Outing Report - Mt French, Saturday, 16 September 2023

 A Botanical Outing with a Birdo as Leader

Mt Barney from Mee-bor-rum Lookout

A very small group met at Mt French as more of our members were enjoying a tag-along in the cool, breezy climes of northern NSW.

Meanwhile, we meandered through the Mee-bor-rum Circuit. The first part of the walk was still showing the effects of the burning earlier in the year, so there were no orchids to be found. In fact, very few wildflowers were in flower.

After admiring the south-east view towards Mt Barney we entered the heath where there was some blossom. Luckily, somebody in our small band knew the plants. She pointed out acacias, both Brown Wattle A. brunioides and Sticky Wattle A. viscidula. The leptospermums were also in flower making a white haze around us.

Red-necked Wallaby and joey

Back at the picnic area we sat at a shady table and enjoyed the company of a Red-necked Wallaby and her joey which peeped out from her pouch. We thought a goanna was going to join us but it just sauntered past on its way to somewhere far more interesting. After the break we went to Logan’s Lookout because one can never get enough of this breathtaking view. Then all too soon it was time to go home after another pleasant stroll on our iconic mountain.

Species Lists introduced species = _*
Fauna
Reptiles: Lace Monitor or Goanna Varanus varius.
Birds: Shining Bronze-Cuckoo, Lewin's Honeyeater, Noisy Miner, Scarlet Honeyeater, White-throated Honeyeater, Eastern Whipbird, Australasian Figbird, Pied Butcherbird, Pied Currawong, Mistletoebird.
Marsupials: Brush-tailed Wallaby (on the way up the mountain), Red-necked Wallaby & joey.
Butterflies: *Wanderer Danaus plexippus, Lesser Wanderer Danaus petilia, Orange Ringlet Hypocysta adiante, Meadow Argus Junonia villida.

Flora discussed or taken note of on the day (not a comprehensive list):
Vines, Scramblers & Climbers: Native Sarsaparilla Hardenbergia violacea.
Grass Trees: Johnson’s Grass Tree Xanthorrhoea johnsonii.
Shrubs: Brown Wattle Acacia brunioides, Sticky Wattle Acacia viscidula, Small-fruited Tea Tree (Leptospermum microcarpum.

Outing Report - Lake Moogerah, Saturday, 19 August 2023

 Adapted from the Fassifern Field Naturalists Club Inc. Newsletter

Plan B: Moogerah Dam and Below the Dam

With the cancellation of the Moon View outing, due to fire threat, our leader had to quickly come up with a Plan B. So, seven hardy Natters turned up at Haigh Park overlooking the Moogerah dam wall on a very windy and cold but sunny morning. A few more joined the group later, making eleven.

A walk across the dam wall was abandoned at the first shelter point, as we attempted to shelter from the cold westerly wind. After photos were taken, we headed for our cars and drove the short distance down to the Lower Recreation area along Reynolds Creek, below the dam wall.

As we set off, one member’s hat was blown into the water, luckily it was reached with a walking pole before it could sink! We strolled downstream to the weir at the end of the picnic area, the wind kept the birds away. Most noted were two Welcome Swallows doing circuits over the area, and four pelicans circling up above.

At the weir our leader told us of the Rhyolite plugs of Mt Edwards towering ahead on the other side of Reynold’s Creek (NNW) and Little Mt Edwards on our side of the creek ahead to NNE. While most returned for morning tea, one went on along the rough track downstream from the weir, to see the huge rock slabs of rhyolite rising up on the right; which had been mentioned.

Then on the grassy bank of the creek with the warm sun and the wind at our backs, a long morning tea was enjoyed with great conversation. We looked at a rock with fish scales and bones fossilized in it, from the Richmond area. The small bird count grew as we sat there. A pair of Rainbow Lorikeets came to check out a hollow in a big tree, and a Kookaburra sat and watched us for a bit. In the end it was so pleasant chatting in the sun that no one wanted to leave!

Birds of August Field Trip

Australian Wood Duck, Little Pied Cormorant, Little Black Cormorant, Australian Pelican, Dusky Moorhen, Gull-billed Tern, Rainbow Lorikeet, Scaly-breasted Lorikeet, Laughing Kookaburra, Striated Pardalote, Spotted Pardalote, Striped Honeyeater, Scarlet Honeyeater, Brown Honeyeater, Noisy Miner, Restless Flycatcher, Willie Wagtail. Australian Magpie, Torresian Crow, Pied Currawong, Welcome Swallow, Mistletoebird.

