Camp Report - Cullendore, NSW

Cullendore High Country is an ideal spot for a field naturalists camp. Overlooking the Maryland National Park on the Qld-NSW border, it is at high altitude, and on the edge of the Granite Belt. This means there are different species of fauna, flora and fungi that we don't always get in the western Scenic Rim. We had a great time walking and driving the tracks. There was so much to see and do. Here's some photos which show what we got up to.

Species lists follow the photos.

All images are by members of the Fassifern Field Naturalists Club.

Fassifern Field Naturalists at Cullendore High Country

Matty's Dam, Cullendore High Country

 Australian Bluebells (Wahlenbergia sp) with wasp pollinator

White Patch Bark Moth (Scioglyptis lyciariap)

Russell’s Greenhood (Diplodium russellii)

White Stemmed Wattle Moth

Beautiful waterlilies

Ringed Xenica (Geitoneura acantha)

Water Snowflakes (Nymphoides indica)

Unknown insect (probably Tipulidae sp.) but several found flying close to the leaf litter in Maryland National Park

More Craneflies Tipulidae sp.

Morning Tea Reflections - stunning!

Species List: compiled by the Club Recorder from members’ sightings.

Birds Australian Wood Duck, Pacific Black Duck, Australasian Grebe, Bar-shouldered Dove, Wonga Pigeon, White-faced Heron, Straw-necked Ibis, Wedge-tailed Eagle, Purple Swamphen, Dusky Moorhen, Eurasian Coot, Masked Lapwing, Glossy Black Cockatoo, Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo, Galah, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Musk Lorikeet, Little Lorikeet, Australian King-Parrot, Crimson Rosella, Eastern Rosella, Fan-tailed Cuckoo, Azure Kingfisher, Laughing Kookaburra, White-throated Treecreeper, Brown Tree-creeper, Satin Bowerbird, Superb Fairy-wren, Variegated Fairy-wren, White-browed Scrubwren, Western Gerygone, Brown Thornbill, Striated Thornbill, Buff-rumped Thornbill, Yellow-rumped Thornbill, Spotted Pardalote, Striated Pardalote, Eastern Spinebill, Yellow-faced Honeyeater, White-eared Honeyeater, Noisy Miner, Red Wattlebird, Brown Honeyeater, White-cheeked Honeyeater, White-naped Honeyeater, Blue-faced Honeyeater, Grey-crowned Babbler, Black-faced Cuckoo-Shrike, Golden Whistler, Grey Shrike-thrush, Black-faced Woodswallow, Dusky Woodswallow, Grey Butcherbird, Pied Butcherbird, Australian Magpie, Pied Currawong, Grey Fantail, Willie Wagtail, Torresian Crow, Restless Flycatcher, Magpie-Lark, White-winged Chough, Apostlebird, Jacky Winter, Eastern Yellow Robin, Silvereye, Welcome Swallow, Mistletoebird, Double-barred Finch, Red-browed Finch, Australian Pipit. 

Mammals Red-necked Wallaby, Common Brushtail Possum, Rufous Bettong, Common Ringtail Possum, Brown Hare

Reptiles Carpet Python, Red-bellied Black Snake, Wall Skink

Amphibians Eastern Dwarf Tree Frog, Striped Marsh Frog, Beeping Froglet

Ants Jumper Ant (Myrmecia nigrocincta), Many more but couldn’t identify them.

Butterflies Greenish Grass-dart, Small Grass-yellow, Glasswing, Lesser Wanderer, Wanderer, Common Brown, Ringed Xenica, Common Grass-blue (unconfirmed Shouldered Brown)

Moths White Stemmed Wattle Moth (Chelepteryx chalepteryx), White-patch Bark Moth (Scioglyptis lyciaria)

Dragonflies Blue Skimmer (Orthetrum caledonicum)

Native Orchids - In Flower: Dark Mosquito Orchid (Acianthus exsertus), Common Wasp Orchid (Chiloglottis diphylla), Russell’s Greenhood (Diplodium russellii). 
Not In Flower: Pink Rock Orchid (Dendrobium kingianum, now with a taxonomic name change - Thelychiton kingianus), King Orchid (Dendrobium speciosum, also a name change - Thelychiton speciosus), Climbing Orchid (Erythrorchis cassythoide

Toonumbar National Park - April Camp

John and Noela came up trumps again with a terrific camp based at Ironpot Creek Campground in the Toonumbar National Park, NSW.

