The Fassifern Field Naturalists Club Inc. would like to acknowledge the Yugarapul People, the Traditional Custodians of the land on which our Club is founded, and pay our respects to their Elders past and present, their languages, customs, culture and connection to this wonderful country.

Friday, 12 July 2024

July Outing Details - Campsite 6, Tarome – Saturday, 20th July 2024

Allan Cunningham cairn at Campsite 6
Time: 9 am

Where: The Rural Fire Brigade shed, Hinrichson Rd, Tarome.

Directions: At Aratula turn west (or right, if you’re coming from the Boonah or Ipswich areas) into Elizabeth Street, signposted Tarome and Rosevale. This becomes Tarome Road once you leave Aratula. Continue on this road for about 11.5 km where you will see the large Rural Fire Brigade shed. We’ll meet here. I do recommend high clearance vehicles from this point. Most of the road is good, but there are a few ruts near the end. 
If you’re late and you miss us, turn into Hinrichsen Road. This has a tiny bit of bitumen then is good gravel. In just under 2 km, veer left continuing on Hinrichsen for another 1-and-a-bit km when the road takes a long curve to the left and becomes Campsite Rd. After another kilometre cross Badcocks Creek (not signposted) and on the other side is the reserve with a cairn.
There are beautiful views on the way


Activities: This is an outing more for the photographers, birdos and bug-hunters than botanists. The views of the Range on the drive in are stunning. As the reserve is very small the walking is along the road and the creek for about 200 m. There should be a little water in the creek to encourage the wildlife.
Remember you are standing in the footsteps of Allan Cunningham. He and his party camped at this spot.
We’ll finish before lunch but for those who want a longer time out there are many ways home to choose from; e.g. via Rosevale and Warrill View, or returning to Aratula and heading home via the southern end of Moogerah Dam.

Level of Fitness: If you can drive a car, that’s all the fitness you need.

Facilities: None. Nearest toilets are at Aratula.

What to Bring: suitable clothing and footwear for walking in the bush, sunscreen, insect repellant, water, morning tea, 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. 

Saturday, 6 July 2024

Outing Report - ‘Aroona’ at Mt Mort; 18 May 2024

Natters under the Moreton Bay Fig 
Ficus macrophylla 
Adapted from our newsletter

Our field trip in May was to a little valley at the top end of Franklinvale Creek, tucked into the high hills of the Little Liverpool Range at Mt Mort. Over 20 members turned up quite excited about the trip in. It is a pretty drive with views to mountains all around. Mt Beau Brummel is the highest peak around, and one looks straight at it along Grey’s Plains Road. The smaller Grey’s Mountain is the next highest feature at the far end of Grey’s Creek. 

A lovely sunny morning saw us walking over farm tracks and crossing small streams to see what we could see. The creeks and ridges are well vegetated and likely to have stacks of birds and creatures. Finding them was the tricky part. It was rather cold so all the birds decided to sleep-in. Getting them out of bed was a real chore. But we managed to make a decent list.

Golden Orb-weaver 
Trichonephila edulis

Our Club emblem – Crested Hawk or Pacific Baza – made an appearance. A few butterflies were out surprisingly – the usual culprits plus a Tailed Emperor, and a few spiders.

Garden Orb-weaver
Eriophora transmarina
Dome Tent Spider Cyrtophora moluccensis


The property is owned by Qld Trust For Nature to manage as an environmental reserve and a sustainable cattle property. Thanks to Georgie for showing us around. As the clouds gathered, we all scattered back to our homes and a nice warm fire.



More about Aroona Station

introduced species = *

Fauna

Reptiles: Dragons; Bearded Dragon Pogona barbata. Garden Skink Lampropholis delicata (under Moreton Bay Fig Ficus macrophylla at the homestead.)

Arachnids: Dome Tent Spider Cyrtophora moluccensis, Garden Orb Weaver Eriophora transmarina, Golden Orb-Weaver Trichonephila eduli (grey and brown banded legs), Bearded-legs Uloborid Uloborus barbipes.

Birds: Brown Quail, Common Bronzewing, Peaceful Dove, Bar-shouldered Dove, White-necked Heron, Pacific Baza, Wedge-tailed Eagle, Masked Lapwing, Rainbow Lorikeet, Pale-headed Rosella, Pheasant Coucal, Laughing Kookaburra, Fairy-wren sp., White-browed Scrubwren, Weebill, White-throated Gerygone, Spotted Pardalote, Striated Pardalote, Eastern Spinebill, Lewin's Honeyeater, Yellow-faced Honeyeater, Noisy Miner, Scarlet Honeyeater, Brown Honeyeater, Noisy Friarbird, Eastern Whipbird, Golden Whistler, Rufous Whistler, Grey Shrike-thrush, Australasian Figbird, Grey Butcherbird, Pied Butcherbird, Australian Magpie, Pied Currawong, Grey Fantail, Willie Wagtail, Torresian Crow, Magpie-lark, Rose Robin, Eastern Yellow Robin, Silvereye, Welcome Swallow, Mistletoebird, Double-barred Finch.

Butterflies: Small Grass-yellow Eurema smilax, Scarlet Jezebel Delias argenthona, *Monarch Danaus plexippus, Lesser Wanderer Danaus petilia, Common Crow Euploea core, Tailed Emperor Charaxes sempronius, Meadow Argus Junonia villida, White-banded Plane Phaedyma sheperdi.

Other Invertebrates: Ants; Southern Meat Ant Iridomyrmex purpureus - many, Dragonflies; Wandering Percher Diplacodes bipunctata.