parrot, Crimson Rosella, Fan-tailed Cuckoo, Shining Bronze-cuckoo, Laughing Kookaburra, Satin Bowerbird, White-throated Treecreeper, Superb Fairy-wren, Variegated Fairy-wren, Striated Thornbill, Brown Thornbill, Buff-rumped Thornbill, White-browed Scrubwren, Large-billed Scrubwren, Spotted Pardalote, Eastern Spinebill, Lewin's Honeyeater, Yellow-faced Honeyeater, Bell Miner, White-naped Honeyeater, Noisy Friarbird, Eastern Whipbird, Varied Sittella, Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike, Varied Triller, Golden Whistler, Rufous Whistler, Grey Shrike-thrush, Olive-backed Oriole, Pied Currawong, Torresian Crow, Grey Fantail, Rose Robin, Eastern Yellow Robin, Silvereye, Mistletoebird, Red-browed Finch.

Butterflies: Lemon Migrant, Common Grass-yellow, Small Grass-yellow, Meadow Argus.

Other Insects: European Honey Bee (Apis mellifera), Grey Rhiniin Fly (Metallea incisuvalis) – on grasstree flowers, Spotted Amber Ladybird (Hippodamia variegata).