                

Some excerpts from Noela's report follow:

Toonumbar epiphytes

"The overcast and showery conditions for Thursday and Friday showed the rainforest at its best – mosses, lush and green on all fallen logs and rocks, moisture dripping from the lush foliage and the many varieties of fungi erupting from decaying fallen timber and ground litter. "

"Roadside vegetation on the fringes of the rainforest provided just the right habitat and conditions for the butterfly enthusiasts especially on Saturday and Sunday when the sun shone down from clear blue skies."

"This was our very first camp set up completely in a rainforest setting.   It was great to go to sleep at night to the rustlings and the gentle taps of the leaves and tiny twigs falling on the canvas as the birds settled into their night perches and to wake in the morning to the calls of the Logrunners, Yellow Robins, Scrub Wrens, Lewin’s Honeyeaters and Currawongs."

 "On our last camp night, when we gathered in the shelter shed to socialise, I endeavoured to compile a list of all creatures, great and small, viewed throughout the weekend.
 

Toonumbar fungi

"Bush Rat (Rattus fuscipes), Black Rat (Rattus rattus), Red-necked Pademelons (Thylogale thetis), Southern Leaf-tailed Gecko (Saltuarius swainii), Goannas (Lace Monitors) -many, Brushtail Possums (Trichosurus vulpecula) and Ringtail Possums  (Pseudocheirus peregrinus) in and around the campground, and many Granny’s Cloak Moths (Speiredonia spectans) sheltering in the toilets. Spotlighting revealed eels and catfish in the clear water of the creek but no frogs."

View of Mt Lindsay and Mount Barney from the "other" side

Bird List:

Aust. Brush Turkey, White-headed Pigeon, Brown Cuckoo-dove, Wonga Pigeon, Wompoo Pigeon, Topknot Pigeon, Tawny Frog mouth, White-throated Nightjar, Pacific Baza, Wedge-tailed Eagle, Yellow-tail Black Cockatoo, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Rainbow Lorikeet, Scaly-breasted Lorikeet, Little Lorikeet, Australian King Parrot, Crimson Rosella, Shining Bronze Cuckoo,  Pallid Cuckoo, Fantail Cuckoo, Laughing Kookaburra, Noisy Pitta,  Albert’s Lyrebird, White-throated tree Creeper, Green Catbird, Satin Bower bird, Variegated Fairy-wren, Yellow-throated Scrubwren, White-browed Scrubwren,  Large-billed Scrubwren, Brown Gerygone, Brown Thornbill, Spotted Pardalote, Lewin’s Honeyeater, Bell Miner, Aust. Logrunner, Eastern Whipbird, Varied Triller, Crested Shrike-tit, Golden Whistler, Grey Shrike Thrush, Aust. Figbird, Grey Butcherbird, Pied Currawong, Grey Fantail, Black-faced Monarch, Paradise Riflebird, Pale-yellow Robin, Eastern Yellow Robin, Silvereye, Welcome Swallow, Tree Martin,  Bassian Thrush,  Mistletoebird,  Red-browed Finch.

Butterfly List:

Splendid Ochre (Trapezites symmomus), Greenish Grass Dart (Ocybadistes walkeri), Blue Triangle (Graphium sarpedon), Common Grass-yellow (Eurema hecabe), Common Jezebel (Delias eucharis), Common Albatross (Appias paulina), Brown Ringlet (Hypocysta metirius), Wonder Brown (Heteronympha mirifica) females only, Wanderer (Danaus plexippus), Pencilled Blue (Candalides absimilis).

Interesting Point:

The reference book says the male Wonder Browns (which do not resemble the females at all) are active in Jan-Feb, and the females in Mar-April. It does not say how they meet.