October Outing Details - Bunya Mountains Camp, 19 - 22 October 2026 (Monday to Thursday)

The Bunya Mountains
Photo: L. Beaton

 Please contact our Secretary before Sunday afternoon (18 Oct), fassifernfieldnaturalists@gmail.com, if you are interested in joining us.

September Outing Report - Goomburra, 19 September 2026

 Adapted from the newsletter report by M See.

There were eight keen natters who met at Kurrajong Picnic Area at the Goomburra entrance on a beautiful Spring morning and we were welcomed with the appearance in the sky of not just one, but three specimens of the club’s emblem, the Pacific Baza. Surely a good sign. Male and female satin bowerbirds were ubiquitous, flying back and forth and the open woodland setting was dominated by eucalypts, casuarinas and acacias with some beautiful Clematis vines trailing over branches. Keith was keen to spot a ribbon gum, Eucalyptus nobilis, which is known in the area. He suspected some of them were, but no flowers or fruits were available to check. Manna gum campground nearby is named for the presence here of the manna gum, Eucalyptus viminalis. 

Peering into the pools
Photo: I. Reynolds

Male & female rose robin
Photo: C. Bonner

The birds drinking at nearby Dalrymple creek seemed to be cooperating for Chris and his camera, and we rambled around along its banks to see what we could see. Festoons of king orchids, Dendrobium speciosum, flowered from an overhead tree branch and an optimistic Stony Creek frog was heard calling along the creek despite the recently dry conditions. Although there was much peering into deep clear pools, no crayfish or mountain galaxias were seen. 

Festoons of king orchids,
Dendrobium speciosum
Photo: I. Reynolds

Located on what was the western slopes of the Main Range volcano, part of the charm of Goomburra is the diversity of habitats you can explore all in one place. We headed off up the mountainside passing grass trees, grey gums, brush box, and also glimpsed Piccabeen palms in nearby gullies before arriving into the cool rainforest glade of the Sylvester’s Lookout track. A soaring grey goshawk put in an appearance at the lookout and the clear weather produced a fabulous view. Being September, the long red flowers of the giant spear lillies, Doryanthes palmeri, graced the sheer cliff faces.

Natters on the North Branch track
Photo: L. Beaton

View from Sylvester's Lookout
Photo: C. Bonner

Fauna list (compiled from member observations over three days by club recorder)

introduced species = *

Amphibians: Stony Creek frog Litoria lesueuri.

Arachnids: trapdoor spider sp. Arbanitis sp.

Birds (44 species): Australian brush-turkey, brown cuckoo-dove, wonga pigeon, shining bronze-cuckoo, southern boobook, Pacific baza, grey goshawk, laughing kookaburra, sulphur-crested cockatoo, crimson rosella, little lorikeet, rainbow lorikeet, Australian king parrot, Albert’s lyrebird, satin bowerbird, whitethroated treecreeper, superb fairy-wren, brown honeyeater, white-naped honeyeater, eastern spinebill, Lewin's honeyeater, yellow-faced honeyeater, bell miner, noisy miner, red wattlebird, noisy friarbird, spotted pardalote, brown gerygone, yellow-throated scrubwren (nest only), white-browed scrubwren, large-billed scrubwren, brown thornbill, golden whistler, grey shrike-thrush, eastern whipbird, varied triller, pied currawong, Australian magpie, grey butcherbird, rufous fantail, grey fantail, rose robin, eastern yellow robin, silvereye, red-browed finch.

Mammals: pademelon, *pig.

Butterflies: Macleay’s swallowtail Graphium macleayanum, small grass-yellow Eurema smilax, scarlet

jezebel Delias argenthona