Outing Report - Koreelah National Park, NSW - 18 February 2023

Koreelah Creek

It was a respectably large group of field naturalist members and visitors who met at Koreelah National Park campground. The weather was good and everybody was keen to walk to the waterfall at the head of the gorge. 

A tall Cunjevoi
Alocasia brisbanensis

Koreelah Creek was high and the waterfall was splashing over the rocks into a large pool below. Some frog spawn was discovered in a little back water but remains unidentified. 

Leaving the water we headed further up the road remarking on the different plants in the area. The herbage everywhere was lush but almost no beetles, bugs or spiders were found, though eight species of butterfly were recorded. A small gall was found and when the top was cut open the little wasp inside was seen. 

A tall clump of Cunjevoi Alocasia brisbanensis, aka Elephant Ears, attracted our attention. According to Wikipedia who had it from the State Library of Queensland, the common name "cunjevoi" derives from the Bundjalung language of northern New South Wales.

It wasn't long before we headed back to the cars for lunch. As always natters found plenty to discuss while relaxing in the pleasant surroundings with the Welcome Swallows wheeling overhead.

Species Lists for Koreelah N.P., Feb 2023

introduced species = *

Fauna

Birds: White-headed Pigeon, Brown Cuckoo-Dove, Bar-shouldered Dove, Wedge-tailed Eagle, White-bellied Sea-Eagle, Rainbow Lorikeet, Scaly-breasted Lorikeet, Crimson Rosella, Eastern Rosella, Laughing Kookaburra, White-throated Treecreeper, Satin Bowerbird, Superb Fairy-wren, Red-backed Fairy-wren, Variegated Fairy-wren, White-browed Scrubwren, White-throated Gerygone, Brown Thornbill, Striated Pardalote, Yellow-faced Honeyeater, Bell Miner, Noisy Miner, Scarlet Honeyeater, Brown Honeyeater, White-naped Honeyeater, Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike, Rufous Whistler (♀ & ♂), Australasian Figbird, Australian Magpie, Pied Currawong, Grey Fantail, Willie Wagtail, Torresian Crow, Black-faced Monarch, Eastern Yellow Robin, Welcome Swallow, Mistletoebird, Red-browed Finch (nesting).

Butterflies: Blue Triangle Graphium sarpedon, Lemon Migrant Catopsilia pomona, Common Grass-yellow Eurema hecabe, *Wanderer Danaus plexippus, Lesser Wanderer Danaus petilia, Common Crow Euploea core, Yellow Admiral Vanessa itea, White-banded Plane Phaedyma sheperdi.

Dragonflies: Scarlet Percher Diplacodes haematodes, Blue Skimmer Orthetrum caledonicum, Fiery Skimmer Orthetrum villosovittatum.

Reptiles: Lace Monitor or Goanna Varanus varius, Eastern Snake-necked Turtle Chelodina longicollis.

February Outing: Koreelah National Park, NSW - Saturday 18 February 2023

Koreelah Creek
at the picnic area

The Fassifern Field Naturalists Club Inc. would like to respectfully acknowledge the Githabul People, Traditional Custodians of the Koreelah National Park where our outing will take place, and pay our respects to both the past and present first peoples, their languages, customs, culture and connection to this wonderful country. 

This area is up in the mountains: Great Dividing Range/Main Range/Border Ranges, headwaters of the Clarence River and close to New England and granite country. A real mixture.

Time: 8 am

Where: Boonah State School (Primary) car park to car pool. Please share if you can. Leave about 8:30am.

Directions from Boonah to Koreelah N.P.:  Take the Boonah-Rathdowney Road south out of Boonah and after about 13kms turn into Carneys Creek Road. Straight ahead over Teviot Brook and past The Head Road junction (it is closed). The road becomes good dirt and eventually climbs up a ridge with fantastic views over to Mt Ballow, etc, until you reach the border gate (about 41kms from Boonah). We might stop here for a quick look around. Then along through the historical area of White Swamp to Koreelah (we veer left past the turn off to The Head on the right). Turn into Koreelah NP and camping/day use area. The drive with no stops takes about 1 hr 10 mins.

The head of the gorge,
Koreelah NP

Activities: Walks along the creek and around the waterfall. There are creeks and rock slabs and cliff walls etc, but our leader assures us the tracks are fairly level. Perhaps a walking pole might be a good idea!

There is a separate section of the National Park and it is back up the road, and we may check this out too.

Level of Fitness: All levels, do as much or as little as you like, scramble over rocks or sit under the shade of a tree.

Facilities: Toilets, picnic tables at the park.