Outing Report - Mt Alford, Saturday, 15 July 2023

From the Fassifern Field Naturalists Club Inc. newsletter

Koala seen on the property

It wasn’t anywhere as near as cold as expected for the July outing. In fact, it was pleasant enough for 17 members to join our hosts at their home. As usual with Nats, we stood around chatting for a while, munching mandarins that were picked from the nearby tree earlier. We eventually set off down the paddock disturbing the Whiptail, or Pretty-faced, Wallabies on the way. The Red-backed Wrens and Silvereyes twittered around us. It wasn’t long though before we were all clustered under a eucalypt admiring a large, healthy, male Koala. It was a great sighting and many photos were taken.

Around the firepit

Eventually the party split into two groups with some taking the high road, and some taking the low road. There were plenty of bush birds with a male Rose Robin and a couple of Jacky Winters being highlights. Once we were all back at the house, we settled around the firepit for our sausages generously prepared and supplied by our hosts. The fire’s warmth invited lots of conversation and laughter. The species list call came before dark and the night-spotting. Forty-three birds, three mammals and one butterfly were accounted for.

Then it was time for a few members to head homeward ..... but a few intrepid naturalists braved the cool by increasingly moving their chairs closer to the fire, before heading out with torches in search of elusive night creatures. There wasn't much wildlife around (probably all tucked up in bed), but we were lucky enough to spot a rufous bettong, a microbat and another red necked wallaby. We heard frogs around the dam but didn't manage to spot the barn owl which is rumoured to sit on the fence wire each night!

Species Lists for Kooroomba Drive:

Birds: Brown Quail, Australian Wood Duck, Australasian Grebe, Peaceful Dove, Great Egret, White-faced Heron, Little Pied Cormorant, Masked Lapwing, Rainbow Lorikeet, Scaly-breasted Lorikeet, Pale-headed Rosella, Laughing Kookaburra, Rainbow Bee-eater, Red-backed Fairy-wren, White-throated Gerygone, Weebill, Spotted Pardalote, Striated Pardalote, Yellow-faced Honeyeater, Noisy Miner, Brown Honeyeater, White-naped Honeyeater, White-throated Honeyeater, Blue-faced Honeyeater, Noisy Friarbird, Striped Honeyeater, Varied Sitella, Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike, Golden Whistler, Rufous Whistler, Grey Shrike-thrush, Australian Magpie, Grey Fantail, Willie Wagtail, Torresian Crow, Rose Robin, Restless Flycatcher, Jacky Winter, Magpie-lark, Welcome Swallow, Silvereye, Mistletoebird, Double-barred Finch.

Mammals: Koala, Rufous Bettong, Whiptail Wallaby, Red-necked Wallaby, Microbat sp.

Butterfly: Wanderer.

Outing Report - Bunburra, Saturday 17 June 2023

Adapted from the FFNC Inc. Newsletter

A lovely fine winter’s day greeted us when we went to Bunburra in June. We gathered and jumped into 4-wheel drives. Our host led us out the back of his place to “Dingo Creek” – a local name for a gully draining off the highest point on his property.

Birds were rather scarce. But the views were spectacular. And the gully was full of interesting
plants.

A fig in an Ironbark 

A fig (probably Ficus rubiginosa) had lodged about 30 m up in the top of a huge Ironbark (probably Eucalyptus crebra) and had dangled a very long tap root all the way to the ground – a definition of persistence. It will probably develop a bigger canopy and survive long after the Ironbark has died. The gully was dominated by Brush Box (Lophostemon confertus), but there was also a really big Crow’s Ash (Flindersia australis), some Scrub Ironbark (Bridelia leichhardtii) and a Yellow Tulip (Drypetes deplanchei).

Above Dingo Creek

The protected hillside was also dominated by Brush Box, with their lignotubers providing sustenance during harsher times. In some landscapes, a “whip-stick” form of Brush Box can establish – conditions are not good enough for big trees to develop, but just enough for thin trunks to dominate. True to form, Field Nats scattered in all directions .... but hunger got the better of them and they all straggled back eventually.

Looking to the east