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.
Showing posts with label Carney's Creek. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Carney's Creek. Show all posts

Tuesday, 4 January 2022

Outing Report - Ballow View Nature Reserve, 20 November 2021

Finding a seat at morning tea
A very still morning with no wind saw a combined group of Natters and members of the Native Plants Queensland – Logan River Branch, plus some friends enjoying this mountain property. Our host, Hugh Wackwitz, gave us some background information. Known as "Burnup", it covers almost 52 hectares and lies in the foothills of the Main Range close to the Queensland-New South Wales border.  Approximately one third was cleared over 50 years ago for grazing, and currently the block is lightly grazed by cattle which helps with fire management. The rest consists of intact open forest with significant stands of Allocasuarina torulosa

Blushing Bindweed
(
Convolvulus erubescens)
As we waited for the last arrivals, on the road verge only a few birds were calling. Possibly because there was no blossom in the massive Grey Gums (Eucalyptus biturbinata) that stood majestically overhead. In fact the birds were heard more than seen for the whole outing; 27 species altogether.

However, this was a botanical day rather than a birdwatching day. The botanists soon broke up into small parties wandering off the track to identify that elusive plant. There were plenty of wildflowers out. Most of them had very small flowers and sharp eyes were needed to pick them out of the leaf litter or grass. 
Botany Bay Weevil
(Chrysolopus spectabilis)

Millipede sp.
(possibly Heterocladosoma bifalcatum)
Looking at plants meant we found quite a number of insects, especially the sparkling 
Botany Bay Weevil (
Chrysolopus spectabilis)

Our butterfly list is excellent and has some species we don't usually record.- see list below. Thanks John & Wes. 

Photographers: L. Beaton, N. Crepin, M. Kenny, P. Shields.


introduced species = *
Fauna
Birds: Crimson Rosella, Pheasant Coucal, Brush Cuckoo, Laughing Kookaburra, Sacred Kingfisher, White-throated Treecreeper, Buff-rumped Thornbill, Lewin's Honeyeater, Yellow-faced Honeyeater, Noisy Miner, Scarlet Honeyeater, Noisy Friarbird, Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike, Cicadabird, Golden Whistler, Rufous Whistler, Grey Shrike-thrush, Grey Butcherbird, Pied Butcherbird, Australian Magpie, Pied Currawong, Spangled Drongo, Torresian Crow, Leaden Flycatcher, Eastern Yellow Robin, Mistletoebird, Red-browed Finch.
Butterflies: Greenish Grass Dart (Ocybadistes walker), Banded Grass-skipper (Toxidia parvulus), Splendid Ochre (Trapezites symmomus), Southern Silver Ochre (Trapezites praxedes), Orchard Swallowtail (Papilio aegeus), Fuscous Swallowtail (Papilio fuscus capaneus), Striated Pearl-white (Elodina parthia), Caper White (Belenois java), *Wanderer (Danaus plexippus), Orange Ringlet (Hypocysta adiante), Ringed Xenica (Geitoneura acantha), Brown Ringlet (Hypocysta metirius), Common Brown (Heteronympha mirifica), Fiery Copper (Paralucia pyrodiscus), Imperial Hairstreak (Jalmenus evagoras evagoras), Common Grass Blue (Zizina labradus).
Moths: Green Blotched Moth (Cosmodes elegans), Australian Magpie Moth (Nyctemera amicus).
          Burr Daisy 
    (Calotis cuneifolia)
Other Invertebrates: Beetles: Leaf Beetle (Callidemum sp.), Botany Bay Weevil (Chrysolopus spectabilis). Millipedes: Millipede sp. (possibly Heterocladosoma bifalcatum).
Spiders: Leaf Curling Araneus (Araneus dimidiatus), White-spotted Sandalodes (Sandalodes scopifer).

Flora discussed or taken note of on the day (not a comprehensive list): [Many more plants were identified. A more inclusive list will be added later.]
Herbs: Burr Daisy (Calotis cuneifolia), Blushing Bindweed (Convolvulus erubescens), White Root (Lobelia purpurascens),
Trees: Grey Gum (Eucalyptus biturbinata), Thin-leaved Stringybark (Eucalyptus eugenioides) flowering, Tallowwood (Eucalyptus microcorys), Gum-topped Box (Eucalyptus moluccana).

 

  

Friday, 22 January 2016

20 February 2016 - Outing to Carneys Creek

See acknowledgement below
Walk in the mountain forests of Carneys Creek. The air is cooler. The trees are bigger. Lots of mountain butterflies, birds and different forests up here. Great views of Mt Ballow.

Meet: at 8:00 am at Ballow View Nature Refuge (private property) on Carneys Creek Road, off the Boonah-Rathdowney Road, 14.8 km south of Boonah PO. Turn right here, and the Refuge is 2.7 kms past Fletcher Road junction, or 24 kms from the start of Carneys Creek Road on the left (no signs). Park just off the road. If you get to the border fence you have gone a few kms too far. The road turns to gravel once you pass the Head road.

Bring: Morning tea and lunch. Lunch will be back at the cars. Plenty of parking. Bring the usual safety stuff; hat, water, sturdy shoes, etc. A hiking stick is useful. Might be wise to spray your footwear, legs and arms to deter leeches and scrub ticks.  
   
Level-ish ground, some rocks and gullies for the adventurous. Ballow View has been surveyed a few times and there is quite a bit of fauna and flora variety here, and you never know what you will see.  Come prepared to marvel at nature.
   
(Rain?  No fun walking in the forest in the rain. Stay home.)
   
Photo acknowledgement: Typical example of RE 12.8.25 at BVNR. Photo: Paul Grimshaw.  - Scientific Figure on ResearchGate. Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/figure/286263848_fig1_Fig-2-Typical-example-of-RE-12825-at-BVNR-Photo-Paul-Grimshaw [accessed Jan 22, 2016] 

From the Wildlife Land Trust website: The sanctuary covers 51.86 hectares and lies in the foothills of the Main Range adjacent to the Queensland-New South Wales border in southern Queensland. Approximately 30% of the property was cleared over 50 years ago for grazing, and currently the block is lightly grazed by cattle - partly for fire management purposes. The rest of the sanctuary consists of intact open forest with significant stands of Allocasuarina torulosa
   
Remnant vegetation of significant conservation value includes Regional Ecosystems Of Concern 12.8.9 (Lophostemon confertus tall open forest on Cainozoic igneous rocks) and 12.8.20 (Shrubby woodland with Eucalyptus racemosa or E. dura on Cainozoic igneous rocks).  Riparian vegetation includes rainforest species.
   
A fauna survey conducted by Jesse Rowland of the Queensland Herbarium detailed 112 native wildlife species known to occur on Ballow View, including the rufuous bettong (Aepyprymnus rufescens), glossy (Calyptorhynchus lathami) and yellow-tailed (Calyptorhynchus funereus) black cockatoos, koala (Phascolarctos cinereus), great barred frog (Mixophyes fasciolatus), yellow-faced whipsnake (Demansia psammophis) and little red flying-fox (Pteropus scapulata).