What to Bring: suitable clothing and footwear for walking in the bush, sunscreen, insect repellant, water, morning tea and lunch, chair, and the usual naturalist stuff of your choice; binoculars, camera, field guides, notebook, etc.

Upon Arrival: Please register in the Attendance Book and pay your $2 per person participant fee. 

Outing Report - Wharkuroogma Wetlands, Roadvale, 21 January 2023

Field Natters at the upper dam, Wharkuroogma

The Fassifern Field Naturalists Club Inc. would like to respectfully acknowledge the Ugurapul, and all those of the Yugambeh and Jagera  groups, Traditional Custodians of the Roadvale area on which our outing took place, and pay our respects to both the past and present first peoples, their elders, languages, customs, culture and connection to this wonderful country. 

As this was the annual "early morning bird walk", the bird list started at the front gate where the Crepins saw Brown Quail. 

We all gathered at the carpark and it wasn't long before we headed for the dams. Near one of the smaller dams it was thought a Horsfield's Bushlark was heard, and flying high but unfortunately this was not confirmed.The next stop did produce many different birds including Speckled Warbler, an immature Sacred Kingfisher, and over 200 Tree Martins gathering on the wires over the dam and the trees nearby.

As with all of the Fassifern area at the moment there were few waterbirds. A lovely sighting was a small family of Black Swan, two adults with two fluffy white cygnets.

Eventually we came together at the morning tea spot at the top end of the upper dam. Some of the group were lucky enough to get a sighting of a Latham's Snipe. 

After a welcome break we headed to a small patch of scrub. As it was mid-morning and getting quite warm there was not much activity, bird or human, though we were lucky enough to see two Yellow Thornbill. A bird we see so rarely in our area now.

Lunch was back at the nursery where owner, Claire Ekas, made us welcome and we told her of our morning.

Species Lists (* = introduced species)

Amphibians & Reptiles: Frogs & Toads; Green Tree Frog, Turtles; Freshwater Turtle sp.

Arachnids: Daddy Longlegs Spiders Pholcus phalangioides.

Birds (69 species): Brown Quail, Black Swan (2 families- 1 with 3 mature cygnets, other with 2 juvenile cygnets), Australian Wood Duck, Pacific Black Duck, Australasian Grebe, Common Bronzewing, Crested Pigeon, Peaceful Dove, Bar-shouldered Dove, Australian Darter, Little Pied Cormorant, Little Black Cormorant, White-faced Heron, Wedge-tailed Eagle, Dusky Moorhen, Eurasian Coot, Black-fronted Dotterel, Masked Lapwing, Latham’s Snipe, Galah, Little Corella, Rainbow Lorikeet, Scaly-breasted Lorikeet, Musk Lorikeet, Australian King-Parrot, Pale-headed Rosella, Pheasant Coucal, Brush Cuckoo, Laughing Kookaburra, Sacred Kingfisher, Rainbow Bee-eater, Dollarbird, Superb Fairy-wren, Red-backed Fairy-wren, White-browed Scrubwren, Speckled Warbler, White-throated Gerygone, Yellow Thornbill, Yellow-rumped Thornbill, Striated Pardalote, Lewin's Honeyeater, Noisy Miner, Brown Honeyeater, Striped Honeyeater, Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike, Rufous Whistler, Grey Shrike-thrush, Australasian Figbird, Olive-backed Oriole, Pied Butcherbird, Australian Magpie, Rufous Fantail, Willie Wagtail, Torresian Crow, Restless Flycatcher, Magpie-lark, Eastern Yellow Robin, Golden-headed Cisticola, Australian Reed-Warbler, Tawny Grassbird, Silvereye, Welcome Swallow, Tree Martin (200+), *Common Myna, Mistletoebird, Double-barred Finch, Plum-headed Finch, Red-browed Finch, Chestnut-breasted Mannikin.

Butterflies: Orchard Swallowtail Papilio aegeus, Lemon Migrant Catopsilia pomona, Common Grass-yellow Eurema hecabe, Small Grass-yellow Eurema smilax, *Wanderer Danaus plexippus, Lesser Wanderer Danaus petilia, Common Eggfly Hypolimnas bolina, White-banded Plane Phaedyma sheperdi.

Marsupials: Marsupials; Common Brushtail Possum.

Other Invertebrates: Damsel/Dragonflies; Black-Headed Skimmer Crocothemis nigrifrons, Scarlet Percher Diplacodes haematodes, Blue Skimmer Orthetrum caledonicum, Fiery Skimmer Orthetrum villosovittatum, Graphic Flutterer Rhyothemis graphiptera. Moths; Wasp Moth sp. Subtribe Ctenuchina.